Dollie Mae (Bailey) Holmes was born in Detroit, Michigan on August 16, 1954 to parents Howard and Leonia Bailey. She was number six of the thirteen children between them. She graduated from Murray Wright High School and began working at Detroit’s Chrysler plant a few years later. She relocated to Huntsville, Alabama, in 1983 and continued to work at Chrysler until retiring in 1998.
She was preceded in death by her father-Howard and mother-Leonia Bailey, father-in-law Virgil and mother-in-law Willie Mae Holmes, brothers: Aubrey Bailey, James Bailey, John Bailey, Raymond Bailey, and Tommy Knight, her sisters: Carolyn Bailey and Elizabeth Knight, and her son Cameron Holmes.
Dollie accepted Jesus as her lord and savior in her early teens at Word of Truth Church of God in Christ, and she lived her life trusting in the lord and holding on to his promises. She later joined Valley Fellowship Church after moving to Huntsville, Alabama, in the early 80’s. She enjoyed singing, and she liked to learn new songs to present in front of the church. She attended church faithfully and sang in the choir until an illness prevented her attendance.
Dollie loved her family more than anything and prayed for them everyday. She did the best that she could to support her children in all of their activities, goals, and careers, and she was the example of a loving mother and wife. She would write out her prayers regularly and continuously add the needs of others to her prayer list. She studied her Bible daily and shared her faith with others. Even in her last weeks and days of life, she shared her faith with the EMT workers and hospice nurses.
The Lord called her home on Wednesday, August 23, 2023. She leaves behind her husband: Virgil Holmes Jr., her children: Terry (Tameka), Tevin, Talitha (Corey), Natalie, Nedra (Marlandus), and Joseph, her brothers: Charles (Cynthia), Melvin (Jean), and Howard (Flora), her sisters: Mattie, Joann, Regina, and Christine, her grandchildren: Terra, Deondre, Deontae, Darrius, Grabrialle, Alaysha, Summer, Mia, Marlandus, Hunter, Jaycee, Joey, and many more nieces, nephews, and loving friends. She will truly be missed, but we rejoice in knowing that she is free, healed, and present with our Lord in heaven.
Funeral service will be 11:00 a.m., Thursday, August 31, 2023, at the Royal Chapel of Memories (4315 Oakwood Avenue NW Huntsville, AL 35810) with Pastor Carol Simon officiating. Interment will be in the Oakwood Memorial Gardens.
The Holmes family will receive guests from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., Thursday, August 31, 2023, at the Royal Chapel of Memories.
Public viewing will be held from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m., Wednesday, August 31, 2023, and 8:30 until 11:00 a.m., Thursday, August 31, 2023, at the Royal Funeral Home.
