Shirley came from a family of strong spiritual faith. She formally accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior at The House of Truth COGIC in 1983.
Shirley Ann "Shelly" Neal, was born on June 7, 1948, in Lake Providence, Louisiana to Frances Eloise and Nathaniel Harris Sr, the third eldest of what would eventually become nine siblings. Born the daughter of young Share-croppers and reared at a time when being black and living in the south could have been limiting, Shirley gleaned qualities of resilience, strength, faith, and love, watching her mother and father work tirelessly to create a better life for their children.
