Anna "Ann" Mae Medlin

“Annie” Anna Mae Wiles Medlin celebrated her Homecoming in the early morning hours of November 5, 2018. She was welcomed home by her husband, John Medlin; her two sons, Tommy and Bruce; her mom, Maude Wiles; her siblings – Lin, June, Betty, Frank, Ramona, & Jackie; a sister-in-law, Mary; and a daughter-in-law, Irene.

Annie was born to Maude & Jack Wiles on October 27, 1927 as they were traveling through Missouri looking for work. She spent her childhood in the Midwest before her family settled in Republic when she was a teenager. Annie enjoyed helping her mama care for the other kids, and she loved telling stories of sharing a room with her sisters.

She met her beloved, John, at a dance when she was 18. When John shipped off to the Army Air Corps, Annie fell in love with him through letters. Upon his return, he told her he was going to Kansas City to find a job, and then he would come back for her. Annie wasn’t impressed with that idea, so she hopped in his 1937 Plymouth and refused to get out until he took her to Kansas City with him. John obliged, they found a judge that evening to marry them, and The Medlin Family began on June 23, 1947.

After settling in Raytown, Missouri, Annie & John raised five children - Cheryl, Ron, Tommy, Terry, & Bruce. Needing to bring in extra income, John & Annie invested in what would become The Malt Shop and ultimately Medlin’s Colonial Inn. Annie was famous in Raytown for the pies she made every morning.

Annie was active in many clubs, including ABWA, Special Olympics, Soroptimists & Red Hats as well as the ladies’ clubs for Veterans of Foreign Wars, Ararat Temple, & the Scooter Corps. She also spearheaded the first group that lobbied Missouri for the education of children with special needs.

Everybody was Annie’s friend – she genuinely loved everyone, but her family was her most important accomplishment. She taught her children how to be the most loved person in a room while making everyone else feel like they were. She taught them to always show compassion and to stand up for those who are struggling. She taught them that if you believe in something, you can make it happen.

Besides her children, Annie was most proud of the grandkids who called her “MaMaw” - Wendy, Laura, Nick, Robbie, John, & Jacob. She taught them that snack drawers were meant to be filled with Little Debbies, that soap operas & Hallmark movies are Oscar-worthy, that jewelry is meant to be oversized and cover every bit of exposed skin, and that every square inch of a house should be decorated for Christmas. Her smile and her hugs are unmatched (as is her skill in tickling her grandkids’ backs during family dinners).

“MaMaw” also cherished her 7 great grandchildren – Zane, Zander, Paice, Tate, Zaiden, Zaxby, & Jasper. They loved when MaMaw would chase them around the house, growling and grabbing at them. She enjoyed traveling with them and taking them “down home” where she could show them off. During these travels, she would sneak them peppermints to “settle their stomachs,” and then sing the hymm “Loora, Loora” to help them sleep.

Annie smiled through life’s curveballs. She grew up poor and began working early to help her mama care for her siblings, without complaint. She raised a son with special needs for 54 years and never treated him differently. She beat cancer twice, without even removing her make-up or jewelry. She lived with congestive heart failure and fought back from a stroke to regain control of her left side. Dementia chipped away at her, but she refused to give in. Annie left this world on her terms and went Home peacefully in her sleep.

She leaves behind her greatest legacy, her children - Cheryl & Jim Crawley, Ron Medlin, Terry Medlin, & Patty Medlin. Her 6 grandkids will miss her smile – Wendy (John) Moore Ham, Laura Moore, Nick Medlin, Robbie Medlin, John Medlin, & Jacob Medlin. Her 7 great-grandkids will remember her silliness – Zane, Zander, Zaiden, & Zaxby Ham; Paice Roder, Tate Roder, & Jasper Moore Law. She also leaves behind one sister, Joyce, and a gaggle of nieces and nephews.

Annie loved a party, and her Homecoming is just getting started. No doubt, all of her family and friends were waiting for her with a huge glass of white zinfandel. Annie spent 91 years sharing her smile, and she is now being welcomed Home into God’s arms. Many people walk this earth and barely leave a footprint. Annie danced through life and left glitter everywhere she twirled.