Obituary Nellie Galena Conner Contributed by Sylvia Smith, Nov. 1997   Red Oak Rambler Thursday, Sept 20, 1990 Former Resident Dies At Age 101 On Wednesday, Sept. 12, 1990 in Roswell, New Mexico, the long life of Nellie Galena Conner finally came to a peaceful close. She had reached the age of 101 on Jan. 13, 1990. She was born Nellie Ross and when her mother died she went to Red Oak to live with her maternal grandmother and Uncle Tom. She attended the old Red Oak school and when the Katy Railroad came to the area, the town moved up the hill. The Bells Chapel Methodist was moved there and she became the first person to become a member of this church. She became the first telephone operator when her uncle Tom Conger installed the first telephones in the town. She married Mr. J. A. Conner and the union was blessed with three children, Rowena, Leon and Maurine. Mr. Conner worked at the Ligon and Hamm Hardware store. The sign is still there in Red Oak. They later moved to Lancaster where he owned another hardware store. His brother-in-law, Floyd McFarland, was in business with him. It was on the west side of the square. She and Rowena moved to Roswell after the death of her son, Leon and her husband, to be near her daughter Maurine. Just before the planned celebration for her 100th birthday, she was injured in a fall and spent her last months in a care center where she enjoyed loving care. A simple graveside service was held on Thursday, Sept 13, with her daughters and many friends in attendance.   Copyright © 1997-2016, Ellis County TXGenWeb. All Rights Reserved. This page was last modified: Thursday, 01-Jul-2021 13:20:21 MDT