Nell Marie Conley

Nell was preceded in death by her husband John Woodrow Conley. She is survived by her Daughter Colleen and her son in law Raymond Spivey; Grandsons Larry and Brian Conley; GG children Skyler and Nora Conley. Nell was an accomplish woman. She worked for 28 yrs. as an AT&T and P&B publications editor. During WWII she worked at the Portland Shipyards as a welder and crane operator. Nell founded Livewire Toastmistress club, a member of Toastmistress Internat’l, in Portland. The graveside service at Willamette Nat’l Cemetery will be held June 25, 2013; 12:00 PM. Arranged by Gateway Little Chapel of the Chimes.

The following is an article that ran in the Pioneer Herald when Nell retired. It paints a wonderful picture as the the amazing woman that Nell was. Please enjoy the article.

A former welder and crane operator who left high school at 14 may not sound like the right person for a future newspaper editor. But that is just some of Nell Conley’s early background as she retires from a 28-year stint working on telephone publications.

Born in Ellensburg, WA, Nell moved to Portland when she was 12 – and a freshman in high school. “I skipped some grades,” says Nell, in blithe dismissal of her precocious academic career.

But Nell didn’t skip much else. She has worked since she was 14 and always believed that a woman’s place was in the home – when she wanted to be there.

“I guess I was a feminist from the cradle,” recalls Nell. “I remember one Christmas when my brother got a gun and I got a doll. I didn’t want the doll – I wanted a gun, too.”

When World War II came along, Nell was ready for it – gun and all. In 1940, before the United States entered the war, Nell had joined a defense-oriented rifle drill team in Coquille. “It was a seaside town and we were worried about a possible Japanese invasion even then.” Nell became a drill sergeant, and as she adds with a note of pride, “… a pretty good shot.”

By 1942, Nell found herself married with a small daughter and a husband overseas in the Navy. She obtained work in the defense effort, first as a welder, then as a crane operator.

When the war ended, Nell came down off her crane and, early the following year, went to work for the telephone company as an operator. Her career at the switchboard was short lived, however. She transferred to Traffic Engineers (still attending night classes), and a couple of free-lance articles she’s published caught the attention of Eddie Smith, then head of the phone company’s public relations group. Nell came to P.R. in 1953 and has stayed there ever since.

From 1953-59, Nell wrote Oregon-related material for Pacific Telephone Magazine, and tighter with photographer, Deane Bond, won several awards for stories and photos. In 1960, she began a two-year assignment handling the company’s Oregon advertising. From 1962 until 1975, she worked on Oregon Telephone News, first as assistant to Dave Underhill, and then as the publication’s editor.

The years 1975-76 found Nell busy with a variety of assignments: She contributed to OTN as an associate editor while taking on the additional duties of writing news releases and handling other P.R. jobs. In 1976, she compiled historical material and wrote local 100th anniversary newspaper stories for most PNB offices in Oregon.

But by 1977, Nell was back – editing a newspaper. She got both the Oregon Pioneer and its successor, the Pioneer Herald, off the ground. Under her guidance, they’ve won a variety of awards.

“I’ve got a boxful of them,” says Nell with nonchalant modesty. “Several Pacesetter awards, two national Best 2% awards for editing, two state top overall editing awards, and the Rodney Adair Award.” The latter is given each year to the person who has done the most to help sustain professional writing standards in Oregon.

“I’ve enjoyed putting the papers out,” says Nell, looking every inch the editor-in-chief with her hair swept back and the glasses dangling on a chain around her neck. “Publishing a paper is like putting a jigsaw puzzle together – and I love puzzles. But most of all, I’ve loved working with the pioneers.”

Nell herself is a Pioneer, joining Oregon Chapter in 1967. She is currently member-at-large for the Mt. hood Council’s board. She has also served as the Oregon Chapter’s publicity chairman.

But Nell’s activities and interests have not been limited to the phone company and the Pioneers. In fact, being involved has been a way of life for Nell. She founded the local Livewire Toastmistress Club in Portland and was its charter president. She has been active in various professional groups and associations, and though the list goes on, she still finds time to pursue her own hobbies and interests.

“I manage to fit them in somehow,” She laughs. Along with her husband Woody, who retired three years ago from the post office, Nell has taken several trips in recent years.

So now that Nell, who has worked steadily for 49 years, will have free time on her hands, what will she do?

“Oh, heavens, that’s no problem! First, I’ll sleep for a couple of months. Then, I’ll clean the house. And after that, maybe Woody and I will visit Ireland where our ancestors came from. I’ve got so much I want to do- there’s still an awful lot about the world that I don’t know yet”