Maria “Nellie” Nunes, a beloved aunt and friend to many, passed away peacefully on Friday, June 20, 2025, at the age of 95, in Sharpsburg, Georgia.
Born on January 1, 1930, in the Azores, Portugal, to Marcial Machado and Clementina Coelho, Nellie lived a life marked by hard work, deep relationships, and quiet grace. She spent much of her life in Arcata, California, where she and her first husband, Mathew Martin, ran a dairy farm in the Arcata Bottoms. Later, after moving into town, she worked at the Big 4 restaurant, where she formed many lasting friendships.
Following Mathew’s passing and the restaurant’s closure, Nellie began working at the Arcata Redwood Mill, it was during this time she met her second husband, Ernest Nunes. Together, they cherished their time traveling and being with family and friends before his passing.
At the spry age of 89, Nellie relocated to Georgia to be closer to her niece, where she spent her final years surrounded by love.
Nellie was preceded in death by her parents; her beloved husbands, Mathew Martin and Ernest Nunes; her brother, Antonio Gomes; and her sister-in-law, Filomena Gomes; her siblings Maria (Frank) Coelho, Senhorinha Coelho, and Melandia (Bento) Barcelos
She is survived by her nieces and nephews: Berta Davies (Kim), Timothy Gomes (Deanne), Aldora Pacheco (Carlos), Lou Coelho (Goette), Senhorinha Duarte (George), Val Coelho (Guida), Nelia Espinola (Messias).
We invite you to share your condolences, thoughts, and memories of Nellie on the Tribute Wall at www.mowells.com.
Mowell Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Fayetteville
This article appears in The Man Who Unsolved a Murder.