On the final Tuesday of April 2026, Mary Nell Jackson-Pickens, age 75, was called home to her Lord and Savior.
She transitioned surrounded by family in the quiet of Murphy, North Carolina, the soil of her birth and the land she chose, at last, to return to.
Mary Nell joined the Great Black Migration north, settling in Gary, Indiana.
A proud homemaker, Mary Nell poured herself into husband and son with an intuition and empathy that left no one untouched. She remained unwaveringly faithful to Christ, moving through every season of life with a quiet, unshakable dignity that no circumstance could disturb. She possessed an instinct for fashion, an eye for thrift-store treasures, a lover’s ear for music, and an entertaining and unpretentious gift for great conversation.
She left Gary decades later dreaming of the peace and deep quiet her grandmother might have known.
Mary Nell was the daughter of the late Kell Ellis Jackson and Mattie Bell Saunders. She was preceded in death by three sisters—Lille Emerson, Margaret Ann Oates, and Kelli Jackson—and four brothers: Claude Luther Sr. (“C.L.”), Robert (“Bobby”), Thomas (“Tommy”), and James.
She leaves behind her only son, Mark Pickens and his life partner Veleda Jackson of Murphy; one sister, Suzi Jackson-Lloyd of Hayesville, North Carolina; one granddaughter, Kaiya Pickens Spies together with her husband Tommy of Murphy; the father of her son, Harry “H.C.” Pickens of Murphy; nine nieces—Lillie Ann, Annette, Yolonda, Gwen, Arlise, Lisa, Rashemia, Montavia, and Ilka; nine nephews—Claude, James, Tom, Terry, André, Jahmal, Prince, Scott, and J.R.; and a vast constellation of extended family members who all loved her dearly.
Mary Nell left behind a legacy of faith, love, and grace that deeply touched all who knew her. She was fortunate to have witnessed two Americas: the industrial North’s fiery promise and the rural South’s resurgent quiet. Few lives trace such a complete arc, yet Mary Nell’s did so more fully than most can even dream.
⏺️
Funeral Services:
Date: Saturday, May 9th, 2026, at 2:00 P.M. Eastern Time Zone
Location: Ivie Funeral Home Chapel, located at: 194 Peachtree Street, in Murphy, North Carolina, 28906 - United States of America
⏺️
Officiating:
Ministers Denise Goettie and Elder Thelena Turner
⏺️
Music:
Internationally renowned vocalist, Datrian Johnson (her nephew) and Farrah Eller
⏺️
Visitation:
Saturday, May 9th, 2026, from 12:00 P.M. to 1:45 P.M. Eastern Time Zone
⏺️
Interment:
Pickens Family Cemetery, Texana Community
⏺️
Pallbearers:
Martin Allen, Zeke Johnson, Ervin Brown, Kevin Nicely, Carl Pickens and Jack Jackson
⏺️
Honorary Pallbearers:
Larry Wilson, Rodney Hill and André Action Jackson
⏺️
The family has entrusted Ivie Funeral Home with the care and coordination of arrangements. Telephone: +1 828-837-2116
⏺️
An online guest register is available at www.iviefuneralhome.com
More...
Less...
