Monica Danette Maxwell Raney Wolfe, born in Cleveland, Mississippi, to the late Floyd and Patricia Robinson Maxwell, and most recently a resident of Pope, died at the home of her oldest son, Brennan Jorden Raney, in Olive Branch on the morning of March 26, 2021, at the age of 58 after a valiant struggle with cancer during the last several months.
Buffeted by a childhood of losing her mother at eight-years-old, attending 13 different schools, and living in Florida, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, five towns in California, as well as Ruleville and Cleveland, Mississippi, Monica graduated from Cleveland High School in 1981. From that time on she took her stand to live and die in Mississippi. Monica travelled to visit family, attend marriages, and to sight-see, but she determinedly remained a resident of her native state for the last 40 years of her too-short life.
Raising, loving, supporting, teaching, and caring for her three sons was central to her soul. After her son Brennan was born, his brother Tyler Cody Raney, now of Horn Lake, arrived, followed later by Jake Harris Wolfe, now of Webb. Monica loved each one unequivocally. In her determination to support their needs she did not spare herself. In the last decade three more boys — grandsons Brantley, Riley, and Finley Raney born to Brennan and Taylor Nichole Raney — brought more joy to her life.
Much of her employment was in bookkeeping or service roles: Mississippi Rice and Grain in Drew, Grocery Basket in Grenada, and recently the Turnage Pharmacy in Water Valley are a few. If you were a customer or co-worker of hers, her family heard how she enjoyed you and how important you were to her. Really.
Over her lifetime Monica became a shining soul who wholeheartedly gave herself to Christ. When challenged, she thought through her actions and aligned them with God’s will. When things went well, she reflexively and genuinely responded, “I give all the glory to God.” Monica smiled genuinely and often, loved the symbolism of daisies and butterflies, and exuded a vivacious spirit, while her firm faith grew to be stronger than steel and stone.
Now that Monica has departed this Earth, we honor her grace and spirit by smiling through our tears and reminding ourselves, “We are giving the glory to God."
In addition to her descendants, Monica leaves behind four siblings: Matt Corey Maxwell and his wife, Vicky, of Winter Springs, Florida; Mary Cornelia "Coco" Maxwell Plum and her husband, Matt Plum, and their sons, Matty and Chase, of Essex, Massachusetts; Joshua Connor Maxwell and his wife, Courtney, of The Colony, Texas; Jamie Ruth Maxwell Harrell and her husband, Kevin Harrell, and their children, Colin, Ryan, and Dakota, of Anna, Texas. All were blessed, being able to visit joyfully with Monica in the two weeks before she passed, as did Monica's cousin, Sandy Speakes Huerta of Cleveland.
The Brantley Funeral Home of Olive Branch will hold a visitation at 12 pm and a memorial service for Monica at 2 pm on April 17.
