Ola Deason Meadows

Ola Jeanette Deason Meadows, 96, passed away in Tuscaloosa May 21, 2017. Ola was born in Bibb County, AL on July 24, 1920. Funeral services will be held on Friday, May 26, 2017 at 12:00 p.m. at Memory Chapel Funeral Home with visitation an hour prior to her service. Burial will be in Memory Hill Gardens. Officiating her services will be Chad Palmer and Ray Hallman

Ola was preceded in death by husband and love of her life Nello Pearson Meadows, parents Wiley Ezra Deason and Sovella Elam Deason, brothers John, JC, Bryan and Carl Deason, and sisters Clara D. Smith, Elvin D. Morris, Cecile D. Cox, and Mary Ernestine D. Thompson, and special friend, Georgianne M. Ross. Survivors include her children Ramona Meadows Tarica (Albert) from Atlanta, GA; Nello Lane Meadows (Theresa) from Meridian, MS, and Jill Meadows from Ottawa, KS; grandchildren Karen Tarica Coval; Ian Tarica (Katherine), Wendy Tarica Basco (Ted), Jenny Meadows Livingston (Tom), Forrest Meadows (Leslie), William Meadows (Megan), Kelly Meadows Parker (Jeremy), Danielle Faulk Drummond (Ashley), Robin Faulk, William Faulk, Matthew Faulk and Kristin O’Kelley; 14 great grandchildren and one great great grandchild.

Ola was born into a singing family. She joyfully sang throughout her life especially Christian Harmony and Sacred Harp Shaped Note (Fa-So-La) music. She loved her church, her early years were spent at Little Hope Primitive Baptist Church, she was a charter member of South Highland Baptist Church for 50 years, and later attended East McFarland Baptist Church. She was a proud mother and devoted grandmother who enjoyed sharing tales of her childhood and family, many of which she assembled in a book about her life. She loved Alabama football, the railroad, Wheel of Fortune, and solving any kind of puzzle from word search to jigsaw. Her favorite place on earth was “The Country” -- a beautiful piece of land and home of some of her fondest memories with her husband and family. Her cornbread, vegetable soup and pecan pie were widely known and loved. When recently asked how she wanted to be remembered, she said softly, “no bragging, just me.”

The family wants to extend a special thanks to Ola’s niece Jacquelyn Otts, the caring team at Hamrick Highlands Assisted Living and Ola’s close friends and neighbors for their continued love, care and support. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to East McFarland Baptist Church 6007 McFarland Blvd East, Tuscaloosa, AL 35404 and the Little Hope Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery Fund 776 Ward School Rd. Centreville, AL 35042.