Nélida Upton

Nélida “Nellie” Rosa Colón Upton, 91, died on Monday November 18, 2019 at her home surrounded by her family.
Born on June 17, 1928 in Utuado, Puerto Rico to the late Anotonio Colón and Eloisa Bernacet, at 19 she moved from Puerto Rico to New Jersey where she graduated from beauty school. While working in NJ she met and married Lennie and eventually moved to Junction City. Here she established her salon, Lida’s Beauty Shop. Nellie enjoyed homemaking and volunteered for 17 years at the Auxiliary at Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center. She loved to line dance and had many hobbies, such as crochet, knitting and crafts. She lived here for 64 years and was a member of First Baptist Church of Junction City. Nellie served the church as a faithful member, as GA leader, and as part of the benevolence committee.

She was predeceased by her parents, five brothers and three sisters.

She is survived by her husband of 66 years, Leonard “Lennie” Lewis Upton; two daughters, Eloise (Robert) Campbell of Louisville, KY and Nelita Rose (Bruce) Brown of Las Cruces, NM; seven grandchildren, Dan, Jacob and Myra Campbell, Eric Rankin, Tony, Bowen and Brianna Brown; four great grandchildren, Trevor, Collin and Aidan Rankin, Sawyer Brown; one brother, Wilfredo “Wil” (Nelidia) Colón of Lakeland, FL; and two sisters in Puerto Rico, Antonia “Toñita” Colón and Marvelia “Marvey” Bernacet.

The funeral service will be at 11am Saturday, November 23, 2019 at Stith Funeral Home in Junction City. Officiating will be Brother Paul Readnour of Junction City First Baptist, and Darrel Hahn, Chaplain at Heritage Hospice. Pallbearers will be her grandchildren. Honorary pallbearers will be the Ever Ready Sunday School class at First Baptist Church. Burial will be in Danville Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be 4 to 8pm Friday, November 22 2019 at Stith Funeral Home in Junction City. Memorial donations are suggested to Gideons International (https://www.gideons.org/donate) or Heritage Hospice (https://heritagehospice.com/Donate).