Muriel Mortensen, known as Nodie to her friends and family, passed away on January 29 at the age
of 98. Nodie was the second of nine children, with whom she remained remarkably close. Nothing
was more important to Nodie than her family, especially her three children, and her many
grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Even as her memory left her in later years, she loved to hear
about their activities and accomplishments. In turn, they loved listening to the many stories of her
long, rich life, including growing up “so poor we used a brick for a baby doll,” and how she met
Henry, her loving husband of 49 years. With Henry, she traveled across the US and to Europe, but
always returned to her hometown of Adamsville, where she spent most of her life surrounded by her
large extended family.
Nodie’s friends and family knew her as a world-class cook, a talented needleworker, a canny card
player, and a deeply empathetic champion for the underdog — even when her sympathies were
politically unpopular. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren will remember her best simply as
their “Nanny” — a good listener, a great storyteller, and someone who always had time to play and
laugh with them.
She will be terribly missed by many, but never forgotten.
Nodie is survived by her children Jim Mortensen (Michelle), Mark Mortensen (Cindy), and Nancy
Sandlin (William Boone); grandchildren Terra Mortensen-Rooks (Tim), Joy Shuttlesworth (Perry),
Melinda Boyd (Cornel), Emily Bell (Chad), Karen Hunley (Brian), and Joshua Mortensen (Laura); as
well as 21 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by two sisters, Ann Handley (Ottis) and Carolyn
Johnson (Be Whitfield), and her brother Randy Johnson (Pam).
She is preceded in death by her husband Henry; her grandson Eric Mortensen; son-in-law Larry
Sandlin; sisters Flora Ruth (“Foff”) Cruce and Bobbie Rice; and brothers Billy, Burleigh, and Steve
Johnson.
Nodie’s family would like to extend their deepest thanks to the caring staff at Hanceville Nursing and
Rehab Center and Southern Care Hospice.
Visitation will be held Saturday, February 3, 2024, at 2pm in the chapel at New Horizon Funeral
Home, followed by a memorial service. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Nodie’s name to the Alzheimer’s Association.
