Willie Mae Taylor
November 16th, 1921 – September 25th, 2016
Willie Mae McCoy was born November 16th, 1921 in Helena Arkansas to Ernest McCoy & Lula McCullough. She picked cotton as a child and later grew to assist her mom in a family restaurant until her mother’s death. Willie Mae was the second child of four children, Henry McCoy, Lillie Mae Lacy (whom preceded her in death) and James Ernest “Son” McCoy. Lillie Mae and Willie Mae would later set up residency in Memphis, Philadelphia before settling down in Michigan. The sisters worked out of the Motown auto industries for many years until Willie Mae got married and had a beautiful daughter that she named Barbara Lee Williams (whom in turn gave birth to her first granddaughter, named Redena Williams). Then after a second marriage, she gave birth to her second daughter Marquietta Antoinette Smith. Marquietta would be the only daughter that would follow her and her sister Lillie Mae to beautiful California. Upon arriving in San Diego, Willie Mae would join a small storefront church on Logan Avenue. The church would outgrow itself and later move on to build a much larger church that would beknown as 47th Street Church of God under the leadership of Rev. Clemens Mayes. She gave her whole heart, soul, mind, and body to Christ. She assisted on the Usher Board, helped the sick and shut in’s, sang in the choir, and later with the Woman Ministerial fellowship under the leadership of Rev. Leola Arnold, Rev. Leola Arnold and her family were Willie Mae’s pride and joy. Willie Mae went on to adopt Leola’s daughter, Leona Arnold as her god-daughter, whom she loved so much and spoke of until her last days. She worked for a retired Rear Admiral on Naval Base Balboa until their children were grown and had children of their own. She also worked at Saint Paul’s Manor, nursing home. Working so hard, she had to entrust Marquietta in the hands of Aunt Francis Glenn who raised her as if she was her very own and making Marquietta part of the Jackson/King family. The entire family adopted Marquietta and she is still honored to be part of the best family that one could imagine. In 1964 she married the true love of her life. Harrison Taylor (whom proceded her in death in 1969) and through this marriage Willie Mae gained another loving and beautiful daughter, Dorothy (Frederick) Lynch from Youngstown, Ohio (whom also proceded her in death). After Harrison Taylor’s death Willie Mae started to work in child development with the New Careers Project and also started taking college courses and would graduate and become the Supervisor for the La Jolla YMCA until she retired. She later became an avid prayer warrior at Stephens Church with Ms. Freeman and Mrs. June Jones. She got up every morning at 6am to pray for our families, communities, and neighborhoods. She would also go from church to church praying with another Sis. Jones. No matter where you were, whoever you were, she would pray over your life and praise the Lord for the miracle that you didn’t even know was going to happen for your life. “Hallelujah!” was her greeting to you as you walked up to her and “Blessed be the name of the Lord,” as you left her presence. Giving total honor, praise, and worship was her daily talk with God and her walk through this life, no matter what time of day, hour or minute, she didn’t want the Lord to get jealous of anything that would not keep her mind stayed on Him. She left 47th Steet to attend Gospel Life Church under the leadership of Rev. Janice and Nathaniel Blair and this church is where she would finish her journey. It’s been a long way from picking cotton in those cotton fields to actually witnessing 2 terms of the first black President of the United States of America. She is survived by her brother James Ernest “Son” McCoy in Michigan; daughter, Marquietta Harden and her children, Marquette Touche’s Myers Sr., Maurice Johns, Marvell Rossell, Marquis Chapell & Marshawn Chappell and Marquette Myers Jr. (Grandson) currently residing in San Diego. Michigan granddaughter: Redena Williams, Ohio grandkids: Pamela Carter (James), Harrison Taylor (deceased), Darlene Donaldson (Roy), Francine Fields, Frederica Cross, Fredrick Jr. (deceased), Charles Lynch, Tina Lynch and David Lynch, (31) Great Grand kids, (Marcus Smith deceased), (16) Great Great Grand children and (22) Great Great Great Grand children, the entire Jackson/King family and many curvy family, neighbors, and friends. God daughter, Leona Arnold.
