After a brief illness, Yerington resident Lisa Nelson Sanford passed away November 13, 2020 while in hospice care at her daughter's Reno home.  She was 68.

Lisa was born April 4, 1952 in Cedar City, Utah to Gene and Phyllis Holt Nelson; and at the age of 3 months, moved with her family to Weed Heights, Nevada so her father could work at the Anaconda Copper Mine there.

She attended Yerington schools, graduating in early June of 1970 and marrying her fiancé Jim Sanford the very next weekend. The couple made their home in Yerington, raised three children and celebrated their 50 ^th wedding anniversary this past summer.

While in high school, Lisa worked at Rex Drug; and after her marriage was employed as a bank teller for First National Bank of Nevada. On October 20, 1990, she was seriously injured in a vehicle rollover and was paralyzed from the chest down. By working hard to recover some use of her arms and hands, she was able to return home to her family and to serve as office manager for the family business, The Mason Valley News ("The Only Newspaper In The World That Gives A Damn About Yerington"). She was a long-time member of the Beta Sigma Phi sorority, and a lifetime member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Lisa lived up to the nickname given to her by her husband Jim – Sunny—as she handled her disability with grace and a greeted everyone with a smile and friendly comment, bringing life to the lives of those around her.

Lisa was predeceased by her parents and grandparents and several aunts and uncles and cousins.

Survivors include her husband Jim of Yerington; son Cory (Missy) Sanford of Sparks; daughters Amy (Richard) Rand of Yerington and Ivy (Phil) Katsaros of Reno; their Brazilian daughter Mariana Grecco (Rodrigo Victorasso) Scalon; her brother, Brad (Joyce) Nelson of Beaverton, OR and 9 grandchildren including James and Rebecca Rand, Lainey and Toby Sceirine and Mason Sanford, Alexis and Ashlynn Katsaros, and two Brazilian grandchildren, Gabriella and Eduarado.

Lisa's Memorial service is scheduled for 11:00 am Saturday, January 9th at 11:00 a.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 600 North Oregon Street Yerington

Family and friends are invited to sign her online guest book at www.FRFH.net also sympathy cards may be sent to Jim directly from this site.

Freitas-Rupracht Funeral Home, 25 Hwy 208  Yerington 89447 (775) 463-2911 is in charge of arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Lisa's name to the Walker River Basin Communities Foundation, P.O. Box 442 , Yerington, NV 89447.