LeNae Rochelle Nelson Clevenger

LeNae’s life began sooner than expected on May 16, 1987, in Wichita, Kansas. She was very premature at 2lb and two ounces, but defied the odds and came home in a Cabbage Patch Doll outfit two months later. Her family called her PeeWee.  She is the daughter of Kenneth H. Nelson, Jr, and Dayla (Dodson) Nelson. Growing up LeNae was a definite tomboy and enjoyed climbing trees, playing in the dirt, going to work with her dad in the gasfield and playing with her cousins and her friends. LeNae was baptized as a young teenager at the Christian Church in Florence. Her school years included Chase County Elementary, then Marion County during her high school years and graduated from Peabody High School in 2005. She went on to obtain her CNA, and then CMA license. In 2007, LeNae and Shaun Melte had a son, Ian Morris, who was the pride and joy of her life. After Ian was born in 2007, she worked as a CNA/CMA at Peabody and Hillsboro. She married Josh Clevenger in 2013 and added son Bailey and daughter Emily to her family. LeNae was all about family - and once you were family, you were always family. Although this marriage ended in divorce - family was still family. LeNae went back to school and got her LPN license and graduated in 2021 from Flint Hills Community College in Emporia. Soon after, LeNae and her son Ian, moved to Enid OK. There, she worked as an LPN for Carter Healthcare as a Home Health nurse. She loved her job and her clients and began making plans to study for her RN degree. Enid is also where she met the love of life, Shannon Willson.  LeNae and Shannon were so in love and thrilled to have found each other and were busy planning and looking forward to the rest of their lives together.

LeNae was a caregiver at heart, loving her family, her extended family, and her friends - and her clients. She loved her pets. She was always bringing stray “anything and everything” home - from snakes to birds to cats to puppies! She loved taking care of them. She also loved to travel, kayak, garden, can, fish, camp and just anything outdoors. She loved taking care of her family, and watching Ian and Bailey grow up, do well in school, and play sports and other activities.

She is survived by Shannon Willson, of the home, her mother, Dayla Nelson of Florence, father Kenny Nelson of Marion, children Ian Melte of Enid, and Bailey Clevenger of Boston, MA, and her sister Christina Nelson of Kansas City, and Grandmother Judy Dodson, Emporia, KS, and a host of many extended family and friends.

LeNae was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, “Grandma Barb” and grandpa, Kenneth Nelson, Sr., her maternal grandparents, Dale and Jeris Dodson, great grandmas Goldie Dodson and Clarice Hale, stepfather, Greg Troxell, uncle, Keith Nelson, aunt, Connie Dodson Reid, and cousin, Jeris Wunderlich.

LeNae passed away unexpectedly and suddenly on July 16, 2023, in Enid, Oklahoma. Her family will gather with friends on Monday, July 24, 2023, from 1-3 p.m. at Yazel Megli Funeral Home, Marion where her funeral service will be held at 3 p.m. led by Pastor Matt Regier. Please dress in casual attire.  Memorial contributions in her name may be directed to the Ian Melte Education Fund in care of Dayla Nelson or the Caring Hands Humane Society. Please sign her online guestbook and leave a memory of LeNae at www.yazelmeglifh.com.