Malva Diane 'Molly' Nelson

Malva was born in Southport, Lancashire in Northern England on 29 November 1941 to Brian and Evelyn May Ferguson (nee Lowe).

Brian was an architect and wanted a different name for his daughter, so he worked through the index of a Gardening Encyclopedia until he found a name he liked!  Malva is a genus of herbaceous annual, biennial, and perennial plants in the family Malvaceae.

She was a baby in Loughton, North London until the end of the Second World War in 1945 when the family, now with Aldon (name from the index of a road atlas!) born in August 1945, moved to Mossley Hill, a suburb of Liverpool.  Here the family settled in Edale Road and Molly went to school at Dovedale Road Junior School.  One of her school mates was John Lennon, later of Beatles fame.

In 1950 the Fergusons moved to 18 St. Annes Road, Freshfield, Formby.  A bungalow at the end of an unmade cul-de-sac.  The adjacent fields and long garden were perfect play places for Molly and Aldon.  Mollys sweet tooth became apparent from an early age.  Sweets and sugar were still rationed, and Molly managed to spend a whole month's ration coupons in one go at Derbyshire's sweet shop in Formby village, much to the annoyance of her mum!

At the age of 13 she started at Merchant Taylors' School in Crosby.  There were separate boys and girls schools but she met the love of her life, Douglas Nelson, on the bus going to and from school.  Doug lived literally around the corner in West Lane and was soon a big feature in her life.

Whilst at St. Annes Road, second brother Kerry was born in 1950.  Molly slowly became the social girl that is a feature of her personality and her group of friends had wild parties, especially when anyone's parents were away on holiday and the house was available for a weekend party.  Complaints were common, police attendance happened occasionally but they were even invited to join in, and sometimes did!

The club scene in Liverpool was a huge attraction to her and Doug.  It was only a 30-minute train ride away and they frequented the Cavern and Iron Door amongst many, and danced to the multitude of rising groups and stars in the late 1950's and early 1960's.  Southport was another attraction with many cinemas on Lord Street.

With yet another sibling on the way, Garry was born in 1955 and yet another move was made to a larger house at Warren Cottage in Timms Lane, still in Freshfield and even nearer to the bus stop to school.

Molly and Doug were inseparable but on leaving School, Doug went to St. Mary's University in London and the relationship started to suffer by separation.  Molly studied atthe Liverpool Commercial College to do a secretarial course whilst Doug was away, but the relationship started to fade and Molly dated a local solicitor, Tony Huber, for a while but never could settle.

One day she spotted an advert for an agency specialising in jobs in the USA promising a bright and better future.  With the link with Doug loosening, she applied and was offered a job with Southern Railways in Washington DC.  The agency also offered to bring her back to England if she decided that the job and location were not for her.  She went!  She left Britain with a tearful departure on April 11, 1962. More about Doug later!

In Washington Molly met Charles 'Chuck' Harker Hittson, fell in love and married in 1963.  They lived in Arlington but Chuck moved with Reynolds Aluminium to Florence, AL and they set up home there and started their family.  Chelsea May was born in 1964, Charles 'Chip' Harker in 1966 and Brian Fergus in 1971.  The family lived on Erskine Drive.

Whilst in Florence, Molly joined a local amateur dramatic club and starred in several productions in the early 1970'sincluding 'The Follies' at Bradshaw High School, Florence, AL in April 1973 and made many lasting friends.

Wanting to get back to work as her children grew up, she studied at, and graduated from, the University of North Alabama in Florence, Alabama in May 1978.  Her first position after graduation was in the newborn Nursery at Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital in Florence.  She eventually became Nurse Manager of the newborn nursery.

All was well for a number of years but the marriage suffered problems and Molly separated from Chuck.  She met and married Kenneth Mathews in 1983.  But that liaison had problems.

Molly had always stayed in touch with Doug and, after 36 years, realised that he really was the one for her and she should have married him.  All was put right in 1992 when they married on a fishing pier overlooking the Tennessee River in Florence, Alabama. They moved to Toronto, Ontario, then to Oakville, Ontario, before making their move south to Dataw Island, in South Carolina in 1996.

Doug's love of sailing saw them often sailing on Salamanderin Georgian Bay, north of Toronto and Doug continued to sail after their move to Dataw Island, spending hours on the Intercoastal Waterway and also teaching navigation and seamanship skills.

In November, Malva and Doug moved to Florence, Alabama, where Douglas passed away after a brief battle with cancer on March 23, 2021.

Sadly, Molly suffered a cerebral tumor and after a very short time passed away peacefully at home in Florence, on May 27, 2023, surrounded by her family.  She is survived by her three children Chelsea McClung (Barry), Chip Hittson (Tara), Brian Hittson and their children, Molly McClung, Adelaide Hittson, Harker Hittson; also, stepchildren Jamie (Meadow Caya), Marissa (Dave Budge), grandson Destin Beneteau-Nelson, sister-in-law Diana Roberts (Michael) their son Alastair. Also, by brother Aldon (Sue), Kerry (Gill) and Garry (Gill); Kerry and Gill's children Tina and Simon.