Lorena Nell Spence

Lorena Nell Spence was born on May 16, 1920, in McCulloch County to Flora and J. P. Waddill. She died June 12, 2017, in Snyder, Texas. A visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at Bell-Cypert-Seale Funeral Home on Thursday, June 15. The service will be at 2:00 Friday afternoon at the First Baptist Church chapel with Rev. David Cozart officiating. Internment will follow at Snyder Cemetery.

Nell graduated from Rochelle High School and worked her way through nursing school during the depression, becoming an R.N. As a young nurse, she came to work at the old Snyder hospital. She met and married G.C. Spence, a young businessman here on February 10, 1942.

G.C. was killed in a car accident in 1952, leaving Nell a widow at age 32, with two young daughters, ages 3 and 7. She became a school nurse, nurturing several generations of young people with her work at the schools and with her church. She has been a member of the First Baptist Church for over 70 years. She retired from the school district in 1982 and began volunteering in Linda’s first grade classroom as a reading circle ‘granny.’

She was preceded in death by her husband, 4 sisters, a brother, and their spouses. Her husband’s brothers and their wives also precede her.

She is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law: Linda and Stanley Cozart of Snyder, Georgia and Marvin Lee of Rowlett. She was a proud granny to 4 grandchildren and helped with their college educations. They are David Cozart and his wife Lori of Hewitt, Brooke Williamson and her husband Dustin of Midland, Christopher Lee of Appleton, Wisconsin, and grand-daughter in law April Lee of Appleton, and Amanda Yates and her husband Chris, of Honolulu, Hawaii. Her great- grand children are Matthew and Benjamin Cozart, Bethany and Abigail Mackey, and Zoe and Zachary Lee.

Donations in Nell’s memory may be made to Kindred Hospice or to any organization that helps children, such as the Ronald McDonald House, or St. Jude’s. If you would like to do something in Nell’s honor: help the needy, mentor a young person, or visit someone who is lonely. Nell spent her life doing these things.