Mary Lou Nelson (Johnson) was born in Oklahoma City to Walter and Clara Johnson on June 13, 1938. She passed from this life August 31, 2020 at Green Country Care Center in Tulsa at the age of 82. Mary was raised in Oklahoma City and graduated from high school at Classen High. She married A.E. Parnell in Oklahoma City in 1956 and the family moved to Sapulpa in 1965. She lived in Oklahoma City, Sapulpa and later Eufaula. In 1990, Mary and Duane Nelson were married in Sapulpa. She worked at the Sapulpa Chamber of Commerce and later as a Secretary at Frankoma Pottery. The family moved from Tanglewood to the country where they had cows, chickens, rabbits, cats and dogs. She grew and canned vegetables for her family. Mary also enjoyed working on home décor crafts, flowers, decorating for the holidays, reading, and her animals and pets, especially her dogs. Mary was always a happy person and enjoyed laughing and joking with everyone. Mary is survived by her husband Duane Nelson; son Gene Parnell and his wife Kayla and their children Becky Romero and Ryan Parnell; son Mike Parnell and his wife Rhonda and their children Emily Henshaw and Caleb Parnell; daughter Laura Lebo and her husband Jerry and their son Christian.