Nellie Margaret (Swinney) Pierson

Graveside services will be held to honor the life of Nellie Margaret Swinney Pierson, age 101, of Moore, at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, May 22, at the Moore Cemetery on 4th Street, west of Telephone Road.

The sixth of eight children born to Cora (Johnson) and Robert Morris Swinney, Nellie
was born at their home west of Moore, Oklahoma, on September 19, 1915. She attended Moore schools until her senior year, when her parents moved the family to Mountain Grove, Missouri. She graduated from Mountain Grove High School in 1933. While there, she met her future husband, Orlie David (“Red”) Pierson. They married on August 22, 1934, in Mansfield, Missouri. Soon the couple moved back to Moore, where they lived for the rest of their lives. Nellie attended Hills Business College and worked as an administrative assistant at Tinker Air Force Base and then at Toland and Johnson, an oil and gas company, for thirty-five years. She was a member of the Desk and Derrick Club of Oklahoma City for thirty-five years and received its distinguished service award in November and December 1977 and its Pursuit of Industry Education award in May 1985. She was also a member of the Capitol Hill Business and Professional Women’s Club for over twenty years, where she served as treasurer in 1980-81 and on the foundation committee from 1982-84. Nellie loved to read, and she participated in the Hillcrest Reviewers Book Club for most of her life. She was a lifelong member of First United Methodist Church of Moore, OK, where she received several perfect attendance awards and served on the United Methodist Women’s budget committee and as the treasurer of her Friendship Sunday School class for over forty-four years. She was a Charter Volunteer at South Community Hospital and received its service award in November 1980. In 1985, she was given the 100-Mile Club Award for walking over 100 miles at Sooner Fashion Mall. She loved to travel and to bowl, and she frequently spent her evenings playing dominos or cards with good friends. Having never had her own children, she was a much beloved aunt to her great-nieces, who thought of her and loved her as another grandmother.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and siblings Pauline Mary (Swinney) Hendrix, Wilburn Carl Swinney, Raleigh M. Swinney, Eunice Loretta (Swinney) Bollinger, Edith Agnes Aileen (Swinney) Hammond; Marjorie Ellen (Swinney) Jones, and Robert Morris (“Bud”) Swinney, Jr. She was also preceded in death by nephews William Claud Hammond, Gene Wilburn Hendrix, and Gary Reese Swinney.

Nellie is survived by her niece-in-law and recent caregiver Marilyn (McDowell) Hammond of Norman, who the entire family would like to thank for providing Nellie with dedicated and loving care these last few years. She is also survived by her niece Shirley Bollinger of Sutter Creek, California; nephew Robert Jones of Kansas City, Missouri; great-nieces Cheryl (Hammond) Raper and her husband, Tommy, of Trophy Club, Texas, and Deborah (Hammond) Witte and her husband, Robert, of Plano Texas; great-great-nephew, Brandon Witte,of Plano, Texas; and great-great-nieces Courtney Witte of Plano, Texas, and Katherine and Rachel Raper, of Trophy Club, Texas.

Memorial contributions may be made to the First United Methodist Church of Moore,OK, 201 West Main Street, Moore, OK 73160.