Joann Sylvia (Bigford) Nelson

Joann Sylvia (Bigford) Nelson, died August 14, 2020, of COVID-19, in Toledo, Ohio. She was born May 14, 1934, in Appleton, Wisconsin, to Bert and Viola Bigford. In 1952, Joann married Robert Arthur Nelson, of Racine, Wisconsin. Together they raised five sons: Michael Allen, Steven Arthur, Daniel Alvin, Thomas Allen, and James Andrew. In addition to raising a large family, Joan studied tax preparation and went on to own and operate her own successful tax preparation business in Maumee, Ohio, where she and her husband Bob relocated in 1977. Joann was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, and friend, and was active in the Lutheran church throughout her life. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bob, in 2017; her son Dan in 2018; and her granddaughter, Laura, in 1983. She is survived by a brother, Glen (Rosella) Bigford of New London, WI; by sons Michael (Dee) of Kenosha, WI; Steven (Nicola) of Woodstock, IL; Thomas and James of Toledo, OH; as well as grandchildren Jesse, Sarah, Daniel (Dilan), Jeff, Timothy, and Marissa; and great-grandchildren Jakob, Jaxson, Scout, and Harper, along with many beloved nieces and nephews. Family and friends will be received at the Maison-Dardenne-Walker Funeral Home, 501 Conant St., Maumee on Wednesday, August 19, 2020 from 10:00 AM-1:00 PM. Funeral services will be private. Interment will also be private at Riverside Cemetery, Maumee, Ohio. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations to Hospice of Northwest Ohio, which provided compassionate care to both Joann and Bob in their final days. Online condolences may be shared at walkerfuneralhomes.com