Frances Eloia (Aylett) Nelson

Frances “Franny” Eloia Nelson, aged 82, moved peacefully into the next realm on February 27th, 2024 in Seiling, Oklahoma. She was born to Lily and Kenneth Aylett on May 7th, 1941 in Beaver, and she was the third of four siblings. She grew up in Laverne and graduated from high school there.

Franny was married to Gerald Lee Nelson on May 23, 1959 in Slapout, Oklahoma. They met in high school and married directly after graduation. They had four children: Dawna DeAnn, Troy Lee, and Jerry Dean, as well as James Richard, who passed in infancy and is laid to rest in Clearlake Cemetery. She and Gerald later separated, and Franny took responsibility for raising their children. Through every hardship, Franny modeled gentle strength, and settled naturally into becoming a rock to the family. She worked for Colorado Interstate Gas (CIG) as a dispatcher until her retirement. To her community, Franny was a selfless, hard-working pioneer; to her family, she was an ever-present hero.

She met Jim Guy Winn in 1972 and built a life with him in Slapout, Oklahoma. On their little farm in the country, they kept many types of chickens, ducks, guineas, Canadian geese (rescued as goslings),  peacocks, and even a pair of swans. Franny loved her birds and her home; she found joy in nurturing her surroundings and the people in her life. She smiled often, and her positivity lit the room. Her feisty independence was tempered only by her compassionate, caring nature. One of her favorite activities was doting on her grandkids, who adored her in return (and her famous Coke Cake, which was requested often). If you left Granny Franny’s house hungry, it was your own fault.

Franny is preceded in death by her parents; her son, James Richard; and Jim; her brother, Bud; and sister, Wilma Moore. She leaves behind three adult children: Dawna Nelson, Troy and wife Anna Nelson, and Jerry and wife Teresa Nelson; adult grandchildren Rachel Beresford, Cory Ward, Travis Nelson, Megan Nelson, Zachary Nelson, Jessie Nelson, Shiann Dawson, and Slade Hague; and numerous great-grandchildren. Those closest to her have described her as warm, spiritual, kind, and encouraging. Franny is so very loved, and she will be missed by her family, her friends, and her community.