Ms. Inell "Nell" Hailey

Survived by her beloved husband George Lucian Hailey (99), Michael Hailey and wife Rhonda, Phil Hailey and wife Shelia, 6 Grandchildren, Chris Hailey and wife Sarah, Erika Jones and husband Ryan, Cody Craig and wife Amanda, Sterling Escobar and husband Richard, Jason Poteete and wife Kristina, and Crystal Teeters. She leaves behind 10 Great Grandchildren who will all have rich memories of romping, kite flying, bubbles and Easter Eggs in Grandma Hailey’s back yard. She also leaves one brother behind, John Hartsell of Sherman, TX.

Nell grew up the daughter of a farmer in Chico TX, where she learned her hard work ethic. She spent her young adult life in Fort Worth. During World War II she supported the cause as a “Riveter” in a bomber plant. George loves to tell how he went to war when she was a ‘snotty nosed kid’. But when he came home, she had blossomed into a “real peach”. They married in 1946 and were blessed with 75 years of marriage. After their three children were in school, she reentered the workforce, and became a skilled bookkeeper, who many said was the fastest they had ever seen on a 10-key. She and George owned and operated the Western Auto store in Keller and were well loved by the Keller community for over 20 years. Customers would probably remember Nell shooing George to get back to work, as he was best known for swapping stories and jokes with the regulars.

Nell and George lost their beloved daughter Toni Craig to breast cancer, in 2001. She had become an integral part of the Western Auto team. The store wasn’t the same without her, so they sold the business. They retired to do what Nell loved most, which was keeping George busy in the vegetable garden and her flower beds beautiful. She lived for Sundays when the kids and grandkids and more recently all the greats would come. She loved to cook for a crowd and often whipped up family favorites, such as Italian Crème or German Chocolate Cake. Our family and many friends will never forget the beautiful days spent in her back yard and the garden-fresh meals shared around her table.