Nellie Hart passed away on April 8, 2010, in Florida. She was 87 years old. She was a 57-year resident of Hollister, who had moved to West Palm Beach, Florida in 2003 to live with her sister Marjorie.
Nellie Ilves Renegar was born in Florence, AL on March 20, 1923. Her father, Ota Jenkins Renegar, was a postal carrier, whose family arrived in America in the 1700’s. Her mother, Jenny Ilves Renegar, was a schoolteacher, whose parents had emigrated from Finland in the late 1800’s. Nellie attended elementary school and high school in Florence, AL. She graduated from Coffee High School in Florence in 1940 with honors. Nellie completed high school in three years, a year early, due to her taking an accelerated curriculum. Nellie went on to attend Birmingham Southern College – a highly-acclaimed liberal arts college in Birmingham, Alabama – on an academic scholarship. She graduated from Birmingham Southern College with honors in 1943, obtaining a Bachelor’s of Science degree in chemistry with a minor in mathematics. As she did in high school, Nellie completed college in only three years. Motivated by a desire to assist the World War II effort, Nellie attended classes year-round. After her graduation, Nellie spent a year working as a chemist for Bechtel-McCone-Parsons (now know as Bechtel) at their Aircraft Modifications Plant in Birmingham. The plant’s extensive efforts in support of World War II caused Nellie to work ten-hours a day, seven-days a week.
In 1944, Nellie enlisted in the U.S. Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) and was sent to officer’s candidate school at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. After graduating from officer’s training in 1944 with the rank of ensign, she was assigned to a top-secret unit within US Navy Communications Intelligence at the Naval Annex in Washington, D.C. During this Navy assignment, Nellie was part of special code breaking unit that deciphered enemy codes during World War II (Japanese, German and later Russian codes).
In the spring of 1945, Ensign Nellie Renegar met Lieutenant Commander William Alwyn (“Bill”) Hart of Hollister, California at a Junior Officer’s Club in Washington, D.C. Bill had recently been assigned to Washington, D.C. after spending two years working as a supply officer helping to establish an advance base on the island of Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides (now the Republic of Vanuatu) in the South Pacific Theater of World War II. Bill was a native Californian, where his family had lived since the Gold Rush. Bill had attended and played football at Stanford University. At that time, the only thing Nellie knew about Stanford was that Alabama had beaten them in the Rose Bowl. The University of Alabama played its home football games in Legion Field right next to Nellie’s Birmingham Southern College, which didn’t have a football team. Nellie was and continued to be an Alabama Crimson Tide football fan.
Nellie Renegar and Bill Hart were married on Friday, October 12, 1945 at an evening ceremony at the Metropolitan Memorial Methodist Church in Washington, D.C. The wedding ceremony was conducted by the Chaplain of the U. S. Senate. Nellie’s sister, Marjorie Renegar, was the maid-of-honor.
After they were both honorably discharged from the Navy in 1946, Nellie and Bill drove across the country to live in Hollister, California – Bill’s hometown. Nellie immediately felt welcome in Hollister, adopted it as her new hometown, and found many good lifetime friends. This is where she raised her four children: William Alwyn (“Bill”) Hart, Jr. (1949), John Renegar (“Jack”) Hart (1952), Anne Melissa Hart (1954), and Thomas Richard (“Tom”) Hart (1960).
Nellie was a very dedicated mother, as she was fully involved in her children’s school and extracurricular activities. Nellie was a Sunday School teacher at the Hollister United Methodist Church, a Cub Scout den mother, a Brownie unit leader, and a 4-H cooking instructor. Nellie was involved with Little League, the San Benito County Fair, and the Children’s Home Society. Along with these many activities, she also was responsible for handling all of the financial matters for the family farming business.
Shortly after the family farming business ceased operations, and the farm was leased out; Nellie returned to college to obtain her California Teaching Credential from San Jose State University. Upon her graduation, Nellie accepted a teaching position as a fourth grade teacher with the Hollister School District at the age of 48. Nellie enjoyed teaching and took a personal interest in all her students. Nellie spent the 18 years as a fourth grade teacher at both Fremont and R.O. Hardin Schools, retiring from teaching in 1988. Nellie always enjoyed seeing and visiting with her students and former students whenever she encountered them. To this day, she is remembered with fondness by these students.
