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Mrs. Nelle Justice Desmond, Age 81, a native of Leoma, TN and a resident of Madera County for 79 years passed away Friday, January 13, 2006 at a Madera hospital. Nelle graduated from Madera Union High School in 1942 and worked for the Madera Tribune writing in the Society Page for a number of years, but her greatest joy was being a wife, mother and homemaker, She was a member of the Madera County Cattlewomen's Assn. - "Cowbells" and served in her early years as a den mother in Cub Scouts. Nelle was active and enjoyed being a precinct worker for Madera County Election Board. Along with her husband Jack, they were selected as the King & Queen of the Madera Old Timers Day Parade in 1992. In appreciation for Jack Desmond's many years of service as a school board member, the Madera Unified School District honored his memory by the naming of the Jack G. Desmond Middle School for the district's new campus.

Nelle was preceded in death by her husband Jack Desmond in 2003. She is survived by her two sons: Timothy Justice Desmond of Fresno, CA and Gregory Heiskell Desmond of Madera, CA; one daughter: Deborah Nelle Boyea of Sonora, CA. She was the grandmother of seven and great-grandmother of 16.

Visitation will be on Wednesday, January 18, 2006 from 2:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. at Jay Chapel. Funeral Services will be Thursday, January 19, 2006 at 11:00 A.M. at Jay Chapel. Interment will follow at Arbor Vitae Cemetery.