Mary Nell Jackson Young passed away peacefully late Wednesday evening, June 7, 2006 at Sacred Heart Hospital. She greeted God with the same dignity and steadfast courage with which she lived her life.
Mrs. Young was born near Opp, Alabama on January 2, 1928. She was known to many in Pensacola for her twenty-one year career at Montgomery Ward's in Cordova Mall, where she worked from its inception in 1970 until her retirement in 1991. Her incredible drive and determination took her from an employee in the credit department to Operations Manager for the entire store. Under her management, the store was ranked Number One nationwide. But her determination to succeed at her job never made her lose her respect and compassion for her fellow man, as evidenced by her being named the Most Pleasant Person at the store.
While many know her for this role, others know her more for her devotion to family, which always came first. After losing her Mother in an auto accident at 18, Mrs. Young reared her two younger sisters, sacrificing her young adulthood to provide for them since she was the oldest girl of her large family.
She had a special gift for giving, loving and nurturing, and always knew the right thing to say. Everything she touched seemed to grow and flourish. Her love willed it to thrive. She was constant, patient and kind. Her quiet strength filled her home and the hearts of her family and all those she met. She possessed a spiritual energy flowing from her Cherokee ancestry and an enthusiasm for life that instilled in her a belief that she could do anything she set her mind to.
At the young age of 22, and newly married, she determined that her children would be raised in a home she could call her own. She sold her only possession of value, went to her local banker in Florala, Al., spread the cash for the down payment across the banker's desk and asked if he would loan her the rest. This banker took one look at the determined young lady across the desk from him and knew instinctively that she was a woman of character. She earned his trust by repaying the entire loan in less than a year. She later moved to Brewton, Alabama with her family and found a job at WEBJ Radio as a copy writer. The fact that she did not know how to type was no deterrent to this remarkable lady. She simply bought an old Underwood typewriter and taught herself to type. Not only did she get the job, but her pleasant manner and likable personality made her the voice of radio commercials for local stores. She moved to North Hill and renovated a Queen Anne style home for which she and her husband were awarded the North Hill Improvement Award. She later became affectionately known as the "rose lady" for the beautiful roses she lovingly cultivated in her yard.
She was an avid reader, gardener, Alabama football fan, and was a model in her 20s. Her cooking was out of this world and she could sew anything. She had a sense of color that was remarkable, along with a sense of style, grace and dignity reflecting her English roots. As an article in the Florala News once said about her, "Nell Young is the definition of class."
Basically, Mary Nell Jackson Young could do anything she put her mind to because it never occurred to her that she couldn't. This attitude sustained Mrs. Young through 2 separate bouts with colon and breast cancer. Her courage and determination helped her defeat them both. Then, at 77, she was diagnosed with lung cancer. She held it at bay as long as she could. She never complained, following the tradition of her Civil War ancestors who fought bravely in the service of the Confederacy. She was especially proud of a book compiling their letters to one another during this turbulent time in our country's history. The book, "So Mourns the Dove", and the PBS documentary honoring the courage reflected in their letters, had a prominent place on her coffee table.
She always worried about everyone else's comfort, needs and goals all the way to the last moments of her life. Her spirit is so strong that her presence and influence will never die. She always talked about how blessed she was, while the truth is that those who knew her are the ones who were blessed and inspired. She is dearly loved and will be sorely missed.
Mrs. Young belonged to the Florala Bridge Club, Florala PTA, Brewton Country Club, Pensacola High School Quarterback Club, North Hill Preservation Association, Florala and Brewton Churches of Christ and participated in numerous fundraising activities for national and local charities.
Mrs. Young is preceded in death by her husband, Billy Young; her father, Joel R. D. Jackson; her mother, Pearl Jowers Jackson; her brothers, O.D. "Pete" Jackson, Joel Franklin Jackson, Daniel Cleveland "Bennie" Jackson; and her sisters, Marlene Jackson Gatlin and Myrtle Faye Jackson, infant.
Mrs. Young is survived by her sister, Marion Joyce Hayes; daughters, Vivian Dianne Young Henderson of Daphne, Alabama; Cheryl Ann Young of Pensacola, and her
son, B. Richard Young, of Pensacola; husband and wives of children, Robert Henderson, Michael J. Griffith, and Suzanne Young; grandchildren, Pamela Denise Stephens, Christina Liane Wallace, Mary Charlene "Charley" Young, Richard Ryan Young and William Cody Young; and great-grandchildren, Matthew Bryant Kuznieski, Timothy Bryant Shiver, Chaylee Briane Shiver, and Mary Meagan Stephens.
Honorary pallbearer is William Howard Griffith. Pallbearers are B. Richard Young, Michael J. Griffith, Ryan Young, Cody Young, Robert Henderson, and Jerry Gatlin.
