Funeral services were held at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, at Memphis Funeral Home located at 5599 Poplar Ave., in Memphis, Tenn., for Nancy Nail Creel Burch, 91, of Memphis, Tenn., who left family and friends to be with her Lord on Wednesday, Sept. 24, after multiple health problems. A private burial will be held at a later date in West Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery in Memphis, Tenn. Visitation was held one hour prior to the service on Saturday, Oct.4, at the funeral home.
Nancy was born on Nov. 1, 1933, in Grenada, the daughter of the late William Lamar and the late Nannie Beatrice (Lott) Nail, the oldest and only girl with four younger brothers. Soon after graduating from Grenada High School, she met and married Air Force Lt. Coy A. Creel of Milton Fla., after knowing him for only three days. Thus began a wonderful 42 ½ years, including four precious children. The marriage included living all over this country, living in Japan and serving in two wars before he was called to Heaven.
Five years after being widowed, Nancy met and later married another Air Force veteran, Roy E. Burch, of Senatobia. They had five wonderful years of marriage before she was widowed again. Nancy’s favorite words to anyone were, “I love babies, old people and all between.” She reflected that with her work in multiple churches; as an Air Force wife; working with the Rev. Dr. R. Paul Caudill conducting penal farm ministry and with the Trans World Bible Society; hospice volunteer, and rocking babies at LeBonheur Children’s Hospital. She found much joy helping and loving others.
In addition to her parents, her two husbands, Coy and Roy; three brothers, the Rev. Dr. Charles L. Nail and his wife, Sonja, the Rev. Dr. Marvin P. Nail and his wife, Nancy, and Lamar Nail Jr. and his wife, Barbara; her daughters, Nancy C. Gammill and Amy E. Ibson; one granddaughter, Regina Gammill, and her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, preceded Nancy in death.
Those left to carry on her memory include, her two sons, Jeffery Alan Creel and his wife, Kathy, of Port St. Lucie, Fla., and Gregory William Creel and his partner, Moriaki Sekiguchi, of Newark N.J.; her son-in-law, Michael Gammill of Memphis, Tenn.; one granddaughter, Michelle Gammill McDougal and her husband, Andrew, parents of her great grandson, Andrew Neal, all of Memphis Tenn.; one brother, Jasper M. Nail and his wife, Shirley, of Picayune, and many more beloved nieces, nephews and cousins.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be directed to First Baptist Church Memphis, 200 East Parkway N., Memphis, TN 38112, or to the charity of your choice.
Online condolences can be expressed to the family at www.dignitymemorial.com and search Nancy N. Creel Burch.
Memphis Funeral Home in Memphis, Tenn., is in charge of arrangements.
