Carrie Mae Willis

WILLIS, Rev. Carrie Mae Willis; Passed away July 19, 2013. She was born July 14, 1918 in Eckley, CO. to Chester and Henrietta Edwards. She was the third of three girls. Her mother passed away in November 1918 and Mae was taken by her uncle, Robert L. Edwards and his wife Olive to Chester, NE. She received her education and taught school there. She met her two older sisters for the first time in September 1986 when she was 63 years old.

On March 14, 1936, she was married to Harold J. Willis at the Wesleyan Methodist parsonage in Salina, KS. In February 1937 they moved to Klamath Falls, OR. where Harold immediately found work. To this union was born one daughter, Judith Jeanenne.

In 1938 both Mae and Harold were converted and joined the Church of the Nazarene. Both became ordained elders in the church in 1945 and 1946, respectively. They spent many years in pastorates and traveled 20 years as itinerant evangelists.

Also while traveling, Mae taught her daughter and took college correspondence courses. She continued her college education while serving in pastorates and graduated from Fresno State College. Before her retirement from teaching in 1984, she had 47 hours beyond her BA degree, life certificates for California and Missouri and credentials in Minnesota and Idaho.

While serving in ministry with her husband, Mae taught in public schools from 1965 until she retired from teaching in 1984. Her last six years of teaching were in Kuna, ID. After her retirement she continued to be involved in her local church, Nampa College Church of the Nazarene. Mae served as chair of the local Nazarene World Missions Society chapter and also in the church's prayer ministry.

In 2004 Mae and Harold moved from Nampa, ID to Hermitage, TN to be near her daughter Judy. She lived in McKendree Village health Care Center for two and one half years and passed away there on July, 2013. She was preceded in death by her husband Harold.

Mae is survived by her daughter, Judy Greathouse of Hermitage, TN.; grandchildren, Greg Meadows of Prattville, AL., Sandy (Jimmy) Blackman of Old Hickory, TN. and Paul (Shelly) Meadows of Dothan, AL.; great-grandchildren, Trey, Billy and Nathan Blackman of Old Hickory, TN.