Affra Nelson

Affra McNeill Nelson, 101, giving and vibrant wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister and friend to all, left this mortal life on May 24, 2021 to join her eternal sweetheart of 55 years.

She was born February 4, 1920 to Henry Elmer and Mabel Pettit McNeill in the little mining town of Heiner, Carbon, Utah.  She was named after her Aunt Affra Rees who attended the birth.  At the age of 10, her family moved to American Fork where she lived for 73 years, graduating from American Fork High School and then from BYU.  She taught for 22 years at Pleasant Grove HS. She lived through the Depression, WWII and worked at Hickam Air Base in Hawaii.  Affra married her high school sweetheart, Ray Conder Nelson, in the SL Temple Dec. 12, 1945 two weeks after he returned from 4 years in England in the military. Affra always said she and Ray were parents of “three of the best children in the world”: Dennis (Norine), South Jordan, Richard (Marilyn), Lehi, and Marilyn Snell, Cottonwood Heights.

Affra loved her family, the gospel, learning, music, traveling, friends and water aerobics!  A devoted member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she served a mission to the East Central States, served in teaching and leadership callings in all the ward and stake organizations, was an ordinance worker in the Jordan River Temple and was an active member of Daughters of Utah Pioneers. After Ray passed away in 2001, Affra lived for 16 years at Silver Pines Senior Community in Sandy, Utah. She was living with her daughter, Marilyn, at the time of her passing.

Affra is survived by her three children, 8 grandsons and 8 granddaughters, 49 great-grandchildren and sister-in-law Ann McNeill.  She is preceded in death by husband, Ray, brother John Thomas and 4 great grandchildren: Elder Andrew Carr, Michael Marwedel, Calissa Nelson & Mallory Nelson.

The funeral service will be held on Monday, June 7, at 11:00 am at the Stake Center at 2350 East Creek Road, Sandy, UT.  A viewing will take place before the funeral from 9:00 – 10:45 am at the church.

At Affra’s request memorial donations may be made to Primary Children’s Hospital or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Missionary Fund.

Interment in the American Fork Cemetery. Please share a memory of Affra on her tribute wall.