NELL HARPER
Sept. 15, 1927-Oct. 15, 2013
Georgia Nell Upchurch Harper, 86, died Tuesday.
She was born in the Gold Sand community of Franklin County, N.C., to the late John Calvin and Swannie Rowe Upchurch.
Also preceding her in death were her husband of nearly 56 years, Maurice Clifton Harper, and her older sister, Ella Maxine Upchurch Watkins.
Surviving are daughters, Brenda Harper Ernest of Greenville and Peggy Harper Tate (Russell) of Goldsboro; grandchildren, Michael Ernest (Tina) of Winterville and Lucy Ernest Wilcox (Aaron) of Wilmington; great-grandchildren, Galen and Zoë Wilcox and Jack Duncan Ernest; sister-in-law, Nellie Marshall of Franklin County; many nieces and nephews; chosen family, including former sons-in-law, Paul Malpass of Raleigh and Mike Ernest of Staunton, Va., and Mike's other sons, Alex, Nicholas and Collin; a host of friends; and Petunia Grace, the world's smartest dog.
Mama Nell was a stay-at-home mom in the 1950s and 1960s, when many women had taken jobs, so her spacious yard often filled with neighborhood children come to play.
Papa told the story that he picked her out to be his wife when she was new born. His mother had taken him, at age 4, to visit Swannie and John's new baby, and he decided then that he would marry her when she grew up.
She read her Bible daily; she and Papa read it aloud to one another every night for as long as he could. They never missed a day having dinner (others call it lunch) until he died.
She exhorted their young daughters to "be useful as well as ornamental" in life.
Mama Nell lived independently until last week in her home of 60 years, and remained fully cognizant to the end. She had a full and happy life, and death was mercifully quick.
Per her wishes, there will be no funeral. Instead, family and close friends gathered at the home Wednesday for an afternoon of remembering Mama Nell.
No flowers, please, but contributions in her name to charity are encouraged.
Seymour Funeral Home of Goldsboro is handling the cremation.
(Pd)
Published in Obituaries on October 17, 2013 1:49 PM