Nell Atkins Yaksh

On September 28, _ 2013, Nell Atkins Yaksh, beloved wife of Tony Yaksh for 70 years passed away quietly in her sleep at home at the age of 90. She is survived by her devoted husband, sons and daughters in law (Tony and Elizabeth, Michael and Marilyn and John and Susan), 11 grandchildren (Kathleen , Michael Jr, Mary, Martha, Mark, Mason, Matthew, Mitchell, John, David, and Brian) and 15 great grandchildren. Born to Clifton Lee and Mary Bess Fisk Atkins in Christoval, Texas, on October 28, 1922, she was the second of seven children (Mary Lee Katherine (Tinka), John, Clifton Lee, Jr. (Bucky), Clay, and Betty) . She grew up in West Texas, graduated from high school at the age of 15 and was an accomplished tennis player. After high school she attended Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas and returned to Christoval to work at Mathis Field in San Angelo, Texas. While working at Mathis Field, she met the one true love of her life, Tony, while he was there on assignment in bombardier training in the United States Army Air Corp. They were married on January 13, 1943 at the Base Chapel. Their oldest son, Tony, was born in 1944, not without some excitement as Nell was thrown from a horse and dragged while she was 8-months pregnant. After the war, Nell and her husband went into construction, living in a trailer and moving all over the southern United States, following the jobs and having her sons, Michael and John. Her husband was a superintendent and she served as job accountant, and maintained a home for her husband and her three sons, that on an annual basis got hooked to the back of a Chevrolet pick-up truck to appear on another job where she would again set up housekeeping, get the kids registered in school and go on as if it were nothing. In 1956, she finally had a house to call home, but then received a phone call from her husband that they were moving to Madrid Spain and she needed to put the furniture in storage, sell the car, sell the house, load everyone up and fly to Madrid, which she did. For the next four and half years, the family lived in Madrid. Not speaking a word of Spanish, she organized and maintained the home. Returning to the United States, they set up home in Albany, Georgia, and later moved to Atlanta and from there moved to Buford in 1975, where they have since resided, except for a one year adventure in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. All of the sons look back and realize how much that their mother had accomplished. She laid the ground work for a wonderful childhood, providing a stable, supportive and loving home. Her activity included serving as a den leader for the cub scouts, being a volunteer at the local Methodist church, teaching Sunday School and attending and supporting all her boys' activities including sporting events, go-kart racing and science projects, just to name a few. No matter what was happening, she was always there to provide love and support for her boys and her husband. Nell is also remembered for being an avid bridge player and an enthusiastic golfer at the Atlanta Athletic Club where she played the weekly yellow ball games with the avidity of a tournament match player. Her passing is so missed by her husband, sons, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was a strong woman who was rich in so many ways and yet took nothing for granted. We, who survive her, look at the marvelous legacy that she has left and the powerful and meaningful influence that she has exercised on every one. We really miss her, but what cannot be taken are the memories of those who loved her.


Funeral Home:
A.S. Turner
2773 N. Decatur Road
Decatur, GA
30033