A private family graveside service for Dorothy Jean Worley, 80 of Hartselle, will be Friday, December 18, 2020 at Autumn Woods Memorial Park in Olive Branch, MS with Rusty Wilkerson officiating. Peck Funeral Home is assisting the family.
Mrs. Worley was born May 2, 1940 in Mississippi to Alfred Z Boling and Mildred Parker Boling. She passed away December 10, 2020 at Decatur Morgan Hospital.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Winston Dee Worley; and son Winston Devoy Worley.
She is survived by her daughters Loretta Wilkerson (Randy) and Lavon Worley Coleman; 9 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.
Dorothy Jean Worley known as Hun to my grandaddy, Dot to some, Aunt Dorothy to several, Sister Dorothy to more than we can possibly count, Mother to Aunt Lavon, my mom, Loretta and Uncle Devoy but to us 9 grandkids, 6 grandkids-in-law and 10 great grand kids, she was Grandmother.
She filled our childhoods with van surfing and sitting on the hump; ice skating in the Mall of Memphis and sledding down the hills along the Mississippi River; bowling, movies and roller skating; trips to Liberty Land, Mud Island, and we never missed the Mid South Fair. She was homeroom mom and field trip chaperone; in attendance at every awards show, assembly, ball game, or graduation ceremony that she knew about. There is no doubt she was our biggest fan in all of our endeavors.
And then there were the countless trips to Disney World in our matching neon outfits, so we’d be easy to spot in a crowd, the occasional snow skiing adventure (sometimes in your bathing suit), and that one time we were allowed to go “all alone” to a fancy dinner at the Chattanooga Choo Choo (to which I later discovered grandmother was watching us from outside the entire time). There was the great Gatlinburg Beanie Baby adventure of the late 90s and our last family trip to Colorado.
There were lots of chocolate and biscuits and fried bologna, regular visits to Benihana and so much Red Lobster. Grandmother loved some shrimp. There were Jello food fights (which stained the ceiling in her living room and it never came completely clean) and pay-per-view wrestling parties and backyard fort camping. There were swim parties and sleep overs where we all piled into one king size bed. One night I remember a bunch of us piled in her bed, and Grandaddy got so frustrated with all of us that he got up and started beating the bed with his belt for us to settle down. We all ended up laughing, and grandaddy went to sleep in the recliner.
But even Grandmother, in all of her fun, had her limits. One time in particular, during the long drive to Disney World, she had had enough of us and our bickering in the car. She pulled off to the side of the road, instructed us to get out, march up the side of that hill, and sit there where she could see us. We were not to move or come back to that car until she told us otherwise. Then, Grandmother proceeded to lock the doors and flip though a magazine until she could handle us and our noise again. I am certain we sat there for hours, but in reality, it was probably a mere minute or two.
I know what you must be thinking, because I’ve thought the same thing myself. How in the world did these kids turn out not completely rotten or at the very least diabetic? Because for all of Grandmother’s good times and adventures, there were double, probably even triple the amount of prayers prayed for each one of us. So often we would hear a whispered, “Jesus Jesus Jesus” that didn’t seem like much of a prayer, but as an adult, I’ve often wondered what exactly her heart and her mind were praying. I am inclined to believe that many of those whispered prayers were for each one of us. There are so many special memories we made because of her, but the most precious gift she left with us are the prayers she has stored up for each of us before the throne of God. I have no doubt she has mentioned each of our names before Jesus, and that is more precious to me than any earthly possession or memory we have because of her.
So, while my heart is breaking that my son does not get the honor of knowing this vibrant and full of life version of Grandmother that I knew, I will find comfort in sharing stories about her in every trip he takes to Disney World. When I introduce him to chocolate and biscuits, I’ll tell him all about her making them for me well after midnight the night I received the Holy Ghost. I’ll also make sure he knows that Grandmother loved him so much she took the time to lift his name up in prayer.
Grandmother, thank you for the memories. Thank you for filling our lives with adventure and laughter. But more than anything, thank you for being a prayer warrior for your family and a woman of grace who loved us so fiercely. May we continue to pursue adventures and making memories together, but Lord, please honor her prayers for us and help us to walk in love together. We love you!
