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Mary Butts Spence

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Mary Spence Obituary

Published by Richmond Times-Dispatch on Oct. 12, 2008.

SPENCE, Mary Butts, 76, of Emporia, went home on Monday, September 30, 2008. A memorial service was held Saturday, October 4, at 3 p.m. in Emporia, Va. Survived by her husband, Cornell Spence; five children, seven sisters and brothers.
This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

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Recent Activity

September 29, 2009

TONTON&TONAE' posted to the memorial.

September 20, 2009

TONTON & TONAE' WASHINGTON posted to the memorial.

September 17, 2009

Someone posted to the memorial.

16 Entries

TONTON&TONAE'

September 29, 2009

GOOD MORNING GRANDMA. I JUST WANTED TO WISH YOU A PEACEFUL AND WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY. KNOW THAT YOU ARE TRULY MISSED. IT'S BEEN A YEAR SINCE I SURPRISED YOU ON YOUR LAST BIRTHDAY. HAPPY BIRTHDAY "PHENOMINAL WOMAN". ENJOY THE LORD!!!!!! I LOVE YOU BABY.

TONTON & TONAE' WASHINGTON

September 20, 2009

GRANDMA, I TRULY, TRULY, TRULY MISS YOU BEING HERE. YOU WERE AND WILL STILL BE MY 'ROCK". EVERYTIME I GO HOME(EMPORIA), I WALK IN YOUR BEDROOM AND LOOK FOR YOU. ALTHOUGH I KNOW THAT YOU WENT HOME TO JESUS, IT'S STILL VERY HARD TO BELIEVE THAT YOU LEFT SO FAST. YOU USED TO ALWAYS SAY"TONTON, GRANDMA GON BE LEAVING SOON". I WOULD GET UPSET AND CRY. YOU WERE THE ONLY ONE WHO KNEW JUST WHEN YOU WERE GOING TO GO. I AM VERY THANKFUL TO BE WITH YOU BEFORE YOU WENT TO SEE THE SAVIOR. I WILL ALWAYS CHERISH DRIVING DOWN TO SURPRISE YOU ON YOUR BIRTHDAY AND SEEING THE EXPRESSION ON YOUR FACE. I WOULD HAVE NEVER GUESSED THAT WHEN I LEFT TO PICK UP TONAE' FROM SCHOOL AND SAID, 'I SEE YOU LATER" THAT IT WOULD BE MY LAST TIME TALKING YO YOU. AS YOU SQUEEZED MY HAND AND SAID, "TONTON, I LOVE YOU AND I'M GOING HOME". THE THOUGHT OF SEEING THE SILVER SPARKLES IN YOUR EYES HAD ME THINKING AS I DROVE TO RICHMOND TO GET TONAE' FROM SCHOOL. YOU HAVE BEEN AND WILL ALWAYS BE MY "ROCK". I DO HOPE THAT YOU ARE HAVING A JOYOUS TIME WITH HIM. PLEASE KNOW THAT I LOVE AND TRULY, TRULY MISS YOU BEING HERE. IT WILL NEVER BE THE SAME BUT I WILL DO MY BEST TO GO ON, AS I KNOW YOU WOULD WANT ME TOO. TONAE' MISSES YOU SO MUCH. SHE IS ALWAYS ASKING IF YOU'RE OKAY. I TELL HER"YES' AND TO REMEMBER YOU AS IF YOU WERE HERE. REMEMBER NONE OF THIS FAMILY WOULD BE POSSIBLE IF NOT FOR YOU. LOVING YOU AND CHERISHING YOUR MEMORY ALWAYS.

