Clara Nell King

Published 10:53 pm Monday, January 5, 2015

Clara Nell King, 87, of Selma, passed away with her family at her side on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2015, at the home of her daughter, Janet Brown in Lawrenceville, Ga.

The family will receive friends for visitation Jan. 6, 2015, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Kilgore-Green Funeral Home in Jasper.

The funeral service will be held Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015, at 11 a.m. at St. Cecilia’s Catholic Church in Jasper, with Father Joe Lody presiding.

A graveside service will be held immediately following the service at Oak Hill Cemetery in Jasper.

Clara Nell was born May 13, 1927, in Jasper, to the late Riley and Mamie McCullar. She graduated from Walker County High School in 1945. After graduation, Clara Nell began her business career with Southern Bell. She was married to Odis King on Jan. 13, 1951. She became a homemaker and over the next several years, Clara Nell and Odis were blessed with five children. In 1978, she opened the first of two Mark’s Mart grocery stores with her husband. They enjoyed serving their many loyal and valued customers for over 33 years. In 2012, her business was awarded the Silver Retailer of the Year award by the Alabama Retailers Association. Clara Nell was a lifelong member of Queen of Peace Catholic Church. She was a fabulous cook who enjoyed entertaining family and friends at her antebellum home in Selma.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Odis King; parents, Riley and Mamie McCullar; siblings, Beatrice Threadgill, Herbert McCullar, Lillian McCullar, Bernice Patrick and Rita Sartain; brothers-in-law, Dallas Threadgill, Aubrey King, James Singleton, Robert Sartain and Francis Patrick; and sisters-in-law, Bertha King, Marjorie King and Dorothy King.

Clara Nell is survived by her children, Linda Haycraft, Gary King, Mark King, Rodney King, and Janet Brown and her husband, Shawn; grandchildren, Brian King and his wife, Pam, Jacob King, Jason King, William King, Katie Barron and her husband, Michael, Scott Brown and his wife, Brittany and Lewis Brown; great-grandchildren, Alyssa Barron, Emily King and Brocklin Vanderyt. She is also survived by her sister Laura Singleton; brother-in-law, Marvin King; and many loving nephews and nieces.