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Della's delight

By Leigh Anne Butler

Della Nabors has been crocheting since she was a teenager.  Nabors is now 88 years old and is using her talent to help people all around the world.

Nabors is active at the Tallassee Senior Citizen Center in Tallassee and uses most her her time there to crochet hats that she donates to the East Alabama Baptist Association.

“The East Alabama Baptist Association does missions for people all over the world,” Nabors explains.  “They get requests for all types of things.  Warm hats was one of their requests a few years ago.  Since then I have been making hats.”

Nabors grew up in the Red Hill community but has lived in Tallassee since 1947.  About five years ago, Nabors lost most of her sight to macular degeneration, an incurable eye disease that is the leading cause of vision loss.

Nabors did not let the loss of her vision keep her from doing what she loves.  “I can crochet in my sleep,” she says with a chuckle.  “Some nights I dream of crocheting and when I wake up my hands are moving.  I enjoy making the hats and it gives me something to do to keep the four walls from caving in around me.  Everyone has always appreciated them.”

Jahazel Hooks, director of Tallassee’s senior services program states, “Della is here everyday.  She volunteers to help serve the food.  She is very dependable and displays an attitude of service.”  Karen Baker, a worker at the senior center, goes on to say, “She is an inspiration to us all.  I think she is a blessing and such a sweet lady.  She has made all of us a hat.”

Nabors says most of the yarn she uses for the hats is donated, but sometimes she has to purchase it herself.  “If people would like to donate yarn they have around the house that they are not going to use, that would be wonderful.  Last week I made seventeen hats so I will put it to good use.  They could just drop it off here at the senior center.”

Deborah Murphy who works at the senior center summed Nabors up best, “Everybody loves Ms. Della!”

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