Nelder Dean Craig "Nell"

Nelder Dean Craig “Nell D”, age 65, a loving and caring mother of four, passed away in the early hours of May 27, 2024 after fighting a strong battle with pneumonia. Nell was born Nelder Dean Whitley in Covington, Tennessee on February 16, 1959. Her parents were Resell Whitley (Father), Luedell Taylor (Mother), and a stepfather that treated her like his own, Joe Taylor. She was the second oldest of four siblings: Eddie Whitley (preceded in her death), Janice Harper (Bobby), and Mary Taylor. 

She graduated from Covington High School. Nell worked in warehouses for over 24 years and decided to retire. After a couple of months in retirement, she did not like staying at home all day so she decided to go back to work. She became a bus monitor for First Student. She loved the children on the bus so much that she worked all the way to her last days. 

Nell was inspired by her family, especially her mother, to be a loving and caring woman, work hard to get what she wanted, always give her time to others, and she incorporated that into her motherhood. She was married to Michael Craig for 30 years and had four beautiful children. As a mother, she was generous, a good role model, spoke her mind and gave outstanding advice, and spoiled her children as much as she possibly could. Nell was blessed with all granddaughters, including one on the way, and she was happy to see her family continue to expand throughout the years. 

In her free time, Nell enjoyed listening to music, taking care of her garden, and spending time with family. Also, she loved attending the meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses at the Washington Park Congregation. There, she began studying the Bible. On July 23, 2016, she symbolized her dedication to Jehovah God, by getting baptized. As one of Jehovah’s Witnesses she loved telling others about Jehovah. Her ministry included door to door witnessing and letter writing. Nell also joined the Christian Life at Ministry School in order to be more effective in her ministry. She believed it was very important to gain a relationship with Jehovah. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends. Nell is survived by her four children: Michael Craig (Erica Jones), Erica Craig, Dontè Craig, and Keely Reed and along with her eight granddaughters.