Birth

In the tranquil settlement of Pompey Bay, Acklins, in the month of April 6th, 1933 a beautiful baby girl was born to the parentage of Clarence and Edith Hanna. She was named Nellie Albertha Hanna, the 7th of 8 children and the last girl of the Hanna family. She was affectionately known as "Baby Nell". Nellie and her siblings shared a close relationship while growing up.

Childhood

Nellie lived a simple but content childhood with her seven siblings. She came from a big family as her father Clarence Hanna had 10 brothers and sisters however, her mother Edith, had only one sister, Katura.

EduCation

She attended the Pompey Bay All Age School where she received her early education with her siblings and her extended family. Nellie successfully completed the all age school. In 1961, she joined the Trained Clinical Nursing (T.C.N.) Class at the Princess Margaret Hospital. She graduated from the T.C.N. class with high honors.
Work ExpEriEnCE

During the early fifties opportunities for women were scarce and jobs were limited. Nellie relocated to New Providence at the age of nineteen to seek employment. Her first gainful employment was at a local Cigarette Factory folding cigarettes.

She was determined however, to seek a better employment and enrolled herself in the Nursing School. After obtaining her nursing qualifications she was employed at the Princess Margaret Hospital. She was a dedicated Nurse of nearly forty years, virtually never late or absent unless there was an extreme illness or urgent personal matters. She enjoyed her employment until the time she retired in 1996 almost forty years later.

Church and Marriage

From an early age Nellie realized the importance of attending church. She became a believer as a child From an early age Nellie realized the importance of attending church. She became a believer as a child

ObituarynElliE alBErtha Major

when missionaries visited the island to preach the gospel during the early 40's. Nellie attended St. Aaydn's Anglican Church in Acklins. After she moved to New Providence she attended St. Barnabas Church.

She later met Alphonso Major and after a brief courtship, they were joined in Holy Matrimony on November 16th, 1954. Nellie was a sweet, caring, devoted wife of 59 years. However, she still had a quiet, determined, stubbornness to her personality. Her husband would remark on many occasions "boy, once that woman gat her mind made up, only the good Lord can come and change dat".

She then moved from St. Barnabas Church and joined her husband at Emmanuel Gospel Chapel which was located on Meadow and Augusta Streets. Nellie knew the importance of family and church life and she ensured that her children attended church on a regular basis.

Nellie began to visit Evangelistic Temple with her daughter Eudora during the mid-eighties and within a few months afterwards they both joined the Evangelistic Temple Family. She enjoyed the services and rarely missed a Sunday service. She was often seen there in the company of her daughter, Dorie, daughter-in-law, Jane and grand-daughter Alexia. She was a praying woman and a daily Bible reader.

FaMily liFE

Nellie was blessed with three children, Eudora, Mark and Andrew. She was a dedicated, caring and loving mother. She valued her family greatly and made sacrifices to ensure her children were educated at the best schools and colleges she could afford.

Nellie loved her family. She enjoyed spending time with her only daughter, Dorie, as they went to church together and she look forward to their regular weekend drives around the island.

After her retirement Nellie busied herself with taking care of her second grandchild Alexia. They were seen everywhere together walking and on the bus rides. She always fondly recalled how Alexia, who was only 3 years old at the time would pretend to be the teacher and would have her in school teaching her what she learned that day at Temple Christian school.

Nellie loved and cherished being with her family and when her daughter-in-law, Jane organized the Christmas dinner with the family she would sit after eating, and talk about old times with especially Yanise and Andrew who both were keen about her family's history.

She would spend lots of time on the phone talking with either her sister Marietta, or her niece Myrtle, or her cousin Ruby (from Eleuthera) about their family and the current state of affairs in the country. She was a quiet soul, kept to herself most of the times, and had only a select circle of friends who could attest to her loyalty. Nellie looked forward to her afternoon exercise walks with her neighbor and friend, Mrs. Capron.
Nellie appreciated her extended family, the Hanna, Heastie, Tynes clan. She anticipated attending the family reunions whether held here in the Bahamas or in the United States. The time she spent on the Reunion cruises and travelling with other family members was always treasured.

othEr

Nellie was always independent and liked catching the bus to the mall or downtown to pick up her mail from the post office or do other business. When the post office station in the South Beach area opened, her daughter-in-law Jane, offered to change her post office box from downtown to the new location. She gently refused insisting that she actually enjoyed her trips downtown to complete her business. She could always be seen walking in the neighborhood to the store to buy the newspaper or to pick up grocery items.

SiCknESS

Nellie's health started to deteriorate in 2008, this led to great difficulty in performing some of the most basic tasks including walking. In early 2011, she suffered a debilitating stroke which left her bed ridden. This prompted her daughter Eudora, who was stationed in Crooked Island, to return back home to New Providence in order to take care of her mummy. She became the primary caregiver and even though she was battling her own health concerns she was ever-present for her mother. She enlisted the help of two ladies, Manise and Ethlyn, to assist her in this task. During her illness Nellie took joy in the regular visits from her Pastor Vaughan Cash and his wife Wendy, as well as visits from other church members. As her health continued to deteriorate, Nellie lamented that she longed to see her Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

In September of this year, her condition took a turn for the worse and finally on November 23rd, she was admitted to hospital The stay in hospital was not long however, because during the very early hours of Friday, 29th, Nellie slipped away from us into her blessed rewards in eternity.