Sandra J. Nelson
Dec. 13, 1951 – Aug. 15, 2026
Sandra Jean Nelson, 74, of Columbia, Mo., passed away peacefully Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, surrounded by her family. She was born Dec. 13, 1951, in St. Louis, Mo., the daughter of the late Paul and Anne (Marecek) Driska. She grew up in a first-generation Slovak household and attended a Slovak-speaking Lutheran church, experiences that helped shape the deep faith she carried throughout her life.
Bright and ambitious from an early age, Sandra began college at Southern Illinois University at just 16 years old. She graduated with a double major in family economics and marketing and began her career as the first female traveling sales representative west of the Mississippi for Boyle-Midway, selling household products to retail stores.
Oct. 11, 1975, Sandra married Daniel Nelson in Topeka, Kan. Together, they built a life marked by family, hard work, and a willingness to follow wherever the next opportunity led. Sandra later earned a master’s degree in family economics from Kansas State University before the couple moved to Pine Bluff, Ark., where she worked as a financial counselor in a health clinic.
After three years in Arkansas, they embarked on a new adventure, purchasing a nursery and garden center in Hannibal, Mo. Sandra specialized in perennials and bedding plants, loved sharing her gardening knowledge with customers, and brought her creativity to the business’s Christmas shop through the seasonal displays she designed.
Her life eventually led her to the classroom, where Sandra found a calling she truly treasured. She taught at Hope Lutheran School in Shawnee, Kan., and spent more than 25 years as an educator. Known for challenging her students and bringing out the best in them, Sandra took great pride in preparing them for high school and beyond. Her dedication was recognized when she was honored as one of the top teachers in Kansas, but her greatest legacy lives on in the hundreds of students whose lives she shaped throughout her career.
Retirement brought Sandra more time for many of the things she loved most. After moving to Columbia, she traded the title of “Mrs. Nelson” for “Gigi,” as she was affectionately known by her seven grandchildren. She cherished time spent with them and became an important part of their everyday lives. She continued to garden and found a new creative outlet in writing about it professionally, bringing together two of her greatest gifts and interests.
Sandra is survived by her husband of more than 50 years, Daniel Nelson; her children, Emily (Bryan) Edgington Andrews of Columbia, Daniel (Allison) Nelson of Atlanta, Ga., and Rachel (Brandon) Renaud of Columbia; her grandchildren, Braydon, Ella, Brynn, Holland, Lydia, Evelyn, and Clara; and her sister, Janet Riggs of Inola, Okla.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Paul and Anne Driska, and her brother, Norman Driska.
A celebration of Sandra’s life will be held this fall.
In Sandra’s memory, a scholarship has been established through the nonprofit Choral Arts Alliance of Missouri to help children experience and participate in the arts. Donations in her honor may be made at: choralartsmo.ludus.com/donate