WILSON CITY -- Lela Mays, 95, died March 11, 2007, at the Bertrand Retirement Home.
Born Aug. 20, 1911, in St. Francis, Ark., daughter of the late Mack and Ada Ford Graham, she was a member of Holly Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Wyatt.
On Dec. 27, 1931, she married to Emmerson Amos Mays, who preceded her in death on May 21, 1995.
Survivors include: two sons and one daughter-in-law, James and Deloris Mays and Jerry Mays of St. Louis; four daughters and two sons-in-law, Christine and Earnest Brown and Mildred Powell of St. Louis, Ruby Jones of Cleveland and Jewel and Albert Williams of Sikeston; one sister, Bertha Spicer of Chicago; and 20 grandchildren, including Linda Crenshaw and Donell Brown of St. Louis and Lawrence Mays of Charleston whom she raised; 51 great-grandchildren including Diondray Foster of St. Louis, whom she raised; and 22 great-great-
grandchildren.
Visitation is from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at Williams Funeral Home in Charleston.
Services will be at noon Saturday at the Bowden Civic Center in Charleston with the Rev. Luther Lawrence, pastor of Holly Grove Missionary Baptist Church, officiating.
Burial will follow in the Oak Grove Cemetery near Charleston.