Lebanon, N.H. —
Nellie grew up in Lebanon, N.H. At the foot of Slayton Hill, she went to the school house on Mascoma St. Ext. then to the old junior high in Lebanon, which at that time was the Lebanon high school. Nellie graduated in 1938, and always thought so much of her classmates. While Nellie was in high school, at the young age of 15, she and her close friend Rita sometimes would have to walk home from school together. They would walk down Mascoma Street, seeing they both lived in the direction. One day as the two teenage girls were walking by 37 Mascoma Street, there stood this “tall, thin, good looking young man,” outside with his big black chow dog. The girls stopped to talk for a minute, seeing Nellies friend Rita knew the young man. Apparently the young man’s mother was friendly with Rita’s mother, and the two women had always wanted to set the two up! Well, that never happened! The young man was a 17 year old named Romeo Joseph Russell and Nellie Dexter stole his heart that day. Soon after Romeo and his friends started picking Nellie up from school in “The Flying Yankee”, which was an old bomber car that the boys named after a train that became very popular at the time. Nellie said the principal had a “fit” and contacted her father William Dexter to demand that he stopped the boys from picking Nellie up from school. Nellies father did NOT mind Romeo picking Nellie up. William loved Romeo and thought of him as if he was the son he had always wanted.
Throughout Nellie and Romeo’s later teen years, they both worked with Nellies father cleaning, painting, and wallpapering for families and different business’ throughout Lebanon. During these teen years Romeo had heard that just about all of the Lebanon Firemen had quit the Department. He ran right over, along with other teen boys and volunteered to do whatever the department needed. The Fire Department became a huge part of something so very special to both Nellie and Romeo for the rest of their lives.
Romeo had also taken a job at the Woolen Mill on Mechanic Street in Lebanon, while Nellie continued to work for different families in town providing cleaning, cooking/baking, and a great deal of babysitting. Nellie absolutely adored and loved children. During Nellie’s long homemaking career she became very good friends with Jack and Elinor O’Connell and their 3 children, Mary Ellen, Ginny, and Jackie Jr. Mary Ellen the oldest, was just a small little girl when Nellie and Romeo were welcomed into the O’Connell’s family, Mary Ellen would become a very important woman in Nellies life.
Romeo and Nellie Courted for 5 years before getting married on May 25, 1940, at the old Sacred Heart Church that in 1940 was located on School Street in Lebanon, where Ricker Funeral Home is today. Romeo’s parents wanted the newlyweds to live at their home on Mascoma Street. Romeos father, Arthur wasn’t well. He suffered with Parkinson’s disease, and offered the young couple the entire upstairs of the house and made it into their own apartment. Just a few short years later, Nellies father William passed away. Then Romeo’s father soon passed. Romeo’s mother still lived downstairs from Nellie and Romeo. Nellie’s mother became ill for a brief time, so they decided to move Caroline in with them and they lived very happily with both mother’s in the same house.
Romeo took a job with the Lebanon School District working as a custodian, bus driver, and later a Security Guard, until he retired at 94 years old! Nellie found a job at the old Mary Hitchcock Hospital as one of the Housekeeping Supervisors for 15 years and retired in 1982.
Throughout all of their early years, and even well up into their 70’s, Nellie and Romeo loved being around people, their friends, all the special events, vacations, road trips (not planned) they both belonged to many groups and clubs. Nellie was very much involved with the Hartford Emblem Club #150 VT. Nellie served as the club’s President and later as the Press Secretary for years. Nellie also belonged to the Catholic Daughters, Social Committee, and Martha’s Ministries through Sacred Heart Parish. Nellie volunteered many, many hours for the American Red Cross, Lebanon Senior Center, the APD Auxiliary, and the Lebanon Fire Department Auxiliary. Nellie loved to knit, she often knitted hats, booties, blankets and clothing then donated all the items to the local hospitals for the newborn babies. Nellie was very well known as “the Pie Lady”, which had also been brought up along with all of her community worked when Nellie was named Lebanon’s Citizen of the year in 2010. Nellie loved to entertain and joke. She was very well known for her hilarious jokes and great sense of humor. Nellie truly loved spending time with her friends and loved ones.
All the Fireman Convention’s, gatherings, cookouts, card parties, vacationing, and volunteering. Some people wonder how she had time to do all this, Nellie was a firecracker that just NEVER stopped moving, a woman that exercised daily well into her 90’s, she never would let Romeo sit too long, she’d have him doing laps around the house, just to keep him moving and going.
Very sadly a couple of years after Romeo finally retired at 94 years old, he was struggling with Dementia, and his body had just given out. Romeo passed July 10, 2013 at his beloved home that he was born in. With his bride right by his side, for all 73 years of marriage and 78 years together. Nellie was heartbroken of course, but she kept trooping on as she always did. A woman made not like many others that had struggled herself with having to live with debilitating macular degeneration, which left her legally blind. Nellie still lived alone in her big house, took care of all her affairs with help from Health Care Aid Carrie Pushee for 10 years, her family Paul and Steve Hamel, and two close friends Anna Yeager and William Pillsbury.
As Nellie was approaching her 97th birthday this Dec., she had a massive stroke Sept. 28, 2016. This strong willed, stubborn Irish woman suffered for 8 days and was able to pass away at home where she desperately wanted to be. Now joined with her beloved husband Romeo dancing together in heaven forever.
Nellie’s survivors include Steve and Dee Hamel of Orford N.H., Paul and Dottie Hamel of Enfield, Doris Hamel of Enfield, two cousins Rachael Bergeron and Carman Thibodeau both of Lebanon, along with many nieces, nephews, and an abundant amount of loving friends.
Family and friends are invited to the Ricker Funeral Home & Crematory in Lebanon on Wednesday Oct. 12, 2016 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. for calling hours. A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at the Sacred Heart Church in Lebanon on Thursday Oct. 13, 2016 at 10 a.m.
An online guest book is available to leave a message of condolence by visiting www.rickerfuneralhome.com