Mary Nell Parr

A Graveside Service honoring Mary Nell Durrett Parr, 98, will be held at Oak Grove Cemetery, South of Arcadia on Hwy 147 on Saturday, August 28, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. Officiating the service will be Reverend Ronnie Cathey. Mary Nell was born on October 30, 1922 in Simsboro, Louisiana in Lincoln Parish to Collier Eugene Durrett and Martha Amanda Smart Durrett and passed away at the Glen Retirement Center on August 18, 2021. Mary Nell attended Simsboro High School where she was Salutatorian of her 1940 graduation class and excelled in the school Spelling Bee! She remembered the word that cost her the award as being "catastrophe". Going to work at the United Gas Company in Shreveport was a good move for Mary Nell since that is where she met her husband, Ray Joseph Parr, originally from Houma, Louisiana. Mary Nell was an Executive Assistant in the payroll department and Ray was an accountant. She became the wife of Ray J. Parr on May 16, 1967. They had many happy years of love and laughter while working together, spending time with family and friends and playing with their sweet poodle, Andy, who entertained everyone with his soccer moves in the backyard. As a couple, Mary Nell and Ray enjoyed attending church activities at Broadmoor United Methodist Church and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church. They loved sports, especially the LSU Tigers and the New Orleans Saints! Together they took 33 trips across the United States as well as Europe, Mexico and Canada. Their favorite holidays were Thanksgiving and Mardi Gras. Mary Nell was a resident of the Stiles Apartments at The Glen for 13 years after the death of her husband, Ray, in 2005. Some of her favorite activities there were serving on the flower arrangement committee and playing Bingo. Mary Nell was preceded in death by her parents; three siblings, Doyle Durrett of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Doris Leachman of Ruston, Louisiana and Ruth Doyle of Minden, Louisiana and two nephews, Charles Doyle of Minden, Louisiana and Stephen Durrett of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Mary Nell is survived by nieces and nephews including, Virginia Doyle Israel and husband, Phil of Shreveport, Louisiana, Jack Doyle and wife, Barbara of Bella Vista, Arkansas, Martha Leachman Bradley and husband, Buz of Ruston, Louisiana, James Durrett and wife, Christine of New Smyrna Beach, Florida, John Durrett and wife, Kelly of Madison, Mississippi and Dr. Robert Davis and wife, Dana of Houma, Louisiana as well as numerous great-nieces and great-great nieces and nephews, cousins and friends. Mary Nell has always included her Glen friends in her long list of people she loved to spend time with! Mary Nell had a great love for her family and taught them, by example, the meaning of being independent as she grew older. She always ended her visits with, "Ya'll come back to see me!" The family suggests memorials may be made to the Oak Grove Cemetery, C/O Sissie Polman, 1223 Highway 816, Simsboro, Louisiana 71275.