Mable Lou Nelson

Mable Lou Nelson, 89, was born on December 18, 1928 to Julius Earl Lewis and Francis Couvillon in LeCompte, Louisiana. Mable’s father, Julius, left Louisiana with other men from the family to travel to Port Arthur, Texas to seek employment during hard times of the depression. Other family members stayed behind until they could obtain enough money to join them. Mable, her older sister, Vera Lee; mother, aunt and cousins, traveled to Port Arthur some months later and waited several days backed-up in traffic to cross the Neches River at board road through marsh at Dryden Ferry.

Mable went to Port Arthur Thomas Jefferson High School and played saxophone in the TJ band. She was an excellent roller-skater and won several awards. Mable meet Louis Arthur Nelson, Jr "Bud" of New Orleans, Louisiana at the Port Arthur Library. Bud and Mable later married in 1948, and lived their lives in Port Arthur and Port Neches.

Mable and Bud had three children, Stephen Alan Nelson, Louis Arthur Nelson, III "Artie" and David Lee Nelson. "ARTIE”, was lost in the Gulf of Mexico on his boat the Gulf Queen while on a fishing trip. Neither Bud nor Mable never really recovered from the loss. After her beloved, Bud's death in 2001 at the age of 75, Mabel faced issues, but took them head on and continued to live a happy life.

Known as GiGi to her grandchildren, the name took on a life of itself!

Mable was an avid reader of Plantation history and culture along the Mississippi river and traveled with friends to visit and tour many estates. Her husband Bud, was a native of New Orleans and they loved visiting and eating at the local restaurants.

Both Mable, her mother and sister, grew and hybridized Daylilies and were long time members of the Gulf Coast Hemerocallis Society and American Hemerocallis Society. Mable was a respected national judge of daylilies. She was president of Region 6 for many years organizing bus trips across the south to visit major daylily breeder gardens. She was also an excellent cook and had a passion for collecting Louisiana cookbooks.

Bud and Mable took many cruises all over the world and collected many prized keepsakes. Buds brother, Dr. James Nelson of Gonzales, LA travelled with them around the world to exotic places.

Mable is survived by her sons, Stephen Nelson and wife Belinda of Port Neches, TX and David Nelson and wife Jennifer; also of Port Neches. She leaves behind three grandchildren, Stephen Nelson, Ashley Nelson and Natalie Nelson along with several nieces and nephews.

Her parents Julius and Francis Lewis, son “Artie", along with her sister Vera all preceded her in death.

All with heavy hearts will miss Mabel....

A gathering of friends and family will be Friday, July 6, 2018 from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., at Grammier-Oberle Funeral Home. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, July 7, 2018, at St. Catherine of Sienna Catholic Church. Rite of committal will follow at Greenlawn Memorial Park.