Nellie Hodge

Nellie (Gibson) Hodge, age 93, went to be with her Heavenly Father on August 12, 2011, at Hospice of Dayton. She was born to parents Prewitt and Mattie (Willoughby) Gibson at Mt. Sterling, KY on August 29, 1917. She was raised with 2 brothers, Sherman and Bill, and 3 sisters, Sarah, Opal, and Mary. Nellie was proud of her Kentucky heritage and being raised in a Christian loving and caring family, telling many stories of her happy childhood there.

Nellie was preceded in death by her husband, Fred, and her grandson, Ryan Matthew. She is survived by her sister, Sarah Creech, her son Bill and wife Rita, daughter Terry Lee, grandchildren Douglas and wife Selene Gilliam, Jennifer Hodge, Aaron Gilliam, Kelly Morgan and great-grandchildren Matthew, Katilyn, Alex, Natalie, and Sebastian. Also many nieces and nephews.

Nellie moved to Cincinnati, OH, during her 20s and worked at Wright's Airplane Factory (which is now GE) where she met and married her husband of 45 years, Fred F. Hodge. She worked on the electronics for the planes being built for WWII, moving up to inspector. They had a son one year later, Billy Prewitt and moved to Orlando, FL where they had a daughter Terry Lee. While in Florida, they built their own home on Lake Griffin. She loved nature and grew many varieties and colors of hibiscus, gardenias, and ferns, as well as many other tropical plants, proud of her green thumb and always adoring their beauty and diverse aromas. Since Fred was a building contractor, they also traveled to New Brunswick, Canada temporarily while he built a hotel where Nellie learned the Canadian culture and appreciated their styles of cooking as well as the beauty of the countryside, bringing home two beautiful hand woven wool blankets that she always cherished. They later settled again in Cincinnati, OH and Nellie obtained her real estate license and worked at Avco. They were members of Eastern Hills Baptist Church and Nellie provided food and volunteered for many activities in the church.

They relocated to Dayton, OH in 1964 and she was a realtor where she lived until the time of her death, living only for a short while in Middletown after her husband's death to be near her family, but settling back to Dayton with her daughter.

Nellie always kept a meticulous home, known to polish her silver into the wee hours of the morning before company or family gatherings the next day. She was always known to feed anyone that walked through her front door, never hesitating to provide the warm southern hospitality that was instilled in her by her wonderful upbringing. She was heard many, many times by family and guests to say when sitting down to eat her beautifully prepared meals, "Now don't be shy or ill-at-ease, make yourself at home and eat all you want...we can always make more!" Her family's favorite meals she prepared were chicken and dumplings, roast beef with smooth, perfectly flavored gravy, and german chocolate cake from scratch. At Christmas time, she made fruit cakes which she would give to her family for a present as well as peanut butter roll and toll house cookies. As she got older, she bought a box of Esther Price candy for her gift always buying a couple of extra boxes to provide for anyone she may have forgotten. It made her happy to serve and wait on others and have them enjoy eating, offering the smallest of what she had just to make them feel welcome and comfortable. Over the years, Nellie would send money to Feed the Children and the Billy Graham Crusade.

She was saved and baptized at age 17. She had her Bible always open on the table with papers around it from taking notes always wanting to know and learn more. She guided her children with her humble and Christian ways, her patience, and kindness.

Nellie loved music--she would play Caruso while cleaning house--and listened to Elvis, Daniel O'Donnell, and The Gaithers. She was always tuning in to watch the Gaithers and listening sometimes with tears in her eyes enjoying every song they sang. How totally appropriate was her favorite all-time song, "Lord, Feed Your Children" by Michael English.

She guided her children with her humble and Christian ways, her patience, and kindness. Always forgiving, willing to please, and sympathizing with your troubles, never too weary to lend an ear or a helping hand. No one ever went to visit her that she didn't ask them to spend the night, never wanting them to go away without extending to them her care and compassion. Nellie's life was one of always helping others, witnessing her love of Jesus Christ though word and deed, and endless love. She will be missed immensely, forever.