Tracy Nelson

Tracy Lynn (Rheinheimer) Nelson was born on September 23, 1968 in Denver, Colorado to James Thomas Rheinheimer and Tamra Kay (Orrino) Rheinheimer. She was raised south of Denver, Colorado in Englewood and Foxfield and attended Smoky Hill High School. She was on the swim and soccer teams and graduated in 1987. As a child, Tracy was involved in Girl Scouts, church youth group, horse showing, and band. She was accomplished at both the flute and piccolo. Tracy attended Concordia College in Seward, Nebraska and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Education in 1991. She also received a Master’s Degree from the University of Phoenix. Tracy began her teaching career in Denver at Saint John’s Lutheran School in 1991, where she taught for 9 years teaching 1st, 3rd, 5th and 6th grades. She also coached the girls’ volleyball team for several years. Tracy was married to Michael Joseph Nelson on December 1, 2001 in Denver, Colorado after which they resided in Ellicott, Colorado. They have two children. Their daughter Rebecca Lynn was born on February 6th, 2004 in Colorado Springs and their son, Jacob Dale, joined the family 2 years later on June 17th, 2006 in Colorado Springs as well. After marriage, Tracy resumed teaching by joining the staff at Ellicott Elementary School in 2002. She taught the 1st and 3rd grades for a total of 9 years. She was active with the school and community and always was willing to support people bettering the community. Tracy was a loving and dedicated mother. Though she was very active at school and in the community, she spent immense amounts of quality time with her children and husband. The Nelson family spent hours every month traveling between Ellicott and the Denver area to participate in numerous family occasions and to share the holidays. Family was very important and keeping the kids involved with the relatives was a priority. She always wished the kids could have known Mike’s mom Margaret before she passed away in 2003. Tracy was a devoted and passionate teacher. She had a special ability to connect with each and every student and bring out the best of their talents. She stayed in touch with her students and recently attended the wedding of a student from her first year of teaching. Spending time with the family, and remembering it was of utmost importance to her. She loved to scrapbook and has created numerous memory books of the family’s celebrations and travels. She cherished camping, fishing, reading, board games, cards, and attending an annual NASCAR race in Vegas with friends and family. Tracy also had a special ability to bake a unique birthday cake for her family and friends. A birthday was never complete without one of her amazing creations. Tracy passed away at home on October 24, 2010 after a yearlong battle with breast cancer. Tracy is survived by her husband Mike, children Rebecca and Jacob and her parents Jim and Tammy Rheinheimer and Mike’s parents Butch and Colette Nelson. She is additionally survived by her siblings and in-laws John and Sonya Rheinheimer, Toni Baltizar, Don and Karen Nelson, Scott Nelson, James Nelson and her nieces and nephews James, Courtney, Andrew, Justin, Natalie, and Kendrik. Visitation will be held from 5:00-8:00 PM, Thursday, October 28, 2010 at Evergreen Funeral Home, 1830 E. Fountain Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 80910. Memorial services will be held at 11:00 AM, Friday, October 29, 2010 at Ellicott High School, 375 S. Ellicott Hwy, Calhan, CO 80808. In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to the Nelson Children Education Fund in care of Farmer’s State Bank, 458 Colorado Ave, Calhan, CO 80808.