September 17, 2009

MOM,
THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH WORDS TO SAY, HOW MUCH I REALLY MISS YOU. IT SEEM AS THOUGH IT WAS YESTERDAY, BUR AS DAYS GO ON I STILL THINK OF YOU. IT HURTS SO MUCH. BUT I KNOW THAT YOU ARE HAVING A TIME OF SINGING AND PRAISING GOD. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DON WITH ME & TO ME.BECAUSE OF YOUR PRAYERS, I WOULDN'T BE WHERE I AM TODAY. I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU AND REMEMBER THE TIMES WE HAD CLOWNING AROUND AND LAUGHING.FROM MY HUSBAND AND MYSELF I SAY THANKS AND WE LOVE YOU FOREVER. YOUR DAUGHTER GLADYS& SON TILMAN RAWLS RICHMOND VIRGINIA

September 17, 2009

Mom,
Time has moved swiftly, but your memories will forever be with me. Your love, advice, compassion, givining spirit, love of gospel music, godly examples, guidance, genius, and most of all your love of Jesus, Loving you forever.
Your Daughter Hazel

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hazel dent

January 6, 2009

Mom,
It's nothing but love I feel for you. I truly miss you. I know you are forever with me in the spirit. I'ts now a new year. But a year with the Lord is but a sec. You are in HIS presence. That's where I want to be. I packed some of your things and shared them with others. You always love to give. So you are still giving after you have left this earth. With your gift of giving, you will be sharing for a very long time. Thanks for that kind spirit you have passed on. I see myself in you when I look in the mirror. You are resting with the Savior. Continue until we meet again.

Your Daughter,
Hazel Butts Dent

Hazel Dent

October 31, 2008

Mom,
Time has gone tooo fast. Yesterday was one month anniversary of your home goining. It's just like yesterday. I don't know why I wake up every morning at 4:00am and my mind goes to when you crossed over to take your Savior's hand. at 4:20AM. I do give God the glory because He honor you in life and He honored you in death. He did not let you suffer. Iv'e shared with many people your testimony. You took my hands as the nurse was trying to get blood; and you said; Haze, "Listen to me, Listen to me, I love all Y'all, (you all), but I'm going to see Jesus"., Then you look at the nurse and told her that you was going home today, as she repeated, you said again to her that you was going home today. I don't think she understood that you had received comformation from your Savior that you time with us was coming to a close. That was on your birthday, September 29, 2008, but you held on until all your children and grandchildren was there before you took the final step over into Glory, because your work was done down here. The Savior said, "Well done Thy Good and Faithful Servant". YOu have been faithful. Your light shines and the life lived will live on in us. Family let's not ever let the light of life she gave go out. With tears of joy and love. How bless I was to be born of your flesh and bone of your one. Your oldest daughter Hazel Butts Dent

Charlene Spence

October 29, 2008

What a blessing it was to know and love her. She will truly be missed. I look forward to being with her again. No tears in heaven.

TONIA(TONTON), TONAE' WASHINGTON

October 29, 2008

MY GRANMA( SO MUCH TO SAY AND BE THANKFUL FOR) >>>>>>>>>SHE WAS ONE OF THE BEST GRANMA'S A CHILD COULD HAVE. SHE WAS NEVER, EVER SOMEONE THAT ANYONE WOULD FORGET. GRANMA YOU HAVE MADE ME SUCH A STRONGER AND BETTER WOMAN. YOU HAVE TAUGHT ME MANY THINGS ABOUT LIFE. WE HAVE TOO HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS DAILY ABOUT LIFE AND WHAT I NEED TO DO TO BE PRODUCTIVE IN IT. GRANMA YOU HAVE CARRIED ME THROUGH MANY, MANY STORMS, TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS. THERE WERE MANY TIMES THAT I WOULD SHUT DOWN AND ONLY TALK TO YOU. YOU ARE DEEPLY MISSED AND LIFE IS NOT THE SAME WITHOUT YOU. I DO WISH THAT YOU COULD GIVE ME SO MUCH MORE OF YOUR WISDOM BUT GOD NEEDED YOU THERE. I STILL HAVE NOT COME TO TERMS WITH THIS HAPPENING SO FAST BUT I KNOW THAT YOU WILL HELP ME THROUGH IT. BE BLESSED AND KNOW THAT EVENTHOUGH IT WILL BE HARD TO CONTINUE WITHOUT YOU, I WILL DO MY BEST TO MAKE YOU PROUD. I CRY OFTEN DAILY BUT I'M BLESSED THAT HE CALLED SUCH A BEAUTIFUL PERSON TO ASSIST HIM IN HIS GLORY LAND! YOUR "BABY GIRL" (TONAE') AS YOU OFTEN CALLED HER PRAYS FOR YOU EVERY NIGHT AS USUAL. I KNOW THAT I WAS TRULY BLESSED TO HAVE YOU THEN AND IN THE FUTURE REMEMBERING THE GOOD TIMES GROWING UP. I PRAY EACH DAY THAT I CAN BE A LOVING MOTHER, GRANMA , WIFE AND FRIEND THAT YOU'VE BEEN TO SO MANY OF US. IT WAS TRULY A BLESSING TO SPEND YOUR BIRTHDAY WITH YOU. NOW THAT YOU'VE SPREADED YOUR WINGS AND FLOWN AWAY, KNOW THAT YOU ONLY HAVE BRIGHTER DAYS. YOU'LL ALWAYS BE MY LIFE, MY STRENGTH AND THE REASON WE ALL ARE BREATHING. I LOVE YOU GRANDMA ALWAYS AND FOREVER.

