Retha Elizabeth Purvis Harrell passed away peacefully at the age of 93. She was born on June 11, 1933, to John and Nancy Purvis of West Bend, Alabama, and was the youngest, the beloved baby, of eight children.

A lifelong member of Antioch Baptist Church, Retha faithfully served her Lord through teaching Sunday school and Vacation Bible School. In her later years, she continued her service as the church clerk, a role she carried out with dedication and grace.

She began her career working in the payroll department at Vanity Fair Mills. On November 20, 1954, she married the love of her life, Ellis Harrell. They shared 45 devoted years of marriage until his passing. Together, they built a life centered on faith, hard work, and family, including operating two family businesses where she served as bookkeeper.

Their union was blessed with two children, Nancy (David) Parquette and Keith (Lisa) Harrell. Retha loved her family deeply and found her greatest joy in being surrounded by them. Her grandchildren-Benjamin (Christina) Wolfe, Brittany (Daniel) Ganus, and Cole (Kristin) Harrell-knew her lovingly as "Granny," and brought immeasurable happiness to her life. That joy only grew as she became a great-grandmother to her cherished "little ones": Gaines Ganus, Harper Wolfe, MaryEllis Ganus, and Carson Wolfe.

Retha was happiest when gathered with her family, creating memories filled with laughter, love, and togetherness. She enjoyed tending to her yard and, in her later years, found simple pleasure in feeding the many birds and squirrels that visited her home. She also cherished her daily Bible reading and spent many peaceful hours working word search puzzles.

She was fondly known as "Nannie" by her siblings and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her siblings: Woodrow Purvis, Treva Purvis, Viola Pugh, Eva Lowe, Lee Purvis, Dot Harrell, and John D. Purvis.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, June 16, at Antioch Baptist Church, on Highway 43. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m., followed by the funeral service at 11:00 a.m. Burial will follow at Antioch Baptist Cemetery. Bro. Danny Chancey will be officiating the services.

Active pallbearers will be Roger Pugh, Johnny Purvis, Larry Harrell, Kenny Harrell, Will Harrell, and Clint Harrell.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made in honor of her life to the Antioch Baptist Cemetery Fund, 71 Antioch Road, Grove Hill, Alabama 36451.

The world is better because of women like Retha. She devoted her time and energy to what mattered most-her faith, her family, and her community-and in doing so, she left a lasting impact on all who knew her. While she will be deeply missed, her legacy of love, kindness, and quiet strength will continue to live on through the generations she cherished so dearly. The family finds comfort and joy in celebrating a life so beautifully lived.