Willie Marie Wray, 95, passed away on Saturday, February 11, 2023. Willie was born on February 21, 1927 in Saulsbury, TN to Grover and Fannie Leadford. She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, a sister that died in early childhood, and her younger brother, Paul Leadford. She grew up on the family farm picking cotton, gardening, and helping care for her two younger brothers. At the early age of 15, she and her cousin moved to Memphis and found work while living with their aunt and uncle. Soon after, she met her husband to be, Jewell Wray, and they were married for 60 years until his death in 2003. They had one daughter, Carolyn Joyce Wray. Willie was a member of Longview Heights Baptist Church in Olive Branch, MS where she taught Sunday school for many years and had been teaching in different churches and different age groups since she was a teenager. She never missed a morning without reading her Bible. Willie loved gardening and tending to her many flowers, and when inside, always had a crossword puzzle going while she watched TV. She is survived by her daughter, Carolyn Wray; her brother, Walter “WT” Leadford, and her many nieces and nephews. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, February 18, 2023 from 11:00 am with visitation beginning at 10:00 am at Brantley Funeral Home, 6875 Cockrum St. Olive Branch, MS 38654. Burial will follow at Memphis Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.brantleyfuneral.com for the Wray family.
