Mae Willow Prince, age 95 of Scottsboro, Alabama passed away peacefully on Sunday, September 29, 2024 at her home in Woodville, Alabama. She was born in her home at Grant, Alabama on January 27, 1929.
Mae Willow was preceded in death by her husband Thomas Laston Prince, her father and mother, Joe and Cora Sparks, her sisters, Velma Bishop and Daisy Rickey, her brother, Joe Henry Sparks, her step-daughter, Jane Prince and grandson, Marcus Vinson.
She is survived her children, Doris Hankins (James), Connie Fox and Ray Prince (Nancy), her grandchildren, Debra Vinson, Delora Prince, James Hankins (Christine), Dara Waycaster (Chad), Susan Hankins, her great-grandchildren, Lance Frazier (Christy), April Frazier, Sara Estill (Jeremy), Austin Waycaster as well as several great great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
The Funeral Service will be Wednesday, October 2, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. at the Scottsboro Funeral Home Chapel. Visitation will be Tuesday, October 1, 2024, from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. and Wednesday from 12:00 p.m. until 1:00 p.m.
Mae Willow was an active member in her community. She began nursing as an LPN in 1964. She worked at Jackson County Hospital and North Jackson Hospital. She also was was an EMT driving an ambulance and was the Occupational Nurse at Revere in Scottsboro, Alabama. Mae returned to college at age 50 and received her RN License in 1982. She has worked at Crestwood Hospital and Huntsville Hospital in Huntsville, Alabama, the V.A. Hospital in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and was the director of Home Health in Whitwell, Tennessee. Mae Willow used her knowledge and expertise in medicine an the Mission Field as well, traveling to Haiti, Honduras, El Salvador, San Salvador and Belize. She was an active member of the Tennessee River Baptist Association where she volunteered. She also worked as a camp nurse at North Sand Mountain Bible Camp for many years. She also worked in the Mission Field state side where she assisted with construction projects and VBS. Also, as a member of the Alabama Baptist State Convention Disaster Relief team she assisted with clean-up, recovery and mass feeding after tornadoes hit Scottsboro in 2009 and Geraldine in 2010, as well as Hurricane Katrina in 2006. During her time in the mission field she went to Chateau, MT. in 2001 and 2005, Missoula, MT. in 2002, Troy, MT. in 2003, Thompson Falls, MT. in 2004, White Sulfur Springs, MT. in 2006 and Twin Falls, MT. in 2008 and 2009. During some of this time she was fortunate enough to have her grandson James Hankins, grand-daughter Susan and great grand-son Austin assist with her as well. She assisted Hodges Ministry in Trinity, Alabama with literature collection and sorting. Mae Willow would often set-up information tables at such events as Trail of Tears in her efforts to spread the good news of God and Jesus as well as medical and health information. She was a member of the Gold Prospectors of America. She attended 2 trips prospecting gold in Alaska, one in 1993 with her grand-son James and one in 2004 with her son Ray.
