On September 5, 2026, our family said goodbye to Nelda Suelene Garcia, our beloved Mom and Nana, at the age of 63. A memorial service celebrating Nelda's life will be held at a later date, per the family's request.

There are some people whose lives cannot be measured simply by the number of years they were here. Their lives are better measured by the people they loved, the lives they touched, the prayers they prayed, the lessons they taught, and the pieces of themselves they left behind in everyone who knew them.That was our Nana.

Born October 6, 1962, and from Texas City, Texas, Nelda was a woman whose life was built around two things that meant everything to her: her faith and her family. Nana loved Jesus with her whole heart. She didn't keep that love to herself, either. If you spent any amount of time with her, chances are you heard about Jesus. She wanted everyone she encountered to know about His love, grace, and goodness.

She volunteered. She taught. She served. She cared for people and she dedicated so much of her time to doing the work she believed God had called her to do.

Being a caretaker wasn't simply something Nana did—it was part of who she was.

And then there was her family. Nana loved her children fiercely. She was proud of them, and she wasn't shy about letting people know it. Give her an opportunity to brag about one of her children, grandchildren, or great-grandchildren, and she was going to take it. Their accomplishments became her accomplishments. Their happiness made her happy. Their struggles became something she carried in her own heart.

Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were some of the greatest joys of her life. Every new generation simply gave Nana more people to love. And when Nana loved you, you knew you were loved.

To her, family wasn't always determined by blood. Friends became family, too. Her heart and her home had room for people, and throughout her life she gave so much of herself to those around her.

Nelda was the daughter of Gerald and Sue Thomas. She leaves behind her beloved children, Dana and Joseph Edge, Marvin Lee Kelley III, and Floyd Jellette Kelley, who will carry their mother's love, lessons, faith, and memory with them for the rest of their lives. Her legacy continues through the grandchildren she adored: Joselyn Edge; Breanna and Tyler Scott; Aireanna and Darius Brown; Joseph Leonard Edge Jr.; Emily Marie Kelley-Edge; Marvin Lee Kelly IV; Jousha Kelley; Jase Kelley; Savanah Kelley; and Wisteria Kelley.

She was blessed to see another generation of her family through her precious great-grandchildren: Reece Scott, Delaney Scott, Amara Brown, Saveah Brown, Aubrie Kelley, Melody Kelley, and Kia Kelley. She also leaves behind a host of nieces, nephews, extended family members, friends, and people who became family simply because Nana loved them that way.

Nelda was preceded in death by her parents, Stella and Gerald Thomas; her sister, Judy Estelle Goldman; and her brothers, Gerald Dean Thomas and John Wesley Thomas.

For those of us left behind, September 5 changed our lives. There will be moments when we reach for the phone before remembering we can't call her. There will be family gatherings where someone is missing. There will be accomplishments we wish we could tell her about because we already know how proudly she would have told everybody else. There will be stories that begin with, “Remember when Nana…” There will be laughter when we remember the things she said and did and there will be tears because loving someone this much means feeling their absence just as deeply. But Nana spent her life telling people about Jesus. She spent years speaking about faith, teaching about faith, and encouraging others to believe. And now, during one of the hardest moments our family has faced, we hold tightly to the same faith she spent her life sharing with everyone else.

We will miss her voice. We will miss her stories. We will miss hearing her brag about her family. We will miss the caretaker, the teacher, the mother, the grandmother, the great-grandmother, the friend, and the woman of faith.

Most of all, we will simply miss Nana. But what she gave us didn't leave on September 5. It lives in her children. It lives in her grandchildren. It lives in her great-grandchildren. It lives in every person she cared for, every person she taught, every person she prayed for, and every person she reminded that they were loved by Jesus. That is Nana's legacy.

A life of faith.

A life of service. A life of family. And a whole lot of love.

Until we meet again, Nana, and Mom we will carry you with us.

We love you. Always.