Cynthia McCready Lanier

Cynthia June McCready was born on July 20,1936, in Niagara Falls, New York, to the former Juna Jenny Higgs, elementary school teacher from Sand Lake, Michigan, and Wesley King McCready, chemical engineer from Saltville, Virginia. Cynthia was joined by a sister, Barbara Jean, a couple of years later. The family moved to Painesville, Ohio, about the start of the U.S. entrance into World War II, where Cynthia lived throughout her elementary and junior-high school years. Cynthia absolutely loved school! In 1950 her family made the big move to Memphis, Tennessee, for her father to serve as plant manager of the Velsicol Chemical Company. The family settled in Memphis, just east of White Station Road, which at that time was part of the Shelby County School District. No sooner had Cynthia started ninth grade at Mabel C. Williams (Germantown High School), then she contracted the dreaded disease, infantile paralysis (POLIO), which was sweeping the nation as an epidemic in 1950, before the polio vaccine was developed.

After spending the entire school year in the hospital, surviving in an Iron Lung which breathed for her, Cynthia recovered enough strength to return to school. With crutches and steel braces on her legs, she plunged into high school life with gusto. It didn’t take long for her to catch the attention of an older senior, Billy Lanier, captain of the Germantown football team. Billy decided to promote Cynthia as the school’s football queen that fall of 1951. She won the honor as a 15-year-old sophomore, and the rest is history! By the end of his senior year, Billy and Cynthia were hopelessly in love. Before he went away to play football in college, country boy, dairy farmer, Billy, convinced Cynthia to elope on August 2, 1952, less than two weeks after her 16th birthday.

When the college football didn’t work out for Billy, he and Cynthia moved to the little Mississippi town of Newton to attend Clarke College, where Billy studied to become a minister. Cynthia enrolled in Clarke College, as well, even without her high school diploma, knocking the top off Clarke’s college-entrance test. Billy fulfilled his promise to Cynthia’s parents to aid in her rehabilitation, and within the next year she regained enough strength to walk without her braces and crutches. While living in Newton, Cynthia gave birth to her firstborn daughter, Patricia Ann (Patsy) in the fall of 1953. With responsibility for a growing family, Billy moved them back to Shelby County, Tennessee, where four sons were born over the next seven years: William Samuel, Jr. (Sammy), Wesley David, Charles Howard, III, and Timothy Robert. Billy never became a minister by vocation, but he served the Lord throughout his life.

Cynthia, despite her physical limitations, was an excellent, giving and supportive wife and mother. For a time during the early years of caring for babies and small children, she battled depression. She came to realize that the ingredient missing from her life was a personal relationship with God. She turned away from her attitude of self-sufficiency and placed her trust in Jesus Christ as the Redeemer of her life and soul. Her new-found faith put joy in her heart, a song on her lips, and a zeal for serving others. She and Billy and their family were active in several churches through the years – Germantown, Whitten Memorial, and Bellevue Baptist Churches. Their home was full of life and laughter, often a gathering place for the youth and adults. For several years, Cynthia authored a weekly devotional column in The Germantown News, titled “Beans ‘n’ Peace.” Her writing was skillful, insightful, and uplifting.

All five children graduated from Germantown High School, from 1971 to 1981. After most of her children married and left home, Cynthia, with major help from Billy, cared for her mother until her passing in December, 1984. Then in January of 1985, Cynthia realized her life-long dream by enrolling full-time in college. She finished her B.A. in English Education at Mid-South Bible (Crichton) College of Memphis in 1987, and she then completed a Master of Arts in English Education at the University of Memphis in 1989. She taught English part-time for several years at both colleges. After she gave up college teaching, she tutored dozens of Memphis-area home-schooled students in high school English.

Cynthia and Billy celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a beautiful reception in 2002. Sadly, in December of 2003, Billy succumbed to the fatal grip of cancer. Soon after, Cynthia moved into the Memphis home of her daughter and son-in-law, Pat and Terry Wade, where she remained for the rest of her life, excepting several lengthy, treasured visits to son David’s and Cathy’s home in South Carolina. Cynthia was welcomed as an integral part of her daughter’s family.

Cynthia’s body was severely weakened by the effects of Post-Polio Syndrome, the after-effects of having polio in her system. Her dear friend, Carolyn Rodgers, assisted with her daily care the last ten months of her life – a true labor of love! In addition to her many other caring friends, Julie Hardy, another dear friend from college days, visited and comforted Cynthia almost every week for the past fifteen years. The ladies of Cynthia’s Agape Sunday School Class at Bellevue, taught by Mrs. Faye Hardy, have been a constant source of friendship, support, and encouragement. Cynthia passed away peacefully at home on Thursday afternoon, October 5, 2017, at the age of 81.

All of Cynthia’s five children, their spouses, her 18 grandchildren, and 31 great-grandchildren remember her as the most tender, loving, patient, humble, faithful, industrious, determined, intelligent, and generous “Granny.” Her brilliant smile would light up any room, welcoming whoever came her way. She never complained or questioned the trials she was required to endure. Cynthia will be sorely missed by all who love her, but she is finally free of her crippled body, dancing on streets of gold, and worshipping the Savior Who gave her eternal life.

Cynthia was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, William S. Lanier, Sr. She leaves her sister, Barbara McCready Dyer Maimbourg of Dallas TX; her brother-in-law, Robert C. (Bobby) Lanier and her sister-in-law, Linda Lanier Gardino, both of Germantown; her sister-in-law, Omra Ghoring, of Fulton MO; and her first-cousin, Patricia Carpenter of Franklin NC, originally from Newaygo MI. She is survived by her children, Patricia Wade (Rev. Terry) of Memphis; Sammy Lanier (Vicki) of Water Valley MS; David Lanier (Cathy) of Charleston SC; Charles Lanier (Karen) of Bartlett; and Tim Lanier (Shaunna) of Franklin TN.

Cynthia (Granny) is survived by her 18 grandchildren: Amanda Heavner (Jason) of Oxford MS; Ben Wade (Alayna), Matthew Lanier, Rev. Jeremiah Wade (Camila), Zach Wade, Chelsea Lanier, and Grace Wade, all of Memphis; Dr. Wes Lanier (Dr. Brandi) of Thomasville GA; Rev. Chris Lanier (Jeslyn) of Charleston SC; Andrew Lanier (Dr. Bethany) of Carrollton GA; Amber Bruce (Arthur) of Arlington; Jessica Clark (Josh) of Collierville; Lindsay Campbell (Alex) and Cynthia Nowell (Matt) of Bartlett; Abigail Bailey (Nathan) of Tupelo MS; Titus Wade (Hannah) of Bowling Green KY; Jackson Lanier and Mary Alex Lanier of Franklin TN. Cynthia is also survived by thirty-one great-grandchildren.

“An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life…Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future. She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and bless her; Her husband also, and he praises her, saying: ‘Many daughters have done nobly, but you excel them all.’ Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised” Proverbs 31:10-12, 25-30.