Nellie Mae Steele

Nellie Mae Steele, 86, of rural Memphis, Missouri, passed away Friday, November 26, 2021, at the Scotland County Hospital in Memphis, Missouri.

Nellie was born in Memphis, Missouri, on September 25, 1935, the daughter of Orville and Hazel Mathes Shinn.

She attended Scotland County High School and graduated in the Class of 1953.

She worked at KOH in Kirksville, Missouri and lived in Aurora, Illinois, for a couple years, before returning to Memphis; she started at the Scotland County Hospital, when it opened, and worked 35 years before retiring. 

On May 29, 1954, in Kirksville, Missouri, Nellie married William “Bill” Martin Steele.

She was a member of the First Baptist Church and enjoyed gardening and the outdoors but most of all she loved spending time with her grandkids.

Nellie is survived by five daughters, Teresa and Bill Goodman of Centralia, Missouri,  Linda and Terry Hervey of Birmingham, Iowa,  Janet Wolfe of Moberly, Missouri,  Lisa Steele and Marvin McCombs of Memphis, Missouri,  and Kris and Wes Chamley of Kahoka, Missouri; three sisters, Barbara Orton of Texas, Shirley and Roger Dabler of Minnesota, and Zelma and Larry Rodgers of Rolla, Missouri; seven grandchildren, Laura Coffman and Brian Briggs, Nathaniel and Brianna Hervey, Courtney and Kolton Horn, Andrea and Darrell Catt, Daniel Tremaine,  Bre Chamley and Clint Chamley; seven great grandchildren, Niya Coffman, Abel Coffman, Alex Horn, Lundy Hervey, Everlee Hervey, Lucille Hervey, and Dominic Douglas; along with numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Bill Steele; parents Orville and Hazel Shinn; a sister, Virginia Shinn; and a brother, Junior Shinn.

Funeral services will be at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, December 1, 2021, at the Memphis Funeral Home in Memphis, Missouri.

Visitation will be Tuesday with the family receiving friends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the funeral home.

Interment will be in the Brock Cemetery, North of Memphis, Missouri.

An expression of sympathy in memory of Nellie Steele may be left to the Brock Cemetery or the Diabetes Association. A memorial may be left at or mailed to the Memphis Funeral Home 378 S. Market Street, Memphis, Missouri 63555.