Thousands of people came together Tuesday, August 6, to celebrate the lives of four of the victims of a plane crash that killed members of the beloved southern gospel group, The Nelons.
Kelly Nelon Clark, her husband, Jason Clark, their daughter, Amber Kistler, and Amber’s husband, Nathan died July 26 when the plane they were aboard crashed in rural Wyoming. The crash also claimed the lives of the group’s assistant, Melodi Hodges, the pilot, Larry Haynie, and his wife, Melissa.
On Tuesday, a memorial service was held for Kelly, Jason, Amber, and Nathan at Roopville Road Baptist Church in Roopville, Georgia. In addition to the more than 1200 people who attended the service in-person, more than 25,000 watched the memorial service online through the church’s Facebook and YouTube feeds.
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The Nelons were a beloved part of the Gaither Homecoming family, a large group of gospel artists who performed at Gaither-sanctioned music events around the world. It was only fitting that the choir loft and stage of the church hosting the memorial service was filled with other Homecoming family members including Bill and Gloria Gaither, Jason Crabb, Michael English, the Gaither Vocal Band, and The Isaacs.
The service started with a harmonica solo playing “Amazing Grace” as family members were led to their seats in the auditorium. The audience and artists on stage, led by Bill Gaither, began singing the familiar lyrics.
Autumn Nelon Streetman Pays Tribute To Her Family
Pastor Billy Wood, Nathan Kistler’s father, David, Jason Clark’s friend and business partner Bruce Snead, Kelly Nelon Clark’s best friend and fellow artist Karen Peck, and Kelly’s brother, Todd Nelon, each took turns sharing memories and messages of hope. But perhaps the most poignant moment of the service took place when Autumn Streetman, the youngest daughter of Kelly Nelon and Jason Clark, spoke through a prerecorded message before joining Grand Ole Opry members The Isaacs on stage to sing.
In the message, Autumn’s faith was front and center as she candidly discussed the heartbreak of loss, having questions without answers, and ultimately finding peace in the midst of tragedy.
“Even though my heart is breaking and tears flood my eyes, I do belive that God gives us something worth trusting. And that is Him and Him alone,” Autumn said. “So I changed my ‘Why’ into ‘What now, God? How do you get the glory in the midst of this tragedy?’ My choice is to trust Him fully.”
She added a promise to keep singing and carrying on her decades-long family legacy as a member of one of gospel music’s most beloved families. “God has entrusted me with a legacy to carry on and I will seek His will and guidance. I promised my family, as the lyrics to the last song my mom ever recorded on our unreleased album say, ‘I’ll always have a song to sing.”
As the Isaacs took the stage, Sonya Isaacs shared that Autumn had asked them to sing “Family Chain,” a tune written by Isaacs’ patriarch, Joe Isaacs. The song was recorded by the Nelons in 2016 and holds a special meaning for Autumn. Sonya invited Autumn on stage to sing.
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The moment was a special one for everyone watching as Autumn fought through emotions to share her voice with the world in honor of her family.