Mary (Nelson) White (86) of Mason

Mary Ella (Nelson) White, 86, of Mason, IL, passed away on Tuesday, November 28, 2023 at the home of her son, Shawn White, in Decatur, TX.

Celebration of Life service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 16, 2024 at Johnson Funeral Home in Effingham, IL. Visitation will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, prior to the service at the funeral home. The Family would like to express their gratitude to the Carle Hospice of Illinois and Solaris Hospice of Texas. Online condolences may be shared by clicking here. 

Mary Ella was born on September 23, 1937 in Mason, IL the daughter of Bill Nelson and Agnes (Warner) Nelson. She was united in marriage to Horace Olean “H.O.” White on May 27, 1967 in Sullivan, IL. He preceded her in death on November 21, 2017. Mary was born the eighth of nine children. From the age of 6 years old her chores on the family farm included milking 6 cows by hand and then making breakfast for her family. She then would ride her beloved horse, Duke, to a one room schoolhouse in Union Township where she had the same teacher from 1st through 8th grade. That teacher, Mrs. Crabapple encouraged Mary Ella to complete her 7th & 8th grade contemporaneously. When she was 13 years old, she transferred to Effingham High School. She loved basketball and made the varsity team her Freshman year. She also was able to complete 10th & 11th grade studies simultaneously graduating as a Senior in 1953. After graduating from Effingham High School at the age of 16 years old, Mary Ella moved to Chicago to live with her sister, Marie Goddard’s family. There she helped Bill and Marie out by watching her nephews, Billie and Ronnie. She worked full time as a switchboard operator, typist, and secretary at BorgWarner and Spector-Red Ball, Inc. She participated in intramural sport teams throughout her young adult years. After marrying H.O., they moved to the Great Sovereign State of Texas to raise their own family. They lived in Lewisville, TX for almost three decades where Mary Ella and H.O. owned a small business, Memories by Mary, where they made custom lamps and unique ceramics. In 1995 they were able to retire and move back to Mason, IL to the family farm. That farm, which has been in her family since 1843, was also part of her mother’s dowry. The house was built in 1921. The house was made from oak from trees that Bill Nelson timbered and milled himself from their river bottom land. She enjoyed renovating and decorating her childhood home with her carpenter husband. She loved working in her yard and outside on their property. What Mary Ella cherished most was spending time with her family and wonderful neighbors.

Mary Ella is survived by her sons, Lance (Debra) Elledge of Alba, TX and Dr. Shawn (Deborah ) White of Decatur, TX; daughter, Veronica (James) Hazzard of Fisher, IL; grandchildren, Desiree (Clayton) ElledgeWhite-Hazzard-Jones, Conner White, Kaia (Jonah) Phillips, Ian Hazzard, Dr. Renae White, Evan Hazzard, Ella Hazzard, and Ander Hazzard; great-grandchildren, Ashton Jones, Reagan Jones, and Blaise Jones along with many other nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, “H.O.” White; sisters, Irene Case, Marie Goddard and Faye Nemec; brothers, Lloyd Nelson, Lorne Nelson, Urban Nelson, Haven Nelson and Lavern Nelson.