of Clarksville, AR

August 23, 1928 - November 21, 2016

Nell Warren Allen Dercksen, 88 of Clarksville, passed away Monday, November 21, 2016. She was born August 23, 1928 in Natchitoches, Louisiana to Mr. Edward Bryan Allen and Nellie (Warren) Allen.

She lived in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Shreveport, Louisiana, Tyler, Texas, and Arkadelphia, Arkansas. At age 16, in 1944, she was a Qualified acceptance student in 1944 to the Chautauqua Institute (Art's Colony for Visual and Perform Arts) Chautauqua New York. Instead of a High School Diploma, she had three Bachelor's Degrees in three years, 1947: Music Education (B.A.), Music Performance (B.M.), and Mathematics (B.A.). She then studied at The Juilliard School (studying with Evan Evans) 1963 1965 and earned a Professional Diploma, M.S. in Vocal Performance.

Returning to Arkansas, she found that the Music Performance Fulbright Scholarships to Germany were not being used. She applied and received it. This one year Scholarship was extended another year, then the third year she was awarded the Government Exchange Scholarship She returned home for a summer 1959, and then returned to Stuttgart to still try to seek an opera house engagement.

Not finding an acceptable position, she returned home and gave-in to the marriage proposal by Arthur Dercksen. She met him in 1957 in the "Mensa" ("Coffee Shop"). Nell "needed" and accompanist, a position he happily filled… thus the start of sixty years partnership.

Nell returned to the States (Arkansas, home) to prepare for the wedding on 14 August 1960 at the Arkadelphia First Presbyterian Church.

The couple set up home at an apartment in Rockville Centre, Long Island. Arthur had a music teaching position in the Valley Stream School System at North Jr-Sr High School.

They both became involved with the Long Island Opera Showcase which gave full performances and was an outlet for Nell to perform as well as assume Stage Director for several of the productions.

January 24, 1966 she gave birth to Elizabeth Elise at Jewish Hospital, Brooklyn New
York.

They moved to Massapequa. She performed frequently and had solos in her church position.

January 28 1969 was the birth of Deborah Nell to the couple at the Hospital of State University, also in Brooklyn. Together with the two girls, Nell continued with her singing and seamstress involvements.

Nell was an expert seamstress and a master cook in many cuisines and passed this on to her daughters. She often said that Arthur latched on to her in Germany because of her cooking. She had a Mezzo-Soprano voice that had no problem is singing over a full
Symphony orchestra. It often exceeded the usual range up to a high C and with a rich
low chest quality.

In 1989, they moved to Clarksville where Nell sang in the choir of First Methodist Church while Arthur was Organist-Choir Director.

She was diagnosed with the beginnings of Parkinson's in April of 2015. She was alert and active until the end.

A memorial service will be 10:00a.m., Saturday, November 26, 2016 at Cherry Street Baptist Church.

Arrangements are under the direction of Roller-Cox Funeral Home (479) 754-2201. Online guestbook www.rollerfuneralhomes.com

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