Hilda Nolen

Mrs. Nolen was born November 11, 1921 in Pickens County, Alabama to Leitha Coleman McCullough and Marvin Dunaway McCullough. She married William Woodrow “Woody” Nolen on December 30, 1939. They were blessed with 2 children. Mrs. Nolen was retired from United Technologies (formerly American Bosch), where she worked on an assembly line. She was very supportive and instrumental in helping her husband when he felt called into ministry. He was a pastor at Faith Baptist Church in Columbus, Mississippi and then at East Starkville Baptist in Starkville, Mississippi. After the death of her husband, Mrs. Nolen moved in 1989 with her daughter to Charlotte, NC to be near her son and his family. She became a member of Northside Baptist Church, where she was active in “The Jolly 60’s”. After moving to Concord, NC, Mrs. Nolen lived at Carillon and was a member of Pitts Baptist Church.

Mrs. Nolen was preceded in death by her husband “Woody”, her daughter Janice, 4 sisters, and 3 brothers.

She is survived by her son William Ellis “Bill” Nolen and his wife Kathryn, 5 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends at Hartsell Funeral Home in Concord from 9:30 to 10:30 AM Saturday, August 22. A Celebration Service will be held in the Hartsell Funeral Home Chapel at 11 AM, Rev. Scott Davis and Rev. Frank Hamrick, Jr. officiating. Burial will be at Memorial Gardens of Columbus, Columbus, Mississippi.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to: Bob and Carolyn Tucker Hospice House, 5003 Hospice Lane, Kannapolis, NC 28081.

Hilda B. McCullough Nolen to many was known as Mrs. Nolen, to some she was Hilda or Ms. Hilda, to a few she was sister, and to those who knew and loved her best she was Mama, Grandma, and Granny B. Nothing brought her more joy than all of her “kids” (children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren). She knew which ones belonged to her because, as she would often remark, “they’re just all so pretty, not an ugly one in the bunch”. Her family was her pride. She often recounted the story of when she found out she was pregnant with her first child, “her Billy”. She was so excited to get home and tell her husband “Woody” that she ran and jumped down some steps before recalling her “condition” and regaining herself. She was blessed again 3 ½ years later with her daughter Janice and mother and daughter continued a close companionship over the next 60 years until Janice lost her battle with cancer. As her daughter-in-law Kathy liked to say, “Grandma is a real treasure and anyone who knows her would agree.” She loved to laugh, she loved to read, and she loved dogs and insisted hers could talk. She had a Boston Terrier named Mitzi who said, “mama” and a miniature dachshund named Doozie who said, “I want it”. She loved sitting at the kitchen window or on the deck at her son’s house to watch all of her kids play.

Mrs. Nolen recalled stories of growing up in rural Mississippi where her mother taught her 2 invaluable life long loves: sewing and reading her Bible. She continued both of these passions throughout her lifetime. Mrs. Nolen was a wonderful cook. Her grandchildren would beg for her famous fried chicken and her broccoli casserole. She loved looking at her scrapbooks filled with pictures of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. But mostly she just loved life and lived EVERYday. Although she did not receive any awards or accolades on this earth, she was a beautiful, giving person inside and out. She will be missed, but she will never be forgotten.

Watch your grandkids play
Help out a friend
Read a book and then read it again
Thank God…everyday
Savor a really good meal…then have dessert
Believe in talking dogs
Learn to sew
Make a new friend…even at 85
Laugh…a lot
Cry when you feel like it…
…but don’t cry for me because this was my life and I lived it.

Written by granddaughter,
Kim Peterson