Mrs. Young was born near Opp, Alabama on January 2, 1928. She was known to many in Pensacola for her twenty-one year career at Montgomery Ward's in Cordova Mall, where she worked from its inception in 1970 until her retirement in 1991. Her incredible drive and determination took her from an employee in the credit department to Operations Manager for the entire store. Under her management, the store was ranked Number One nationwide. But her determination to succeed at her job never made her lose her respect and compassion for her fellow man, as evidenced by her being named the Most Pleasant Person at the store.
While many know her for this role, others know her more for her devotion to family, which always came first. After losing her Mother in an auto accident at 18, Mrs. Young reared her two younger sisters, sacrificing her young adulthood to provide for them since she was the oldest girl of her large family.
She had a special gift for giving, loving and nurturing, and always knew the right thing to say. Everything she touched seemed to grow and flourish. Her love willed it to thrive. She was constant, patient and kind. Her quiet strength filled her home and the hearts of her family and all those she met. She possessed a spiritual energy flowing from her Cherokee ancestry and an enthusiasm for life that instilled in her a belief that she could do anything she set her mind to.
At the young age of 22, and newly married, she determined that her children would be raised in a home she could call her own. She sold her only possession of value, went to her local banker in Florala, Al., spread the cash for the down payment across the banker's desk and asked if he would loan her the rest. This banker took one look at the determined young lady across the desk from him and knew instinctively that she was a woman of character. She earned his trust by repaying the entire loan in less than a year. She later moved to Brewton, Alabama with her family and found a job at WEBJ Radio as a copy writer. The fact that she did not know how to type was no deterrent to this remarkable lady. She simply bought an old Underwood typewriter and taught herself to type. Not only did she get the job, but her pleasant manner and likable personality made her the voice of radio commercials for local stores. She moved to North Hill and renovated a Queen Anne style home for which she and her husband were awarded the North Hill Improvement Award. She later became affectionately known as the "rose lady" for the beautiful roses she lovingly cultivated in her yard.
She was an avid reader, gardener, Alabama football fan, and was a model in her 20s. Her cooking was out of this world and she could sew anything. She had a sense of color that was remarkable, along with a sense of style, grace and dignity reflecting her English roots. As an article in the Florala News once said about her, "Nell Young is the definition of class."
Basically, Mary Nell Jackson Young could do anything she put her mind to because it never occurred to her that she couldn't. This attitude sustained Mrs. Young through 2 separate bouts with colon and breast cancer. Her courage and determination helped her defeat them both. Then, at 77, she was diagnosed with lung cancer. She held it at bay as long as she could. She never complained, following the tradition of her Civil War ancestors who fought bravely in the service of the Confederacy. She was especially proud of a book compiling their letters to one another during this turbulent time in our country's history. The book, "So Mourns the Dove", and the PBS documentary honoring the courage reflected in their letters, had a prominent place on her coffee table.
She always worried about everyone else's comfort, needs and goals all the way to the last moments of her life. Her spirit is so strong that her presence and influence will never die. She always talked about how blessed she was, while the truth is that those who knew her are the ones who were blessed and inspired. She is dearly loved and will be sorely missed.
Mrs. Young belonged to the Florala Bridge Club, Florala PTA, Brewton Country Club, Pensacola High School Quarterback Club, North Hill Preservation Association, Florala and Brewton Churches of Christ and participated in numerous fundraising activities for national and local charities.
Mrs. Young is preceded in death by her husband, Billy Young; her father, Joel R. D. Jackson; her mother, Pearl Jowers Jackson; her brothers, O.D. "Pete" Jackson, Joel Franklin Jackson, Daniel Cleveland "Bennie" Jackson; and her sisters, Marlene Jackson Gatlin and Myrtle Faye Jackson, infant.
Mrs. Young is survived by her sister, Marion Joyce Hayes; daughters, Vivian Dianne Young Henderson of Daphne, Alabama; Cheryl Ann Young of Pensacola, and her
son, B. Richard Young, of Pensacola; husband and wives of children, Robert Henderson, Michael J. Griffith, and Suzanne Young; grandchildren, Pamela Denise Stephens, Christina Liane Wallace, Mary Charlene "Charley" Young, Richard Ryan Young and William Cody Young; and great-grandchildren, Matthew Bryant Kuznieski, Timothy Bryant Shiver, Chaylee Briane Shiver, and Mary Meagan Stephens.
Honorary pallbearer is William Howard Griffith. Pallbearers are B. Richard Young, Michael J. Griffith, Ryan Young, Cody Young, Robert Henderson, and Jerry Gatlin.
