Obituary of John Wood Nelms Sr. John Wood (JW) Nelms Sr ## 14 Dec 1898 - 25 Mar 1985 John W. Nelms Sr. SUFFOLK - John Wood Nelms Sr., 87, of 1408 Nansemond Parkway, died Monday [25 Mar 1985] in Louise Obici Memorial Hospital. Born in Nansemond County, he was a retired jailer for the Suffolk Sheriff's Department and a retired farmer. He was the oldest living member of Berea Christian Church, Driver, where he was a lifetime trustee and a member of the Johnson Bible Class. He was also a 50-year member of Driver Odd Fellows Lodge. Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Selma Sawyer Nelms; four daughters, Mrs. Elizabeth Turner and Mrs. Mary B. Wood, both of Suffolk, Mrs. Barbara Chaulklin of Gastonia, N.C., and Mrs. Danese Gillies of Virginia Beach; two sons, John W. Nelms Jr. and Frank B. Nelms, both Suffolk; a sister, Mrs. Sallie Duke Sawyer of Portsmouth; brother, Wade H. Nelms of Virginia Beach; 13 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. A funeral will be conducted at 2 p.m. Thursday [28 Mar 1985] in Sidney Harrell Funeral Home by the Rev. J. Robert Bennett and the Rev. Bryan E. Moore. Burial will be in Meadowbrook Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends from 7:30 to 8:30 tonight at the funeral home. The family requests that expressions of sympathy take the form of contributions to Berea Christian Church or the Nansemond-Suffolk Rescue Squad. Newport News, Virginia Daily Press 27 Mar 1985 Page 16 Obituary for John W. Nelms Sr --- [Birth: 14 Dec 1898 - Nansemond County, Virginia, USA] [Death: 25 Mar 1985 - Suffolk, Nansemond County, Virginia, USA] ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ––– Narrative Summary of the Obituary ––– John Wood Nelms Sr., 87, of 1408 Nansemond Parkway, Suffolk, died 25 Mar 1985 in Louise Obici Memorial Hospital. Born in Nansemond County, he was a retired Suffolk Sheriff's Department jailer and farmer and longtime member of Berea Christian Church. A funeral was conducted at 2 p.m. 28 Mar 1985 in Sidney Harrell Funeral Home by the Rev. J. Robert Bennett and the Rev. Bryan E. Moore. Burial was in Meadowbrook Memorial Gardens. ––– Transcript ––– John Wood (JW) Nelms Sr ## 14 Dec 1898 - 25 Mar 1985 John W. Nelms Sr. SUFFOLK - John Wood Nelms Sr., 87, of 1408 Nansemond Parkway, died Monday [25 Mar 1985] in Louise Obici Memorial Hospital. Born in Nansemond County, he was a retired jailer for the Suffolk Sheriff's Department and a retired farmer. He was the oldest living member of Berea Christian Church, Driver, where he was a lifetime trustee and a member of the Johnson Bible Class. He was also a 50-year member of Driver Odd Fellows Lodge. Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Selma Sawyer Nelms; four daughters, Mrs. Elizabeth Turner and Mrs. Mary B. Wood, both of Suffolk, Mrs. Barbara Chaulklin of Gastonia, N.C., and Mrs. Danese Gillies of Virginia Beach; two sons, John W. Nelms Jr. and Frank B. Nelms, both Suffolk; a sister, Mrs. Sallie Duke Sawyer of Portsmouth; brother, Wade H. Nelms of Virginia Beach; 13 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. A funeral will be conducted at 2 p.m. Thursday [28 Mar 1985] in Sidney Harrell Funeral Home by the Rev. J. Robert Bennett and the Rev. Bryan E. Moore. Burial will be in Meadowbrook Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends from 7:30 to 8:30 tonight at the funeral home. The family requests that expressions of sympathy take the form of contributions to Berea Christian Church or the Nansemond-Suffolk Rescue Squad. ––– Vital Statistics ––– |---------------------------------------------------------------| | Name | John Wood Nelms Sr. | | Age | 87 | | Birth | 14 Dec 1898; Nansemond County, Virginia, USA | | Death | 25 Mar 1985; Suffolk, Nansemond County, Virginia, USA | |---------------------------------------------------------------| ––– Table of Relationships ––– |-----------------------------------------------------| | Name | Relationship | Residence | |---------------------|--------------|----------------| | John Wood Nelms Sr. | Decedent | Suffolk | | Selma Sawyer Nelms | Wife | Unknown | | Elizabeth Turner | Daughter | Suffolk | | Mary B. Wood | Daughter | Suffolk | | Barbara Chaulklin | Daughter | Gastonia, N.C. | | Danese Gillies | Daughter | Virginia Beach | | John W. Nelms Jr. | Son | Suffolk | | Frank B. Nelms | Son | Suffolk | | Sallie Duke Sawyer | Sister | Portsmouth | | Wade H. Nelms | Brother | Virginia Beach | |-----------------------------------------------------| ––– Publication Details ––– |-----------------------------------| | Field | Value | |----------|------------------------| | Location | Newport News, Virginia | | Name | Daily Press | | Date | 27 Mar 1985 | | Page | 16 | |-----------------------------------| ––– Other Relevant Information ––– • Retired jailer for the Suffolk Sheriff's Department • Retired farmer • Oldest living member of Berea Christian Church, Driver • Lifetime trustee of Berea Christian Church • Member of the Johnson Bible Class • 50-year member of Driver Odd Fellows Lodge • Survived by 13 grandchildren • Survived by nine great-grandchildren • Spouse's birth name was Selma Sawyer • Also known as "JW" --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may have contributed to the creation of this text. 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