ONIENELL H. “NELL” OLMSTED

was born Jan. 10, 1908, and died May 31, 2008.

She took great pride in her 100 years and the self-reliance that made it possible. And, she got great joy from the 100th birthday party hosted at Silver Springs Retirement Center in Green Valley on Jan. 13, 2008.

She was preceded in death by her loving husband, F.R. “Red” Olmsted of Green Valley; her parents John Wesley and Mary Ann Holliday of Ennis, Texas; older sister Dove Neal Pinson, also of Ennis; younger sister Marydell Wilks of Dallas, Texas; and younger brother Walter Virgil Holliday of Cleburne, Texas.

After graduating from high school in Ennis, and upon completion of business school in Dallas, she took her first job with the Ennis Chamber of Commerce. Three years later it was off to College Station, Texas for a job in the Agriculture Department of Texas A & M University. Then on to the Soil Conservation Service, Division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, first in Fort Worth, Texas, and then Washington, D.C. A fast move up and a giant step out for a small town girl. She retired from the Washington bureau in January of 1971.

She married Red Olmsted in December of 1970 and they first resided in Kansas City before moving to Green Valley in 1973.

She had always been very active with her churches as she made these moves, and throughout her stay in Washington, D.C. was very involved with Eastern Star. But, after being widowed in 1979, she became even more involved at Green Valley Community Church, where she led the knitters group for many years.

She is survived by nephew Richard N. Cooke and wife Betty of Georgetown, Texas; nephew Lonnie Holliday and wife Janice and niece Carol Holliday Cooper and husband Marion, all of Cleburne; plus all their children and grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held on June 24, 2008, at Green Valley Community Church at 1 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to a charity of your choice. One of her’s was Guide Dogs for the Blind.