Tressa Nadine (Acord) Mills

Tressa Nadine (Acord) Jones-Mills, 95, of Carmi, passed away at 11:15 p.m., Monday, August 7 , 2017 at Wabash Christian Retirement Center in Carmi.  She was born May 26, 1922 in New Haven, Ill., the daughter of Harmon and Bessie Mae (Foster) Acord.  Nadine married Gilbert Jones on November 26, 1938 in Morganfield, Ky.  Gilbert preceded her in death on April 29, 1946.  She married Graham Dagley Mills on August 6, 1949 in Eldorado, Ill.  Dag preceded her in death on June 8, 1999.  She also was preceded in death by her parents and six siblings; Fleda Kingery-Coleman, Harmon Acord, Joseph Acord, Annabelle Roark-Mills, Lillie Adams, and Reba Cochran.  She is survived by two sons, Tom (Rose Miller) Jones of Carmi, Ill., Ken (Linda Hise) Jones of Morton, Ill.; a daughter, Pamela (Doug) Mills-Colson-McKinney-Sand of New Haven, Ill.; grandsons Bob (Shelly) Jones, Kent (Ara) Jones, Kevin (Gena) Jones, and Canaan McKinney; granddaughters Jill (Jon) York, Kynda (Thom) Ray, Donna Colson, Keirah (Larry) McWilliams, and Danah (Dan) Radke; and many great and great-great grandchildren.  Two sisters, Ruth Johnson of New Haven and Ruby Poshard of Eldorado, survive her.  Nadine learned the value of hard work at an early age and it stayed with her throughout her life.  As a young girl she would leave school each fall and go with her family to pick pecans in The Bottoms outside of New Haven.  She made her famous fruit cobblers for Acord’s Café as well as for other family members’ restaurants.  For ten years she wrapped meat at Colson’s Meat Packing Company.  She also provided in-home care for the elderly for many years.  The jobs that gave her the most joy were being a mom and assisting her husband with running the family farm for many years.  Nadine loved to quilt and created beautiful hand-sewn quilts for each of her grandchildren whom she loved so much.  She had a lovely singing voice and became known as the “songbird” of the nursing home where she enjoyed singing specials during the church services.  Her favorite hymns to sing were “The Great Speckled Bird”, “The Old Rugged Cross”, “Let Me Walk with You Jesus”, and “How Beautiful Heaven Must Be”.  Some of her other favorite activities included making homemade tomato juice, baking cobblers, taking Sunday drives, and spending time with her sisters.  Funeral services for Nadine Mills will be held at New Beginnings Church of God in Carmi, Ill. at 11 a.m. on Thursday, August 10, 2017.  Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until service time.  The Reverend Mike Fields will be officiating the service.   Burial will follow at Union Ridge Cemetery in New Haven, Ill.  In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Nadine’s name to the Wabash Christian Retirement Center.  Vickery Funeral Chapel in Ridgway is in charge of arrangements.