Julie Nehls engaged with life as a Wonder Woman. The list of her activities that benefited the community of Athens is dizzying, The church, the hospital, the University, the high school, Kiwanis, Boy Scouts all have benefited from her many years of service as the many plaques awarded to her over the years testify.

Julie was born March 27, 1921 in Columbus, Ohio and grew up in South Charleston, Ohio. She said that her father, a physician, was her inspiration. She had a sampler that was cross-stitched and given to him by a patient with the words, “Let me live in a house by the side of the road and be a friend to man.” He lived by that, and she did the same. She had a generous and loving heart and a “can do” attitude.

Julie graduated from Muskingum College (now, Muskingum University) and came to Ohio University to do graduate work in Early Childhood Education in 1948. She stayed to teach in her field at the university and eventually was the director of the Nursery School of the Putnam Laboratory School of Ohio University. She remained in her field until her retirement in 1991.

Her activities in the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd include being head of the Altar Guild, Junior and Senior Warden, starting and leading the Martha’s (a group that supports the church), starting and running a communion service for residents at Lindley Inn on Sunday afternoons, and starting and running the Prayer Shawl Ministry, a group of women who knit shawls for people who need comfort. For many years she took these shawls to O’Bleness Hospital and local nursing homes where they were given to anyone who needed them. In addition, every new mother and baby born at the hospital each went home with a shawl. In 2003 the church’s parish hall was named “Nehls Hall” in honor of her service to the church.

Julie served O’Bleness in other ways as well; she was on the hospital board, headed fund drives and served in the Guild. The hospital planted a tree on the grounds in her honor.

She played a big part in the start-up of the Head Start Program. She was asked to go to Washington to help train the first group of teachers. In addition, she also trained teachers locally and traveled around the southern part of Ohio training teachers for this program and arranged to have local children come in for the teachers to get hands-on training.

Julie belonged to Kiwanis where a big contribution was starting the “CHAD” program. The need for this program became obvious when a baby was brought into the hospital with no identification and no way to find out who he was. The program gave away stickers to be put on strollers and backpacks with all the information a hospital would need to identify and treat the child.

Julie belonged to the Kappa Delta Sorority at Muskingum University and when she came to Athens there was no chapter. Being Julie, the obvious next step was to start one. So she did, helping the chapter get a house and become affiliated with Ohio University. She went on to become the “Province President,” over-seeing five Sorority chapters and was national secretary for ten years.

Julie was honored by the Red Cross in 2013 when she received the Hometown Heroes Award. Other awards celebrated her service to the Boy Scouts, the high school, the Ohio U Emeriti Association, the SE Ohio Association of Education of Young Children and the Athens County Community Service Council.

After a brief illness, Julie died on April 11, 2023, just two weeks after her 102nd birthday.

She is fondly remembered by many of the students she taught at the university and in the nursery school.

She is predeceased by her parents Edward C. and Julie Goldie Nehls.

She is survived by a cousin, Randy Reddick. Also survived by Michael McNairy, Timothy McNairy, Peter McNairy, Julia Budde, Jennifer Elias, and their families, William Warthman, Sr. Faith Margaret, CHS and many devoted friends and neighbors in Athens and beyond.