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Carole Mikita ReportingFive years ago she was among those injured in a shooting spree at the Family History Library. Not only did she return to her post but she's still there. This is the story of the devoted and determined lady named Nellie Leighton.
Webster's dictionary definition of courage does not include the name Nellie Leighton but it should. At age 85 she sits at the reception desk in the Family History Library helping visitors find their ancestors.
Nellie Leighton, Family History Missionary: "It's so important to greet them with a smile and make them feel welcome here. And that's what I try to do."
That's exactly what she was doing April of 1999, when a mentally disturbed man entered the library and began shooting. Nellie Leighton was hit in the face.
Nellie Leighton: "It broke the sinus bone and the jaw bone, cut my tongue almost in half and made a hole in the palate big enough for me to put a thumb in. But then it shattered all my teeth. And so, I had to wait until the jaw bone healed so I could get new dentures, so I could come back."
No bad feelings, no flashbacks or nightmares bother her, and doctors were amazed, now there is no trace of the bullet's path.
Nellie Leighton: "Not have a scar on my face at all. You know that God was in charge."
She says faith is what gave her the strength to keep going, to heal after the shooting, just as it did earlier in her life when she lost one son and then another. She remains determined to serve for as long as she has the strength.
Nellie Leighton: "There's just no way you could possibly pay back the blessings that you've received. And so, I just plan on being a missionary forever."
Neillie Leighton will begin her fifth mission at the Family History Library this summer.
