Nelle Wilson Reagan

Nelle Clyde Wilson Reagan was born on July 24, 1883, in Fulton, Illinois. She was the eldest of seven children born to Mary Ann (née Elsey) and Thomas Wilson. Her father was of Scottish descent, originating from Clyde Township in Whiteside County, Illinois, with some ancestry traced to Canada. Her mother was of English descent, born in Epsom, Surrey, in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

Nelle Wilson met Jack Reagan in a farming community along the Illinois prairie. They married in Fulton in November 1904. The couple had two children: Neil "Moon" Reagan, born in 1908, and Ronald Wilson Reagan, born in 1911. After the birth of her second son, Nelle was advised not to have any additional children. The Reagan family moved between various towns in Illinois, including Tampico and Chicago, depending on Jack's employment.

Throughout her life, Nelle was actively involved in her church community. She attended the Disciples of Christ church regularly and participated in church activities, often leading Sunday school services and delivering Bible readings. She was a strong supporter of prayer and led prayer meetings, especially in the absence of the church pastor. Her religious devotion was notable, and she was an adherent of the Social Gospel movement. Her influence within the church played a significant role in her son Ronald Reagan's religious upbringing; he became a Protestant Christian rather than a Roman Catholic, as his father was.

Church members believed Nelle Reagan possessed a healing gift, and she was known for her passionate prayer life. One account recalls her praying for a girl with a seemingly severe tonsillitis abscess, which reportedly burst after prayer, believed by the community to be an answer to her prayers. In addition to her religious activities, Nelle acted in theatrical productions; in 1926, she received positive reviews for her role in the play "The Ship of Faith," being recognized as a favored reader in Dixon, Illinois.

In 1938, after her sons Neil and Ronald had relocated to California, Ronald Reagan purchased a house in Hollywood for his parents—their first owned residence. Nelle's life changed further after the death of her husband, Jack Reagan, on May 18, 1941. Following his death, she remained connected to her church community in Dixon and took employment at a tuberculosis sanitarium in Southern California.

Later in life, Nelle Reagan encountered health challenges, including issues associated with aging and cognitive decline diagnosed as Alzheimer's disease. She often attributed her perseverance through illness to her faith, stating, "I just kept my mind on God." Nelle Reagan died on July 25, 1962, one day after her 79th birthday, from complications related to Alzheimer's disease.