Nellie Elaine Russell

She loved her family, her friends, her church, and her flowers. When you came to visit her, she would take you by the hand and lead you through the yard pointing out her favorites.

Another thing she loved to do was tell stories of her life to her grandkids and family. There are so many of them it would take a book just to share them all.

She was a firecracker from the get-go and her stories were wonderful.

Nellie Elaine Bryant was born on August 31, 1921, to James Gipson “Gip” and Fannie Ardele Yelverton Bryant in Smith County, Mississippi. She had four sisters, Etha Mae Craft, Delmer Helen Bryant, Fannie Pearl Bonner, and Annie Lois McCraney, and one brother who died as an infant.

Nellie married Robert Elton Russell on March 16, 1940, and made their home near Pineville, MS. They went on to have 4 children: Ruby (Gary) Matthews, Peggy (Rudolph) Craft, Rexell Russell, and Anita (Carl) Grant. They have four grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren and fifteen great-great grandchildren.

She retired from the Raleigh Company after 18 years. Nannie was a faithful member of the Jesus Name House of Prayer in Sylvarena, MS. She hated to miss a service and could be found in her second row pew praising the Lord and singing "I'll Fly Away" every chance she got.

For all those that read this now or in the future, she would have one question for you. Do you know, Jesus?

Nellie’s Dumpling Recipe:

Nobody will ever match her dumplings even with the recipe. They, like the wonderful lady that made them, will never be duplicated.

DUMPLINGS

Whole chicken, cut up

3 cups WR self-rising flour

1 cup milk

⅓ cup cold butter, cubed

¼ cup butter for broth

Salt and pepper, to taste

Boil chicken. Once fully cooked, remove chicken and reserve the broth. Add ¼ cup of butter to the broth. Be sure you have enough broth to fill your boiler halfway full. In a bowl, add flour and make a well. Pour milk inside well. Add butter to milk and use your fingers to cut the butter into the flour gradually pulling some from the sides of bowl to form the dough. Sprinkle flour on table and roll out dough until very thin. Bring your broth to a boil; sprinkle pepper and salt as needed into the broth.

Taste the broth before adding dumplings to make sure it is seasoned well. Cut up the dumplings into strips. Add to boiling broth one at a time. Cook on low for about 20 minutes or until done.

Dumplings can be made ahead and frozen.

SWEET POTATO PIE

2 cups sweet potatoes, baked

1 tall can Pet Milk

2 ¾ cup sugar 2 tbsp. flour

5 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 sticks butter

3 deep dish pie crusts

Bake sweet potatoes in oven. Peel and sift potatoes to remove strings. Mix all ingredients well. Pour in pie crusts and bake at 350º for 45 minutes.

Obituary:

Nellie Elaine Russell, 96, of Raleigh, Mississippi, died Tuesday at Ms Care Center of Raleigh in Raleigh, Mississippi. She was born Wednesday, August 31, 1921 in Smith County, MS.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, January 11, 2018 from 5:00 PM until 8:00 PM at the Jesus Name House of Prayer in Sylvarena, Mississippi. Funeral Services will be held Friday, January 12, 2018 at 10:00 AM at Jesus Name House of Prayer and the Burial will follow in Cedar Grove Cemetery. Bro. Davey Hammons and Bro Carl Thornton will officiate. Colonial Chapel of Raleigh Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. (601) 782-4544

She was preceded in death by Elton Russell (Husband), Gibson Bryant (Father), Ardell Bryant (Mother), Rexell Russell (Son), Etha Craft (Sister), Helen Bonner (Sister), Fannie Bonner (Sister), Annie McRaney (Sister).

Survivors include Ruby Matthews (Gary) (Daughter), Peggy Craft (Rudolph) (Daughter), Anita Grant (Carl) (Daughter), Johnnie Turney (Clarke) (Grandchild), Sonjia Kitrell (Craig) (Grandchild), Jana Matthews (Grandchild), Carla Thornton (Michael) (Grandchild), 8 great-grandchildren and 7 great-great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers will be Aaron Andris, Timothy Ashley, Russell Clark, Ryan Clark, Bud Keller, Billy Kilgore, Craig Kittrell, and Clarke Terney.

https://www.colonialchapelbaysprings.com/obituary/4534268