Nellie Burns Helton Jennings age 84 of Vinton, Va. passed away on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 at Our Lady of the Valley Retirement Community. She was born March 12, 1923 in Lebanon, Va. to the late Charles Houston & Fannie Puckett Helton. Nellie graduated from Lebanon High School in Lebanon, Va. and the Catawba Sanatorium School of Nursing as a tuberculosis nurse. She continued her education at the University of Virginia which allowed her to become a registered nurse. After graduation she worked for the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind. She married Homer D. Jennings of Galax, Va in 1951. She worked for Waddell Hospital in Galax before moving to Crozet.While living there she worked for Dr. Herring and the University of Virginia. In 1971 she moved with her family to Vinton and retired from Roanoke Memorial Hospital after 17 years of service. She and her husband moved to Our Lady of the Valley Retirement Community in 2002. She was preceded in death by her husband of 54 years on February 25, 2006. She is survived by her children T. Rush Jennings & wife Cathy of Blue Ridge, Va.; Sharon Jennings Stagg and her husband Bill of Easton, Md. and Brian Deward Jennings of Norfolk, Va. ; two grandchildren. A graveside service will be held Saturday, September 22, 2007 at 11:00 am in Monta Vista Cemetery with Pastor Leo Phillips officiating. The family will receive friends Saturday morning from 9:45 until 10:45 at Vaughan-Guynn Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the donors charity of choice.