Mona Nelson
Mona Nelson, 65, of Harrisburg, died Saturday, August 6, 2016, at DePaul Hospital in
suburban St. Louis, Missouri.
She is survived by her husband of 41 years, David Nelson; three children, Heather Marie
(Kenny) Rea, Jesse Latham (Amber) Nelson, and Kate Erin (Mark) Polino; and two
granddaughters, Cassie Rea and Fara Polino.
Mona is also survived by her two sisters, Lynn Adams and Debbie (Mark) Holmgren, and
by her brother Randy (Shelby) Adams. Her brother Tommy (Betty) Adams preceded her in death.
Ramona Rae Adams was born on December 7, 1950, in Gary, Indiana. Her parents were
the late Thomas ("Taco Tom") Adams and Joan Carnahan Adams. Mona attended the public
schools in Gary until her family moved to Harrisburg in 1967. She graduated from Harrisburg
High School in 1968, and attended Southeastern Illinois College until Heather's birth in 1969.
In the 1970s Mona was employed as a secretary for Jackson County Public Defender W.
Charles Grace and for Appellate Justice Peyton H. Kunce, and in the 1980s for her husband and
his then law partner, Bruce D. Stewart. She later served as director of the Saline County Housing
Authority, and as the victims' advocate for the Saline County State's Attorney.
Mona was a founder and an active member of the Friends of the Library, and later served
on the Harrisburg District Library board. She was also a founder of the long-running book group
known as the Ladies' Literary League. A vocal liberal, she would request that you please not vote for Trump, in lieu of flowers.
And of course Mona would appreciate your gifts to CASA and the library in her memory.
Visitation will be from 3 to 6 p.m. Friday, August 12, at the Reed Funeral Chapel, located
at 503 East Sloan in Harrisburg.