Mary Ellen "Nellie" Peters Black (1851-1919) was born to Mary Jane and Richard Peters in Atlanta, Georgia. As a child, she accompanied her mother on visits to Confederate hospitals in Atlanta during the Civil War where she gave wounded soldiers food. She continued to organize and participate in food drives for military hospitals for the rest of her life. In 1877, she married George Robinson Black and had three children: Louise, Anita, and Ralph. She held numerous positions in the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia, including President of the Woman's Auxiliary. She was a philanthropist and served on the board of several agencies such as the King's Daughters Hospital, the Atlanta Women's Club, the Hospital and Day Nursery Department of the Women's Building during the Cotton States and International Exposition (1895), and the Free Kindergarten Association.