Mary Nelle Kreidel, 88, of Smithville, Tennessee, went to Heaven peacefully, surrounded by her children, on March 27, 2026 at Ascension St. Thomas Hospital in Murfreesboro.

Mary Nelle was born to Jimmie and Ellen (Taliaferro) Bownds in Dallas, Texas on July 15, 1937. She graduated from Highland Park High School and then went on to attend college at ACC (now ACU), where she met and married the love of her life, Walter Kreidel, on June 1, 1956. They were married for 63 years at the time of Walter’s passing in the Fall of 2019.

Mary Nelle and Walter served as missionaries in Brazil for almost 30 years (1961-1974 and 1981-1997), planting churches and making disciples of Jesus. She was an avid teacher, and all the way up to her final days, she was a mentor, encourager and friend to many. Her amazing legacy continues to impact countless people all over the U.S. and Brazil.

Mary Nelle is preceded in death by her husband Walter, her son Keith, her sister Gay Young, and brother-in-law Doug Young.

She is survived by her daughter Angela West (Marty), her daughter Karen Clark (Tom), her son Chris (Cindy), and her daughter-in-law Bryn Kreidel, along with 13 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren.

“Her children arise and call her blessed!” Proverbs 31:28

A Celebration of Life to honor Mary Nelle will be held on Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 2 p.m. at the Lake Highlands Church in Dallas, Texas (9919 McCree Rd, Dallas, TX 75238).

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Great Cities Missions Shoulder to Shoulder Endowment, a fund established by the children of the 1961 São Paulo Mission Team to honor their parents, by funding the continued work of spreading the gospel and planting churches in Brazil.