Neeley, Pearl Francis

Pearl Francis Neeley was a teacher in rural Nevada during the 1920s, where she taught in various schools throughout Lincoln, Nye, and White Pine counties. She was born on July 27, 1901 in Eagle Valley, Nevada, to Selina Corilla Hammond and David Francis.

Pearl’s maternal grandparents, Selina Walker and John Egbert Hammond, settled in Eagle Valley from St. George, Utah in 1865. Her father, David Francis, immigrated to the United States from Newtownards, County Down, Ireland in 1885, and arrived in Lincoln County, Nevada after first living in Iowa. Selina Corilla Hammond and David Francis were married on July 4, 1893 and had six children: John Ellis, Effa, David Willis, Annie Pearl, William “Willie” Edgar, and Hazel.

David Francis was active in ranching and raising livestock and the family were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. They lived in Camp Valley and Eagle Valley before purchasing Joseph Coumerilh’s ranch in Spring Valley, Nevada in 1902. In 1912, the family moved to upper Spring Valley. While Pearl was teaching near Currant, Nevada in Nye County, she met John Wesley “Wes” Neeley. The two began corresponding while Wes was working for the Union Pacific Railroad, and they were married on June 30, 1926 in Spring Valley.

After marrying, Pearl and Wes moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1926 when Wes was transferred there by the railroad. After a short time, Wes began working for the Las Vegas Land and Water Company. The Neeleys had three children, Ilene, Nevada, and Jay, all of whom attended the Fifth Street School in Las Vegas. The Neeley family moved to Los Angeles, California in the early 1950s, where Wes Neeley died on March 25, 1956. Pearl remained in Southern California, where she worked for the May Company until she retired in 1966. After retiring, Pearl Francis Neeley moved to St. George, Utah, where she lived until her death at age 78 on June 11, 1980.

Sources:

Find a Grave. “John Egbert Hammond.” Accessed January 2, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39751642/john-egbert-hammond

Find a Grave. “Pearl Francis Neeley.” Accessed December 27, 2024. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/71536544/pearl-francis-neeley

Neeley, Pearl Francis. “My Life History.” Pearl Francis Neeley Photograph Collection, approximately 2000-2024. PH-00091. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada. http://n2t.net/ark:/62930/f18h5n.