Avie Nell Marshall

Avie Nell Marshall

Heaven gained a new angel when Avie Nell Marshall departed this earth on May 29, 2023.

Nell, age 93, was born February 23, 1930, to Kirby Lee Whitaker and Lourena Flippo Whitaker in Dekalb, Mississippi. She was the only one of Kirb and Lourena’s eleven children not born in Monroe County, Mississippi. Nell causes an immediate controversy in the Whitaker family. Kirb and Lourena had a big argument over her name. If you check the 1930 census, you will not find Avie Nell listed in the Kirby Whitaker family as she should be. Instead, you will find a child named Katherine Whitaker listed in the census. Kirb filled out the census report and Lourena filled out the birth certificate form. Nell never did like her name, maybe
Grandpa Kirb was right after all.

Nell devoted her life to serving God and her family. For about 40 years her workday started at 4:00 AM and ended after everyone else was in bed for the night. Nell spent most of her work years at the Hamilton garment plants. Hard work, low pay. We never heard her complain about the work, only the pay.

For most of her life, if the church doors were open, she was there. She and her husband, Edward, sang in church and at one time in the mid 1950’s had a gospel music radio program on the Aberdeen radio station.

Nell was preceded in death by her parents, husband Edward Marshall, daughter Peggy Marshall, brothers James Whitaker (Dorothy), Wilburn Whitaker (Wilma), Ralph Whitaker, Wilton Whitaker, Carlton Whitaker, and Franklin Whitaker, sister Louvinia Whitaker Young (Woody), sisters-in-law Alta Mae Whitaker (Rubel), Girthel Whitaker (Gene), Kay Whitaker (Lonnie) and one great grandchild, Austin Reeves. She is survived by her sons Melvin Marshall (Paula) and Eddie Marshall, brothers Rubel Whitaker (Linda), Gene Whitaker, and Lonnie Whitaker (Ann), sisters-in-law Juanda Whitaker (Franklin) and Donna Whitaker (Ralph); five grandchildren (Chris Marshall (Lan Nguyen), Sonya Flynt (Brian), Philip Robertson (Casey), Cindy Reeves (Jesse), and Amy Robinson, fourteen great grandchildren, four great-great grandchildren and a host of nieces and nephews.

Services will be at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, May 31, 2023 at Church of God of Prophecy in Hamilton with Bro. Billy Stevens officiating.  Burial will be in McDuffie Cemetery.  Visitation will be from 1:00 until service time Wednesday.

Condolences to the family may be sent to tisdalelannmemorialfh.com.