Emma Blackwell Wilson

Emma Blackwell Wilson, 96, passed away April 2, 2015. She was born September 12, 1918 in Morton, Mississippi. Emma was preceded in death by her parents Charlie and Dessie Blackwell; stepson, Carl Wilson; and siblings Lee Blackwell, Melvin Blackwell, Charles Blackwell, Mellie White, Elizabeth Long, Mary McCoy (Prentiss), Mazie Nichols (Odell, Sr.), and Fred Blackwell. She is survived by her devoted daughter and son-in-law, JoAnn and Robert Conner of Las Vegas; brother, Billy Blackwell of Las Vegas; sister, Lillie Bell McCoy (Wilbur) of Morton, Mississippi; and one sister-in-law, Olivia Blackwell of Las Vegas. She leaves two very close nieces Claudette Enus (James) and Connie Barker, and a very close nephew Odell Nichols, Jr. (Beatrice) all of Las Vegas. She also leaves behind numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and close friends to mourn her loss. Visitation will be 3-5 p.m. Friday, April 10 at Palm Downtown Mortuary, 1325 N. Main St., Las Vegas, NV 89101. Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 11 at Second Baptist Church, 500 W. Madison Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89106. Burial following, at Palm Memorial Park, 1325 N. Main St., Las Vegas, NV 89101. Emma moved from Morton to McNary, AZ in 1941 to marry Woodrow Wilson. In May 1942, Emma moved to Las Vegas and went to work for Western Electrical Chemical Company (WECCo) in Henderson, Nevada. She worked for WECCo in shipping and receiving until shortly after the war, and then became a homemaker for a number of years, concentrating on raising her daughter, JoAnn. In 1957, Emma returned to the workforce becoming a powder room attendant at the Tropicana Hotel where she worked until her retirement in 1984. Emma’s commitment to her family, the community, and the Second Baptist Church continued throughout her life. Emma was also civic-minded and politically active for a number of years. In 1951, Westside Federal Credit Union, the first Black financial institution, received its charter and operated out of the home of Emma and Woodrow. In addition to being an outstanding mother, Emma assumed the role of family matriarch after the passing of her mother. She cherished this role, and nothing brought her greater pleasure than an opportunity to bring the family together. She had amazing personal style and orchestrated the “Blackwell-Davis” family reunions until she was forced by “father time” to pass the baton.

Arrangements under the direction of Palm Downtown Mortuary, Las Vegas, NV.