Nell Chappell, of Columbia, Mississippi, passed away on Thursday, October 29, 2020 at the age of 92. She was born in Marion County, Mississippi as youngest of seven children to A. Z. and Mollie McKenzie and has remained a lifelong resident of Marion County. Miss Nell began working as a seamstress after graduating high school and helped support her family for 45 years working at Pioneer and Rutter Rex. She played basketball in high school and enjoyed talking about and watching professional basketball. She was a member of Foxworth First Baptist Church. Miss Nell loved her family and was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother. She will be remembered for her vegetable beef soup and making “the best” chicken and dumplings. She was preceded in death by her husband, J. O. Chappell, Jr; a son, Jimmy Chappell; her parents, A. Z. and Mollie McKenzie; three sisters, Carrie McKenzie, Lonie Stringer, and Ruby Thomas; three brothers, William McKenzie, Ike McKenzie, and Shirley McKenzie. Miss Nell is survived by one daughter, Jamie (R. L.) Hilburn; two grandchildren, Matt (Laken) Hilburn and Molly (Phillip) Dear; four great-grandchildren, Devon (Morgan) Hilburn, Austin Dear, Gage Hilburn, and Kolt Hilburn; two great-great-grandchildren, Carter Hilburn and Connor Hilburn; and numerous nieces and nephews. The visitation will be at Colonial Funeral Home on Sunday, November 1, 2020 from 12:30 until 2:00pm. The funeral service, officiated by Reverend Tyler Chavis, will follow at the graveside in Woodlawn Cemetery at 2:30pm assisted by Matt Hilburn, Devon Hilburn, R.L. Hilburn, Phillip Dear, Shelton Dykes, and Cotton Reid serving as pallbearers.
