Nancy Pederson

Nancy Lynn (Parker) Pederson of Waco, passed away Thursday, March 5, 2026 at Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest in Waco.

Graveside services will be held 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, 2026 at White Rock Cemetery near Ross, with David Young officiating. Nancy will lie-in-state from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Tuesday at Aderhold Funeral Home in West.

Nancy was born October 14, 1942 in Center, Texas, the daughter of Sallie (Young) and Heber C. Parker, both of whom preceded her in death. She married James Paul Pederson on April 6, 1968 in Center. They were married 57 years prior to her death. A 1960 graduate of Center High School, Nancy attended Centenary College in Shreveport, LA for two years before transferring to the University of Texas at Austin in 1962. She obtained her bachelor's degree in journalism in 1964. After graduating, Nancy worked on the women's news staff and as women's news editor at the Beaumont Enterprise and Journal from 1964 until 1969. From 1969 until 1970, she was a staff writer for the Daily Sentinel in Nacogdoches while Paul obtained his master's degree from Stephen F. Austin State University. When Nancy and Paul moved to Paris, Texas for Paul to accept a position at Paris Junior College, Nancy also began working at PJC. She was information services coordinator there from 1970 until 1987. During that time, she completed nine graduate hours toward a master's degree from East Texas State University in Commerce.
In 1987, Nancy and Paul purchased the Lake Whitney Views in Whitney and published the monthly paper until they sold it in 1999. While publishing the Views, Nancy researched and wrote the application for a Texas historical marker for the town of Whitney. In 1989 she and Paul were selected as new members of the year by the Whitney Chamber of Commerce.
Nancy began working part-time with the Central Texas Writing Project at Baylor University in 1990 and also was editor of the BU credit Union's newsletter. She obtained a full-time position as special projects assistant for the dean of the Baylor libraries in 1995 and retired from Baylor as library publications coordinator in 2005. Through the years Nancy and Paul took many enjoyable trips in their RV's. In 2010 they flew to Norway where they were excited to find some of Paul's Norwegian cousins. They also took a Norwegian Fjord cruise and spent several nights in Paris, France. Another eventful trip was an Alaskan cruise from Anchorage to Vancouver.

Nancy is preceded in death by her parents; her brother, James Perry "Jimmy" Parker; sisters-in-law, Reeta Sue Willeford and Kathryn Marie Turner; brothers-in-law, John Magnus Pederson, Sam Newt Pederson, Oliver Britton Willeford, and Robert A. Turner; nephews, John Scott Pederson and Roger Willeford; and niece, Linda Willeford.

She is survived by sisters-in-law, Bobbie Pederson, Alice Parker, and Anne Mallory; nieces and nephews, Brandt and Lisa Parker, Ashley Parker, Lisa Marie Parker, Larry Willeford, Britta and Bruce Edwards, Suzanne and Perry Auten, Mark and Lori Turner, Matt and Evelyn Turner, Chris and Kim Turner, Sam and Sue Pederson, and David and Jan Pederson; 22 great nieces and nephews; and 12 great-great nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be made to the First United Methodist Church in Center, TX. or the Methodist Home in Waco, TX.