Obituary Mary Ellen Evans was born March 6, 1946, to the late Annie Bell Hardy and the late Clifford White. She matriculated in the Birmingham school system graduating from Parker High School in 1964. As a child, she gave her heart to the Lord, joining Greymont Baptist church where she participated in the Sunbeam band. During the turbulent years of the 1960's civil rights movement, Mary participated by being a young foot soldier for justice. Mary fell in love with John Henry Nelson and gave birth to a beautiful hazel-eyed daughter she named Daphne on October
29, 1966. Mary expanded her education by attending Oral Roberts University in Oklahoma and much later Nation Education Center in Birmingham where she obtained an associates degree.

In 1980, Mary joined and became a founding member of the South Park SDA church where she faithfully served as an assistant Sabbath school teacher and Deaconess.

Mary had a heart for service and hands on care which led her to the field of nursing. She worked at the VA medical center in Tuscaloosa,
Alabama, for many years. She would later pass the qualification examination to work for the U.S. Treasury Department. Because of her heartfelt love for her family, she accepted the responsibility of caregiver for her grand aunt along with an older ailing cousin. She would later take on the responsibility of being a mother again to her deceased sister's son, who she lovingly guided to adulthood.

During Mary's later years, she tirelessly worked in the community at various nursing positions most notably spending 15 years at Mount Royal Towers with a single patient. She spent the twilight years of her life in the loving care of her daughter, Daphne Dorsey, and son-in-law, Michael Phillips.

Mary fiercely enjoyed her independence, always keeping a car at the ready, traveling throughout the city of Birmingham and surrounding areas. She was a voracious reader extending that love to her nephew and she kept up with current events. She enjoyed spiritual/talk radio. She often had talks about what she was listening to on Elijah radio on 88.1 FM in Birmingham. Mary had a healthy sense of humor which she shared with her children. Mary's favorite color was green and favorite bible verse was Psalm 40:2

She leaves to cherish her memory a devoted daughter, Daphne Dorsey; son-in-law, Micheal Philips; son, Robert Hardy; sister, Betty Bradford; nieces, Winifred Jackson, Whilemina Brown, Tallese Bradford, Erika Halsey, and Dionne Hardy; nephews, Reginald Jackson and Micheal Bradford; sisters-in-law, Ann Hardy, Virginia Blair, and Ernestine Mullen; with a host of others