Sarah Celestine Nelson was born on March 10, 1946. She entered eternal peace early Friday, April 4, 2025, at Bon Secours Memorial Regional Hospital in Mechanicsville, Virginia.

Sarah was preceded in death by her loving parents Ollie, Sr. and Fannie Bertrand; her beloved son, Andrew Nelson; her sisters Plumey Terrell, Alberta Hicks and Ernestine Waller; her brother, Leslie Bertrand and her Uncle William Myers.

Sarah accepted Christ at an early age at Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Doswell, Virginia. She received her education in Hanover County Public Schools.

Over the years, Sarah worked for several businesses, including Best Products, Medallion, Circuit City and Keller Aluminum. She even tried her hand with a logging company with her brother Lawrence and brother-in-law "Burn-a-bee". She was also a home health care provider. This job was probably the best suited for her because of her caring, upbeat and giving spirit.

Sarah was fun-loving and witty. She brought fun and laughs to any gathering. She told stories about growing up with her siblings just like it happened yesterday. She was a joy to be around, unless you were playing against her in cards. She loved to talk trash and to win. She was the life of the party and enjoyed music. Her favorite artists were Solomon Burke, Otis Redding and B.B. King.

She was a person you could count on. Sarah often denied herself and made sacrifices to help her family and others. She had a mother's love that not only blessed her boys but reached out to her nieces and nephews too.

Let's not forget she had a flair for style. She could coordinate from head to toe and made it her business to dress to impress. The bigger the hat the better.

Sarah met and married the love of her life, Carroll Nelson. They were joined together in marriage on March 14, 1964. This union was blessed with two sons, Andrew and Darrell Nelson. She loved her boys fiercely. She protected them as intensely as a mama bear or lioness did her cubs.

Even though the past few years had its challenges, Sarah remained strong willed and her faith never wavered. She would often say "God has been good to me".

Sarah leaves to cherish her memory, her husband of 61 years, Carroll Nelson; her son and daughter in love, Darrell and Joan Nelson; grandson Kiragu Beauttah (Mia); three great grandchildren, Carter, Evan-Kiragu and Abeni Beauttah; two brothers, Ollie Jr. and Lawrence Bertrand (Deloris); one sister, Annie Hoover; mother-in-law, Catherine Nelson; one sister-in-law, Geneva Nelson; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and her bonus family at King William Manor.