Evelyn Winnell Bryan died on July 14, in Thomasville, Georgia, at the age of 97. Most of her friends and family remember her as Nell Harrell. Born on May 2, 1924, in Raleigh, Florida, to Paul and Thelma (Knight) Farr, she moved to Cocoa, Florida, at sixteen as the bride of Burien (Bue) Harrell.
As their family grew to include four children, she saw that their home was filled with love and laughter. Always busy, always productive, she sewed clothes for herself and the children; she worked side-by-side with Bue in constructing their homes as well as several rental properties; she became a culinary magician on a tight budget. Her children remember fondly the raucous discussions around the dinner table, an obligatory--and welcomed--family gathering time.
When the demands of housekeeping lightened, Nell taught herself to knit, to crochet--and to type. Each of her children and grandchildren treasures her gift of a large crocheted tablecloth, its size perhaps a hint of her hope for big, raucous gatherings to come, even as the family branched and spread. Later in life, she also took up photography and enjoyed traveling internationally with her children.
In 1972, Nell and Bue retired to Ball Ground, Georgia. After Bue’s death, in 1996, she married Lt. Col. Richard Bryan, sharing happy years with him in their home in Suches, GA, before his death. Nell then moved to Thomasville, GA., first to Southern Pines Senior Living and then to Camellia Gardens of Life. Even in her declining years, her luminous smile and loving spirit brightened the lives around her.
She is survived by her daughters, Barbara Child (Douglas) and Faye Roberts (David) and her son, James. Her firstborn, Burien, Jr., died shortly after birth. Her daughter Betty Dobson and her son-in-law Charley Dobson predeceased her in 2020. She is also survived by Robert Carson and Suzanne Harrell; by her brother, Robert Lee Farr (Mary Jane); by 7 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great-grandchildren, in addition to other loving relatives throughout the South.
A graveside service for the family will be held at Georgiana Cemetery, Merritt Island, Florida, on July 22, 2021.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Evelyn Winnell ("Nell") Harrell Bryan, please visit our flower store.
As their family grew to include four children, she saw that their home was filled with love and laughter. Always busy, always productive, she sewed clothes for herself and the children; she worked side-by-side with Bue in constructing their homes as well as several rental properties; she became a culinary magician on a tight budget. Her children remember fondly the raucous discussions around the dinner table, an obligatory--and welcomed--family gathering time.
When the demands of housekeeping lightened, Nell taught herself to knit, to crochet--and to type. Each of her children and grandchildren treasures her gift of a large crocheted tablecloth, its size perhaps a hint of her hope for big, raucous gatherings to come, even as the family branched and spread. Later in life, she also took up photography and enjoyed traveling internationally with her children.
In 1972, Nell and Bue retired to Ball Ground, Georgia. After Bue’s death, in 1996, she married Lt. Col. Richard Bryan, sharing happy years with him in their home in Suches, GA, before his death. Nell then moved to Thomasville, GA., first to Southern Pines Senior Living and then to Camellia Gardens of Life. Even in her declining years, her luminous smile and loving spirit brightened the lives around her.
She is survived by her daughters, Barbara Child (Douglas) and Faye Roberts (David) and her son, James. Her firstborn, Burien, Jr., died shortly after birth. Her daughter Betty Dobson and her son-in-law Charley Dobson predeceased her in 2020. She is also survived by Robert Carson and Suzanne Harrell; by her brother, Robert Lee Farr (Mary Jane); by 7 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great-grandchildren, in addition to other loving relatives throughout the South.
A graveside service for the family will be held at Georgiana Cemetery, Merritt Island, Florida, on July 22, 2021.
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