NILA ANN McCRORY HENDRY OBITUARY

(NOVEMBER 13, 1943 – JUNE 15, 2025)

Nila Ann McCrory Hendry, 81, of Decatur, Alabama peacefully passed from her earthly home to her heavenly home on Sunday, June 15, 2025 after a lengthy illness.

She was born November 13, 1943, in Meridian, Mississippi, raised in Montrose, Mississippi, and lived in Jasper County, Mississippi for decades before she and her husband, Norman, moved to Decatur, Alabama in 1998.

Mrs. Nila Hendry always said that her greatest love was Jesus Christ, and a close second was Norman Hendry, her beloved husband of almost 60 years. Her life was marked by her service and love of others, always putting the needs of her family before her own.

Always an enabler, Nila supported her children and extended family to succeed in their lives. She graduated from Bay Springs High School, Class of 1961, and went on to study education at Jones Junior College. She was an enormous proponent of education and read books for thousands of hours to family through the years.

Her love could also always be seen at family meals, filling the table with delicious food to share, and in raising a joyful noise in worship to the Lord in church. As a child, raised in a family who loved music, she could often be found singing in church with her sister, Sue as her brother, Floyd, played guitar, and their mother played piano. Nila's musical passion continued as she taught herself to play piano and sang in church choirs as an adult.

The love she shared with everyone also showed in her heart for service. Working hard beside her husband, Nila helped to manage the family farm in Jasper County. Here, she cultivated a love for animals, a magic touch for anything that grew, and a joy for being outside in the Lord's creation. Even after Nila and Norman moved from the family farm to Decatur, Alabama, her green thumb could be seen in her beautiful flower garden and the prize-winning cabbages that she helped her grandchildren to grow for school.

Even amidst all of her personal success, Nila was most proud of her children and grandchildren. She touched every aspect of each child's life, lifting a minimum of three prayers a day for each of her family members, sewing clothes for special events, creating a unique, hand-made quilt for each grandchild, going fishing with her family, teaching her grandchildren to cook and ride a bicycle, attending countless dance recitals, piano concerts, soccer matches, baseball and basketball games, hosting tea parties for her grandchildren, and caring for a grandchild while a parent was a work, Nila's impact in the development of her three children and eight grandchildren cannot be overstated.

Nila is preceded in death by her husband, Norman Hendry; her parents, Dorthy Blackwell McCrory and Ben William McCrory; her brothers, Floyd McCrory, Benny McCrory, Henry McCrory; and her sister, Linda McCrory.

She is survived by her sister, Sue James, her brother, Ronnie McCrory; her three children: Twila Hendry Hudry (Wayne), Shannon Hendry (Amy), Kerri Hendry Taylor (Charles), and her eight grandchildren Katherine Hendry Lubrano (Alec), Holly Hendry McCartha (Justice), Juliana Hudry, David Hudry, Lauren Taylor, Rebekah Taylor, Caroline Taylor, and Emma Taylor.

Pallbearers will be Mr. Shannon Hendry, Mr. Charles Taylor, Dr. Wayne Hudry, Miss Juliana Hudry, Mr. David Hudry, and Mr. Keith Hendry

Honorary Pallbearers: Mr. Ron Davis

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, June 18, 2025 from 9:30 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. at Walter's Chapel, 426 County Road 293, Bay Springs, MS.

Funeral Services will be held on Wednesday, June 18, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. at Walter's Chapel. Reverand Dwayne Windham will officiate. Special music will be provided by Nila's grandchildren Lauren and Rebekah Taylor, and Juliana and David Hudry.