Leonel "Nell" (Cawdell) Oliver
Jan 19,1926 - Jan 28, 2011
Posted by Janet Laubhan Flickinger

http://www.havenbrookfuneralhome.com/

Leonel (Nell) Oliver was born on January 19, 1926 in Drumright Oklahoma to Leo and Eva Cawdell.  Her given name was Leonel after her father (Leo) and aunt (Nell).  She grew up with her 5 siblings in Cromwell, Oklahoma. 

After leaving Cromwell High School, Nell worked as a nurse at the Wewoka Hospital for several years.  In 1949 she met Bill Oliver, and he and Nell got married in 1949 after dating only 6 weeks.  They lived in Seminole where Bill showed movies at the local picture show. 

In 1951 Bill joined the Navy, and was stationed in San Diego where their elder daughter, Jonell, was born in 1953.  Once Bill left the Navy in 1955, the family moved to Kermit, TX where Leonel decided to be just “Nell” so her friends’ children could say her name.

In 1957 Bill decided he wanted to pursue a college degree, and the Olivers moved to Norman where he started to attend OU.   During this time, Nell worked at home preparing knick-knacks to be sold by a local florist, Hampton’s Florist.  In 1962, Nell’s younger daughter, Lisa, was born in Norman.  Nell then was a stay-at-home mom until later in the 1970’s when she worked as an accountant for Red Cricket, an upscale children’s store in Norman.

In 1988, Nell and Bill retired and celebrated by immediately flying to Hawaii for a vacation.  They then enjoyed the next decade living in Norman and keeping active in their church, First Baptist.  On July 18, 1999, Nell and Bill celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.  In May of that year, they took a cruise to Alaska with Jonell to commemorate the occasion.

Later in 1999, Bill passed away, and Nell remained in Norman until 2003 when she moved to Plano to be near her daughter, Lisa, and Lisa’s children.  She lived at DaySpring Assisted Living in Plano TX.  Special acknowledgement and thanks goes to the staff of DaySpring who filled Nell’s last days with love and ensured she enjoyed her time there very much. 

Nell passed away on January 28, 2011 with her daughters at her bedside at Baylor Medical Center of Plano.  Special acknowledgement and thanks goes to the staff of the ICU unit staff and her Doctors who gave her extraordinary care in her final days.

Nell was preceded in death by her husband, Bill, her parents and siblings. 

She is survived by her elder daughter, Jonell Kurth and her husband, Ron, of Fairview. TX; her younger daughter, Lisa Kincannon and her husband, Jeff, of Plano, TX; her very special grandchildren Sydney McAuliffe and Evan McAuliffe of Plano, TX.  Sydney and Evan were the lights of her life and she loved them very much and they loved her very much.  She was a special Grandma.  She is also survived by her niece who was like a daughter to her, Rita Romberg and her husband, Frank, of Shawnee, and her sons, Stephen and Jerred.  Additional nieces and nephews that Nell is survived by are Joan Blanchard, Eva Lynn Crandall, Johnny Paul Loveless, Delores Flowers, Jann Rush, Marina Jan Brown, and Joe Cawdell.

In lieu of flowers, her daughters request that charitable donations be made to DaySpring Assisted Living Center, 6400 Cheyenne Trail, Plano TX 75023, as it is a non-profit church supported ministry where Nell loved living at in her final days.

Nell’s life will be celebrated 2:00 P.M. Saturday, February 19, 2011 in Havenbrook Funeral Home Chapel. 

On line condolences maybe made at www.havenbrookfuneralhome.com