Mary “Nell” Ouzts McManus, 82, long time resident of Sandy died on February 12, 2009.
A Memorial Service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Friday February 27th at First United Methodist Church, 1838 SW Jefferson, Portland.
Nell was born January 15, 1927 in Minden, Louisiana to George and Vera (Stone) Ouzts.
After graduating from high school Nell attended Anderson University in Indiana and then Louisiana Tech in Ruston, Louisiana. She was married to James McManus July 3, 1947.
Nell was a Journalism Major and had a gift for writing. At the age of 16 she was hired by the Ruston Daily Leader to be the front page editor. Her writing and secretarial skills were developed further in college and let to several important positions in that field. She held several high level secretarial positions over the years. Some of her more memorable experiences were for the University Business Manager, University Dean of Faculty, an oil company executive, insurance executive, and a few ministers. She also served as a church office manager and executive secretary writing and editing for a national women’s organization through the Church of God in Anderson, Indiana. She once typed a personal record of 150 words per minute!
Nell and her husband have been members of the First United Methodist Church since 1987. She was very involved in church activities. Her other hobbies included writing poetry, and designing houses. She designed three of the homes she lived in over the years and was often heard saying “Men don’t know how to design a house!” She excelled at being a loving wife, mother and grandmother. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her.
Survivors include her husband James W. McManus of Sandy; sons, Michael McManus of Sandy and Randall McManus of Portland; daughter, Pamela McManus of Sherwood; sisters, Fran Norris of Anderson Indiana, Martha Neace of Sunbury, Ohio, and brother, Rev. Paul Ouzts of Colorado Springs, Colorado; her four grandchildren, Kristin and James McManus and Emily and Michaela Bailey.