The most tragic event in Nellie’s life was the loss of her only daughter, Anne Melissa Hart, to an inoperable brain tumor at the young age of 19 in 1974. There is a scholarship today in Anne Hart’s name at San Benito High School, where she graduated with her class of 1973. This scholarship is awarded annually to a San Benito High School female graduate who (like Anne) excelled in the areas of academics, athletics, and student government during their high school career. The scholarship has been awarded for 35 years.
During her 57 years living in Hollister, Nellie was a member of the following organizations: Hollister Methodist Church, Delta Kappa Gamma Society of Women Educators, San Benito County Retired Teachers Association, Hollister Women’s Club, and Children’s Home Society. She enjoyed gardening, music, travel, dining, watching football, and cooking. Nellie was most noted for her angel food cake – a recipe that she obtained from her mother-in-law, and her incredibly delicious pecan pie – a Southern recipe that she got from her mother. Nellie also won numerous blue ribbons at the San Benito County Fair for her jams and jellies. Nellie planted a wonderful garden of roses and camellias in her yard. These were the objects of ceaseless gardening joy for Nellie. Of course, Nellie’s favorite pastime was visiting with family and friends.
A happy family moment occurred in 1980, when Nellie and Bill were surprised by a 35th Wedding Anniversary Party hosted by their three sons. The event was attended by numerous relatives. Another milestone celebration in Nellie’s life was her 75th Birthday Celebration in 1998, held at Cadematori’s Restaurant in San Juan Bautista. The party was attended by many friends and relatives.
Nellie was predeceased by her husband of 45 years, Bill (1991); her daughter, Anne (1974); her younger brother – Ota Jenkins (“O.J.”) Renegar, Jr. (2008); her sister-in-law, Helen Hart Davis (2009); her brother-in-law, Albert Cenower (1990); her father, Ota Jenkins Renegar (1986); and her mother, Jenny Ilves Renegar (1976).
Nellie is survived by her three sons – William Alwyn (“Bill”) Hart, Jr.; John Renegar (“Jack”) Hart; and Thomas Richard (“Tom”) Hart. She is also survived by her sister, Marjorie Renegar Cenower; her sister-in-law, Anna Renegar; six nephews; two nieces; and numerous cousins, great-nephews, great-nieces, and members of her husband Bill’s family. Also, Nellie is survived by many lifelong friends.
Nellie is fondly remembered for her wonderful smile, her cheerfulness, her friendliness, and her sweet disposition. Nellie genuinely loved people and life itself.
Private family burial services with military honors were held at the I.O.O.F. Cemetery on Friday, April 23, 2010. These services were conducted by Pastor David Rodriguez, former Senior Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollister and a Navy chaplain. He became a personal friend of Nellie due to their Navy connection. The services were provided by the Grunnagle-Ament-Nelson Funeral Home.
A public memorial service in celebration of the Resurrection and Nellie’s wonderful life will be held at the First Presbyterian Church of Hollister; 2066 San Benito Street; Hollister, California; at 2:00 P.M. on Saturday, July 17, 2010. Immediately following the service, a public reception will be held at the Ridgemark Golf & Country Club; 3800 Airline Highway; Hollister, California. The family encourages everyone at the church service to please attend the reception afterwards in order to continue the celebration of Nellie’s life.
In addition, a public musical remembrance service will be held at the Hollister United Methodist Church; 521 Monterey Street; Hollister; California; at 6:00 P.M. on Friday, July 16, 2010. This service will include a medley of Nellie’s favorite hymns and songs, performed on San Benito County’s only pipe organ.
The family requests memorial donations to either the Anne Hart Memorial Scholarship or a favorite charity. Donations to the Anne Hart Memorial Scholarship can be sent to the Grunnagle-Ament-Nelson Funeral Home; 870 San Benito Street; Hollister, California 95023.
Condolences may be sent to www.Grunnagle.com
