Francis Lanelle "Nell" Stander

Francis LaNelle “Nell” Stander was born May 23, 1929 to Lee and Louisa (Kerit) Winnard near Oklahoma City, Okla. and departed this life on March 4, 2022.
She was born during the Great Depression. She learned how to sew and was able to make beautiful clothes. She was an avid gardner and was able to preserve the veggies she harvested.
On her 18th birthday, she left home and went to Oklahoma City. Her first job was at Borden’s Ice Cream shop where she met Dick Stander. They were married June 18, 1948. In 1951, their son George was born. In 1953, they moved to Springfield. She worked at Cortez restaurant and had other jobs. In October 1967 she started working at Shady Inn Restaurant and continued there for 33-plus years when they went out of business on Jan. 1, 2001.
Preceding her in death is her parents, two brothers, James (Mary) and Raymond (Pearl), three sisters, Hazel (Clyde) Killmon, Inez (Russell) Vanderburg, and Mary (Dean) Lanford and a brother-in-law, Max Cox.
She is survived by Dick, her husband of 73 years; son George; sister Pat Cox, six grandchildren, 10 greatgrandchildren and one great-great-grandchild, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, friends, neighbors and past co-workers.
Visitation will be 1-1:45 p.m., Saturday, March 19, 2022 at Wilson-Griffin Funeral Home, Ash Grove. Graveside services will be 2 p.m., Saturday, March 19, 2022 at Ash Grove Cemetery.