Cornelia Nellie Davis

Cornelia Nellie Davis was born on September 14, 1946 to her parents, José and Dolores Payo in Calbayog City, Samar, Philippines. She spent her formative years in a military family, living in places as varied as San Francisco and Bad Kreuznach, Germany until her father retired in Aurora, Colorado in 1968. It was in Colorado that Nellie raised her two children: her son, Craig, born in 1973 and daughter Janelle, born in 1976.

Over the years, Nellie put her numerous skills to work as a beautician, teacher, and home decorator consultant. At one point, she even ran a bakery in Holyoke, Colorado that featured her deliciously famous sticky buns recipe. Nellie earned her paralegal certificate at Parks Junior College and a B.S. in Business at the University of Phoenix. She used her keen organizational skills working at Zellerbach Paper Company in Denver and finished her professional career as an office manager for Lenertz Industrial Supply Company.

In 1995, Nellie married Jerrell (Jerry) Davis. They were married for 19 years until Jerry’s death in 2014, spending their retirement years in Riverside, CA. Nellie lived in Riverside for 16 years until her death, June 24, 2025.

Whether she was baking in the kitchen, decorating her house, or arranging flowers, Nellie had an eye for making things look beautiful and refined. No matter where she lived, her home was a cozy haven filled with healthy, green plants that flourished under her green thumb. The biggest constant in Nellie’s life was her faith. She placed a high value on volunteering for the church as a eucharistic minister, reader, and in her later years, joining the Wire Benders Group at St. Catherine of Alexandria Church handcrafting rosaries for those in need. Nellie also sponsored Traci, her daughter-in-law, when Traci converted to the Catholic Church.

Nellie is preceded in death by her parents, brothers Reuben and José Jr. and leaves behind her sister Dolores Lynn (Phil), brother Robert (Tim), sister Rebecca, sister-in-law Cyndy, as well as her children Craig (Traci), Janelle (Mike), 8 grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

Please join us for the funeral service, Monday, July 14, 2025, 9:30 am rosary and 10:00 am service, at St. Catherine of Alexandria Catholic Church, 3680 Arlington Ave, Riverside, CA 92506. Nellie will be interned at a later date at Fort Logan Cemetery in Denver, CO.

Donations can be made on Nellie's behalf to St. Catherine's of Alexandria Church