Nellie Mae (Mikell) Parrish

     Nellie Mae Mikell Parrish was born on April 24, 1941, a Thursday, in Bulloch County, GA to the late James “JB” & Queen Ester Lee Mikell.  Nellie was the third of twelve children, and another brother added to the family made thirteen. She loved God at an early age, and her church home was Harmony Baptist Church, founded in the 1890s.  Growing up in Statesboro on Sugar Hills, she attended William James School for Colored People.  Nellie’s gift of nurturing and desire to take care of others led her to want to join the Army Nurse Corps for Colored People.    

      Life took a turn for Nellie Mae when she fooled around and fell in love with Robert Hendley, and they had a daughter, Patricia.  After two years as a single mother, Nellie then married Elloroe “Hip” Parrish on February 19, 1959; and that union produced LaVaughn (son) and Cora (daughter).  She then went back to school to become a CNA and found work at a hospital.  Nellie and Hip were married until his passing in 1966.  

      Nellie then relocated to Orlando, Florida, where she settled down with Dave Coney, and found employment doing what she loved, taking care of people.  She worked at a hospital and in a nursing home.   Later Nellie Mae enrolled in night school and became an Alcohol and Drug Tech, working at Mid Florida for Alcohol for 10 years, then the Drug Free Living Center. She was a member of Community Baptist Church under Dr. Henry McKinnon and was a dedicated democrat who loved to watch MSNBC News.

      Nellie retired and returned to Georgia in 2006 to help take care of her brother, living in Twin City, GA until being diagnosed with lung cancer in 2022.  After her diagnosis, she relocated to Florida for treatment, until her death on July 6, 2024.

      Nellie Mae was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Elloroe; daughter, Cora Ann; sisters: Annie Lue Wells, Mary DeLoach, and Robbie Rock; brothers: Hercule Bells, Bobby, Carl Dean, Winston, and Eugene Mikell and others in her family lineage from the Simmons, Bacons, Harris, Brown, Mikell and Lee families. 

     She is survived by her long-time companion, Dave Coney Jr; daughter, Patricia (Abraham) Oliver, Sr. (Ocoee, FL); Son, LaVaughn Parrish (Orlando FL); grandsons: Lorenzo, LaMarsa, LaMarcus, Williams, LaMario, Abriam, Karonja, and Michael; granddaughters:  Temaka, Malandra, LeKeah, and Destiny; 30 great-grandchildren and 6 great-great grandchildren;

Sisters: Della Mercer, Barbara Collins, and Maxine Mikell (Cobbtown, GA); brother, James Benard (Annie) Mikell,Sr. (Metter, GA); sister in-law, Mary Lue Mikell, sisters in-love, Jennie Parrish, Rose Coney, Faye Coney, and Avie Lanier; a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

The Staff of Whitaker Funeral Home is honored to support and serve the Mikell - Parrish family with Dignity, Respect and Integrity.

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