Obituary of Mrs. Willie L. Thompson

THE POETRY LADY Mother Willie L. Thompson How do we put on paper the life of such a beautiful, gifted person? Where do we start? How can we tell her story? The answer is, we cannot… so we must try to outline a lifetime of 93 years in a few words on paper. We a real just occupying a seat temporarily until God sees fit to call us back to HIM. Our mom has occupied her seat well and her time has come…… Willie L. Thompson was born on August 3, 1930, in a little place called Hickman, KY. She was the third child born to the union of Lee Andrew Freeman and Olie Mae Freeman. Her father, Lee Andrew, died when her mother, Olie Mae, was 6 months pregnant with her. Her mother was left a widow with two other children to care for. Wi l, her grandfather, was a well-known landowner and farmer came to their rescue, bringing them home with him, after Lee Andrew was laid to rest. As time went on, her mother, Olie, met and married Rev. Robert Harris. To that union, more children were born, Alona, John Robert, James Lowel, Claude, and Hattie Harris. Our mother, Wi lie, was preceded in death by her parents and al her siblings, Lela Mae, Olie Beatrice, Alona, John Robert, James Lowel, Claude, and Hattie. Willie, as she preferred to be called, was named after her grandfather, Wi l, and father, Lee Andrew. Appropriately so because of Wi l’s love for God, family, freedom, and the will l to survive. Wi lie was educated in Cayce, KY. She accepted and received Christ early in life at Chapel Hi l Missionary Baptist Church in Cayce, KY, where her stepfather, Rev. Robert Harris, was the Associate Pastor. Willie met and married David Brown, and to that union, a son and first child was born, Dwight David Brown. As time went on, they divorced and she met and married George DeBerry; they had five more children. Left to mourn are her children, Dwight David Brown, her oldest and still living son, Georgia (deceased) Betty, Barbara, Richard/Cheryl and Gerald Glen; bonus son, Jerald Wiliams; bonus daughter, Frankie Roberts; grandchildren, Robert Lawrence, Gary, Sonya, Jacinda, Albertina, Richard Jr., Robert Jason, Kanya, Joseph Jr, Eric (deceased), and Amanda Gayle; great-grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, great-nieces and nephews and great-great nieces and nephews; a host of Godchildren, especially Little Ronnie as she loved to call him; many friends and brothers and sisters in Christ; her best friend, whom we called Aunt Parker (such a friendship could only have been created by God); and Ms. Eva who stood by her side as long as she physically could. She came from along line of great ancestors who were enslaved. And, because this is the time to tell her story; she was the great-granddaughter of old slaves; named Albert Bragg born in 1846, and Mary Bragg born in 1850. Their first-born son, Wi l Bragg, was her grandfather. Passed down through them was her strong will, strength, and courage to survive; and survive she did, against al odds. Wi lie and George DeBerry moved to Milwaukee, WI in July of 1967. They joined Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church under the leadership of Rev. Leo R. Champion, where she worked faithfully as a Sunday School teacher, choir member, and Missionary. She also participated in many, many civil rights marches in Milwaukee, even traveling to Chicago, IL to participate in the Fair Housing March with Dr. King and Operation Breadbasket. She and George DeBerry divorced, and she later remarried Rev. George W. Thompson and became a member of Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church. She worked faithfully as the Sunday School and Bible Class teacher, and ordained Evangelist. After the death of Rev. Thompson, she moved her membership to True Vine Missionary Baptist Church under the leadership of Rev. Joseph, where she continued to work faithfully for decades as an ordained Evangelist, Missionary, Sunday School and Bible Class teacher, as well as church Mother and Gospel Group singer until the onset of COVID in 2020. She worked tirelessly for God, always putting HIM first in everything she did, sacrificing many things for what she believed in. She was also known as “The Poetry Lady” of Milwaukee, publishing a book of poems called “The Poetry Lady”. She would read her poems on WNOV radio station. She had many gifts and talents. She was a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, minister, poet, gospel single, and Godmother to many. She was always willing to listen and lend a helping hand to anyone who came to her. I will leave her life on paper with one of them any poems she wrote, it’s called “Freedom”.