Neva M. Pearson, 90, of South Cherry Street in Troy, passed away on Friday evening, Feb. 9, 2007 at Harborside Healthcare Center, Troy, following an extended illness. She was born Jan. 1, 1917 at home on the family farm in Butler Twp., Montgomery County, to Martin Wilbur Jackson and Effie Elizabeth Alley Jackson. Neva was married on June 25, 1937 to Paul H. Pearson, who died on Nov. 15, 2002. She is survived by one daughter, Marilyn Pearson McConahay of Tipp City; one son, Paul Martin Pearson of Portland, Ore.; a grandson, Bradford A. McConahay of Cincinnati; one brother and sister-in-law, the Rev. Wilbur L. and Joan Jackson of Cincinnati; sisters-in-law, Pauline Snyder Jackson of Troy and Beatrice McOwen Jackson of California; nieces, Jean Harold Melvin of Troy and Nancy Puterbaugh Glen Myers of Troy and cousin-in-law, Sam Stebelton III of Troy. She also is survived by many nieces and nephews and other relatives, all of whom she loved very much and spoke of often. In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by four sisters, Ressie E. Jackson, Mary Alice Curley, Dorothy Jane Musser and Melba Elverta Jackson and five brothers, Martin, Andrew, Ralph and Berlin Jackson and John Puterbaugh. Neva graduated from Bethel High School and was a former clerk with the G.C. Murphy Co. when it had a store in downtown Troy. She was active in the Troy Historical Society, Miami County Historical Society, TWIGS, the Miami County Peace Movement and the former Girls Civic League. She and her husband both were volunteers at Brukner Nature Center, Troy. Neva was a long-time member of St. John's United Church of Christ in Troy. She loved all children, her family, God and Jesus, searching and recording genealogy, sunny mornings, flowers, bluebirds, hummingbirds and her extensive family of cats, most recently Muffin, Ruthie and Little Red, who came to her as a kitten the week her husband died. She was happy to know that her cousin Sam Stebelton has adopted them and taken them in from the cold weather. She had a flair for the dramatic and she was a great encourager. She never turned anyone away and helped many of those she met become better people. She instilled a love of reading and learning and the joy of music, especially classical music, in her children, for which they are grateful. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2007, at Baird Funeral Home, Troy, with the Rev. Wilbur L. Jackson and the Rev. Tony Carpenter of St. John's UCC. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery, Troy. Visitation hours will be from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2007 at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made in Neva's name to the Brukner Nature Center or the Miami County Humane Society.