Mary Nell Jackson Young passed away peacefully late Wednesday evening, June 7, 2006 at Sacred Heart Hospital. She greeted God with the same dignity and steadfast courage with which she lived her life.
Mrs. Young was born near Opp, Alabama on January 2, 1928. She was known to many in Pensacola for her twenty-one year career at Montgomery Ward's in Cordova Mall, where she worked from its inception in 1970 until her retirement in 1991. Her incredible drive and determination took her from an employee in the credit department to Operations Manager for the entire store. Under her management, the store was ranked Number One nationwide. But her determination to succeed at her job never made her lose her respect and compassion for her fellow man, as evidenced by her being named the Most Pleasant Person at the store.
While many know her for this role, others know her more for her devotion to family, which always came first. After losing her Mother in an auto accident at 18, Mrs. Young reared her two younger sisters, sacrificing her young adulthood to provide for them since she was the oldest girl of her large family.
She had a special gift for giving, loving and nurturing, and always knew the right thing to say. Everything she touched seemed to grow and flourish. Her love willed it to thrive. She was constant, patient and kind. Her quiet strength filled her home and the hearts of her family and all those she met. She possessed a spiritual energy flowing from her Cherokee ancestry and an enthusiasm for life that instilled in her a belief that she could do anything she set her mind to.
At the young age of 22, and newly married, she determined that her children would be raised in a home she could call her own. She sold her only possession of value, went to her local banker in Florala, Al., spread the cash for the down payment across the banker's desk and asked if he would loan her the rest. This banker took one look at the determined young lady across the desk from him and knew instinctively that she was a woman of character. She earned his trust by repaying the entire loan in less than a year. She later moved to Brewton, Alabama with her family and found a job at WEBJ Radio as a copy writer. The fact that she did not know how to type was no deterrent to this remarkable lady. She simply bought an old Underwood typewriter and taught herself to type. Not only did she get the job, but her pleasant manner and likable personality made her the voice of radio commercials for local stores. She moved to North Hill and renovated a Queen Anne style home for which she and her husband were awarded the North Hill Improvement Award. She later became affectionately known as the "rose lady" for the beautiful roses she lovingly cultivated in her yard.
She was an avid reader, gardener, Alabama football fan, and was a model in her 20s. Her cooking was out of this world and she could sew anything. She had a sense of color that was remarkable, along with a sense of style, grace and dignity reflecting her English roots. As an article in the Florala News once said about her, "Nell Young is the definition of class."
Basically, Mary Nell Jackson Young could do anything she put her mind to because it never occurred to her that she couldn't. This attitude sustained Mrs. Young through 2 separate bouts with colon and breast cancer. Her courage and determination helped her defeat them both. Then, at 77, she was diagnosed with lung cancer. She held it at bay as long as she could. She never complained, following the tradition of her Civil War ancestors who fought bravely in the service of the Confederacy. She was especially proud of a book compiling their letters to one another during this turbulent time in our country's history. The book, "So Mourns the Dove", and the PBS documentary honoring the courage reflected in their letters, had a prominent place on her coffee table.
She always worried about everyone else's comfort, needs and goals all the way to the last moments of her life. Her spirit is so strong that her presence and influence will never die. She always talked about how blessed she was, while the truth is that those who knew her are the ones who were blessed and inspired. She is dearly loved and will be sorely missed.
Mrs. Young belonged to the Florala Bridge Club, Florala PTA, Brewton Country Club, Pensacola High School Quarterback Club, North Hill Preservation Association, Florala and Brewton Churches of Christ and participated in numerous fundraising activities for national and local charities.
Mrs. Young is preceded in death by her husband, Billy Young; her father, Joel R. D. Jackson; her mother, Pearl Jowers Jackson; her brothers, O.D. "Pete" Jackson, Joel Franklin Jackson, Daniel Cleveland "Bennie" Jackson; and her sisters, Marlene Jackson Gatlin and Myrtle Faye Jackson, infant.
Mrs. Young is survived by her sister, Marion Joyce Hayes; daughters, Vivian Dianne Young Henderson of Daphne, Alabama; Cheryl Ann Young of Pensacola, and her
son, B. Richard Young, of Pensacola; husband and wives of children, Robert Henderson, Michael J. Griffith, and Suzanne Young; grandchildren, Pamela Denise Stephens, Christina Liane Wallace, Mary Charlene "Charley" Young, Richard Ryan Young and William Cody Young; and great-grandchildren, Matthew Bryant Kuznieski, Timothy Bryant Shiver, Chaylee Briane Shiver, and Mary Meagan Stephens.
Honorary pallbearer is William Howard Griffith. Pallbearers are B. Richard Young, Michael J. Griffith, Ryan Young, Cody Young, Robert Henderson, and Jerry Gatlin.
