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Local mental health activist dies at 90
Nelma Justin 1925 - 2015
Nelma-JustinWEB
Nelma Justin is pictured outside of CHEER Mental Health on Omni Drive in this file photo from 2007. She was honored as a Standard Woman of Achievement that year.
She started CHEER Mental Health from her kitchen table and was a tireless advocate for improving the quality of life for local residents suffering from mental health issues.Community leader Nelma Justin has died at the age of 90.“There was something special about her,” said Carlene Brown, her niece by marriage. “She was such an easy person to love.”Justin was just a teen when she began working for Caney Fork Electric, a utility which was also in its infancy. Justin was one of the first four women to work for Caney Fork and was recognized as such at the company’s recent 75th anniversary celebration.She would leave Caney Fork in 1954 when she was hired as the second employee of Ben Lomand Telephone Cooperative.