Nellie Catherine Perry

Nellie was born in her parents’ house on a farm in Kiowa County, Oklahoma, April 16, 1929, the granddaughter of German-Russian immigrants. After attending a one-room country school through eighth grade, she graduated from Hobart High School in 1946. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma A&M College in 1950 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Oklahoma in 1982. She did other graduate work at Northeastern University in Boston.

On August 3, 1947 she married Johnny Max Perry. Nellie was a reporter for the Hobart Democrat-Chief newspaper and then taught Junior High Home Economics, English and Science in Midwest City (1956-63) and Hobart (1964-66.) She became a writer who said she would someday “paper my office walls with rejection slips.”

At age 50, Nellie decided to go to law school at the University of Oklahoma. After graduation, she joined her husband in the offices of Perry, Gentry, Perry and Marsh. She retired in 2007.

She was an acclaimed bankruptcy attorney and was chosen as a trustee on the Oklahoma Bar Foundation. She also served on the Oklahoma Board of Bar Examiners and helped organize Women’s Law Day at OU.

Nellie loved sailing and writing. She boasted she had taught 150 people how to sail. She and Johnny were yellow dog Democrats and befriended political officials — from both parties — throughout Oklahoma.

She provided legal services pro bono for Girl Scouts of America, the Youth Commission in Hobart and the Great Plains Youth and Family Services.

She received the Mary Emma Wilson Award for outstanding work in the prevention of child abuse in Oklahoma.

Nellie was active in many civic endeavors, including Great Plains Youth and Family Services, Shortgrass Playhouse, the Kiowa County Historical Society, the Hobart Public Library, the Toastmistress Club, Girl Scouts, Parent-Teacher Association and the Democratic Party.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Johnny Max Perry.

Nellie is survived by her children, Nicki and husband Bill Hancock, Prairie Village, Kansas; Catherine Perry and husband Sedg Mead, St. Louis, Missouri; Allison Madrid and husband Javier of Puebla, Mexico; and Jim Perry and wife Diana of Perkins. She is also survived by 11 grandchildren, Nate Hancock and wife Kristin of Overland Park, Kansas; Javier Madrid of Chicago; Arturo Madrid of Barcelona, Spain; Jo Madrid, Ana Madrid, Judith Madrid and Allison Teresa Madrid of Puebla, Mexico; Jami Flint and husband Michael of Claremore; Chris Perry and wife Beth of Dallas; Nellie Perry Mead of Overland Park, Kansas; Margie Perry Mead of Big Pine Key, Florida; and Karen Hancock of Stillwater; also six great-grandchildren, Andrea Bailey Hancock of Stillwater; William and Jack Hancock of Overland Park, Kansas; Cohen and Sullivan Flint of Claremore; and Nico Madrid of Puebla, Mexico; extended family and friends.

Instead of flowers, the family suggests donations to Great Plains Youth and Family Services, the Hobart Public Library, the Kiowa County Historical Society or your favorite charity.