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Obituary for Mary Nell Armstrong
Mary Nell Dickerson Armstrong, 95, passed away on Monday, July 11, 2016 at The Blake in Flowood, MS. Nell was a gracious, thoughtful and generous lady, a devoted mother and mother-in-law and an enthusiastic grandmother, who also enjoyed keeping up with extended family, neighbors and friends both old and new. She had a wonderful imagination, which she loved sharing with her granddaughter who inherited it. Nell lived her life with style and determination. Her family will deeply miss her witty conversation and her keen sense of humor. Nell was born on July 9, 1921 in Corinth, Mississippi to James Ledford Dickerson and Laura Parker Dickerson. She graduated from Corinth High School in 1939 and from dental hygiene school at the University of Tennessee in 1941. She was the first dental hygienist to enter private practice in Mississippi. Nell met her future husband, Dr. William Riddick Armstrong of Houston, MS, on the day Pearl Harbor was bombed, December 7, 1941. They were married on April 22, 1943. Bill Armstrong’s career as an Air Force physician took the family from one end of the country to the other, including to Alaska, and also to Japan for three years following World War II. Nell was greatly influenced by Japanese culture. She incorporated Japanese elements of style into her decorating and into the design of the home she and Bill later built on the Reservoir in Brandon, MS, when he returned to the private practice of ophthalmology in Jackson. Although she was far too modest to admit it, Nell was a superb chef, a talented decorator and a creative hostess and party planner who loved entertaining her family and friends. Many of her gatherings stand out in the family’s memory (including her own 85th birthday party which she planned herself), but her grandchildren will always especially remember her legendary Thanksgiving dinners. As her grandson once commented after viewing her Thanksgiving table, “Grandmother went all out!” One of the traits which defined Nell was her lifelong empathy with animals in need. Over the years, she found good homes for numerous stray dogs, puppies and kittens. Nell was never without at least one cat. She rescued many of her cats from roadways or parking lots or simply invited them in when they arrived at her door. They all found a loving home as pampered members of her family. A communicant of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Brandon, MS, Nell was also a former active member of Maids and Matrons, Amity Club and the Crooked Creek Garden Club. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her brother Burchell Dickerson and her sister Gladys Dickerson Daniels. She is survived by her son William Riddick Armstrong, Jr. (Julie-Mac Blood) of Brandon, MS, daughter Mary Nell Armstrong of Glendale, CA, brother Ralph Dickerson of Corinth, MS, grandson Dr. William Riddick Armstrong, III (Kiley Munger) of Dallas, TX, granddaughter Julia Elizabeth McLemore Armstrong of Austin, TX, and numerous nieces and nephews. Visitation will be at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 26, 2016 at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Brandon, MS. Services will follow at 11:00 a.m. Burial will be Wednesday, July 27, 2016 in Houston City Cemetery, Houston, MS. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, P. O., Box 1899, Brandon, MS 39043; Mississippi Animal Rescue League, 5221 Greenway Dr. Ext., Jackson, MS 39204 (www.msarl.org); or Doctors Without Borders (www.doctorswithoutborders.org).
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