Mrs. Young was born near Opp, Alabama on January 2, 1928. She was known to many in Pensacola for her twenty-one year career at Montgomery Ward's in Cordova Mall, where she worked from its inception in 1970 until her retirement in 1991. Her incredible drive and determination took her from an employee in the credit department to Operations Manager for the entire store. Under her management, the store was ranked Number One nationwide. But her determination to succeed at her job never made her lose her respect and compassion for her fellow man, as evidenced by her being named the Most Pleasant Person at the store.
While many know her for this role, others know her more for her devotion to family, which always came first. After losing her Mother in an auto accident at 18, Mrs. Young reared her two younger sisters, sacrificing her young adulthood to provide for them since she was the oldest girl of her large family.
She had a special gift for giving, loving and nurturing, and always knew the right thing to say. Everything she touched seemed to grow and flourish. Her love willed it to thrive. She was constant, patient and kind. Her quiet strength filled her home and the hearts of her family and all those she met. She possessed a spiritual energy flowing from her Cherokee ancestry and an enthusiasm for life that instilled in her a belief that she could do anything she set her mind to.
At the young age of 22, and newly married, she determined that her children would be raised in a home she could call her own. She sold her only possession of value, went to her local banker in Florala, Al., spread the cash for the down payment across the banker's desk and asked if he would loan her the rest. This banker took one look at the determined young lady across the desk from him and knew instinctively that she was a woman of character. She earned his trust by repaying the entire loan in less than a year. She later moved to Brewton, Alabama with her family and found a job at WEBJ Radio as a copy writer. The fact that she did not know how to type was no deterrent to this remarkable lady. She simply bought an old Underwood typewriter and taught herself to type. Not only did she get the job, but her pleasant manner and likable personality made her the voice of radio commercials for local stores. She moved to North Hill and renovated a Queen Anne style home for which she and her husband were awarded the North Hill Improvement Award. She later became affectionately known as the "rose lady" for the beautiful roses she lovingly cultivated in her yard.
She was an avid reader, gardener, Alabama football fan, and was a model in her 20s. Her cooking was out of this world and she could sew anything. She had a sense of color that was remarkable, along with a sense of style, grace and dignity reflecting her English roots. As an article in the Florala News once said about her, "Nell Young is the definition of class."
Basically, Mary Nell Jackson Young could do anything she put her mind to because it never occurred to her that she couldn't. This attitude sustained Mrs. Young through 2 separate bouts with colon and breast cancer. Her courage and determination helped her defeat them both. Then, at 77, she was diagnosed with lung cancer. She held it at bay as long as she could. She never complained, following the tradition of her Civil War ancestors who fought bravely in the service of the Confederacy. She was especially proud of a book compiling their letters to one another during this turbulent time in our country's history. The book, "So Mourns the Dove", and the PBS documentary honoring the courage reflected in their letters, had a prominent place on her coffee table.
She always worried about everyone else's comfort, needs and goals all the way to the last moments of her life. Her spirit is so strong that her presence and influence will never die. She always talked about how blessed she was, while the truth is that those who knew her are the ones who were blessed and inspired. She is dearly loved and will be sorely missed.
Mrs. Young belonged to the Florala Bridge Club, Florala PTA, Brewton Country Club, Pensacola High School Quarterback Club, North Hill Preservation Association, Florala and Brewton Churches of Christ and participated in numerous fundraising activities for national and local charities.
Mrs. Young is preceded in death by her husband, Billy Young; her father, Joel R. D. Jackson; her mother, Pearl Jowers Jackson; her brothers, O.D. "Pete" Jackson, Joel Franklin Jackson, Daniel Cleveland "Bennie" Jackson; and her sisters, Marlene Jackson Gatlin and Myrtle Faye Jackson, infant.
Mrs. Young is survived by her sister, Marion Joyce Hayes; daughters, Vivian Dianne Young Henderson of Daphne, Alabama; Cheryl Ann Young of Pensacola, and her
son, B. Richard Young, of Pensacola; husband and wives of children, Robert Henderson, Michael J. Griffith, and Suzanne Young; grandchildren, Pamela Denise Stephens, Christina Liane Wallace, Mary Charlene "Charley" Young, Richard Ryan Young and William Cody Young; and great-grandchildren, Matthew Bryant Kuznieski, Timothy Bryant Shiver, Chaylee Briane Shiver, and Mary Meagan Stephens.
Honorary pallbearer is William Howard Griffith. Pallbearers are B. Richard Young, Michael J. Griffith, Ryan Young, Cody Young, Robert Henderson, and Jerry Gatlin.
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