Mrs. Nellie Mae Zackery Davis was born March 20, 1940, in Edison, Georgia, the only child of Johnny and Henrietta Jones Zackery.  She was reared in Calhoun County.  After graduating high school, she later attended Albany State College where she earned a bachelor's degree in English and communicative arts in 1964. She earned a master's degree in education from Valdosta State College in 1983.  She was a public school teacher for 31 years, beginning her teaching career in Jasper, Fla. in 1965. In 1966, she relocated to Swainsboro where she taught English at Emanuel County Elementary & High School. She retired from teaching in 1996.  While teaching in Emanuel county, she met a math teacher and coach whom she would eventually wed. On March 23, 1968, she married Desse Ervin Davis at the Johnson County Courthouse in Wrightsville, Ga. Their union produced three children: Desse Ervin Jr., John Carlos, and Natalie Cher.  They celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in March. She worked faithfully as a member of Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church for many years, serving most recently as church administrative assistant and a dedicated member of the adult Sunday school class.  She was preceded in death by her parents, a son, Desse Jr., and two grandchildren, Bryson Zackery Linder and Byron Octavious Linder. She is survived by her husband of fifty years, Desse Davis Sr.; one son, John Davis; one daughter, Natalie Linder and son-in-law, Shawn Linder; two grandchildren, Brayden Nicholas Cordal Linder and Bella Ann Linder; two sisters-in-law: Nina K. Bell and Annie V. (James) Godfrey; one brother-in-law, Jesse (Bernetta) Davis; and several loving and caring nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.