Yulanda Taylor

October 27, 2008

To my family... "WHAT DO WE HAVE IN COMMON?">>WE HAVE TRULY BEEN BLESSED!!! IT HAS BEEN BOTH AN HONOR AND A PLEASURE, TO HAVE BEEN REALTED TO SUCH A WONDERFUL PERSON...
To MY Grandmother... I have always thought of you as a special lady. I love your heart, for it is pure..(I see that pureness in my youngest daughter..Tamia.SHE LOVES EVRYBODY, JUST LIKE YOU DID..remember.. we talked about that)....I love that you were a trend setter.....( You gave that to Aunt Connie ⁢ has rubbed off on my oldest daughter Asia.., they both have their own styles, and are not afraid to put them on display ...you know!!), I love that you lived and believed in the institution of marriage. ..( I too, desire to keep that union just as you and grandpa did.) You set a good example ..You always made us laugh, "KIMM", (your name for Tim).. misses you too...We still sit around and talk about all the funny things you use to say... You were a Phenomenal Women, to your family, friends, neighbors and even to strangers.... You are truly missed and dearly loved. When I am sadden, about your passing, I often hear you tell me..." get it together girl.... you gotta make us some money" ... then I just smile, because it's almost like I really hear your voice. I know that you are ok, & I feel that I will be ok too!! I KNOW that you are looking down on us.. I pray that we all, will make you as proud as us, as we are of you!!! ..
MANY Thanksto you GOD, for blessing us with your saint, our Angelic Phenomenal Women, Phenomenally- Mrs Mary Butts Spence
P.S. Tamia said to tell you to tell her baby brother , Tim Jr. she said Hello.

Geneva Davis

October 23, 2008

Hazel and Family, may God continue to keep you. Hazel when you talk about your mother and how you were able to witness her relationship with the Lord. To God be the Glory.

Love, hugs Geneva

Doreatha Carraway

October 15, 2008

To the Family, May God in His infinite Love, Wisdom and Mercy be with you all always. May the love she shared with you all be remembered and live on in your hearts.

Caroly Harrison

October 14, 2008

When I received the new about the passing of your mother I was sadden but when I heard her testimony I wanted to get up and shout. Do you know what a joy it must be to know that on your Birthday from your sick bed you can say "today I am going home to celebrate my birthday with Jesus". Your mother was a good spiritual person and loved to talk. Whenever I was in her presence she and I would always have great conversations visiting the back in the day Washington Park/Emporia stories. I just want to offer my sympathy to you all, but remember Jesus said he would be a Mother to the motherless. I will keep the entire Family in prayer.

hazel dent

October 14, 2008

Mom,
How blessed this family was to have your very presence and sweet spirit with us. Thanks for the godly example of love. I honor you, I love you, I will live so that I may see you again in your glorified body. Hazel

Shirley Butts

October 12, 2008

Gonna Miss You Sista-Girl!

Stephanie Franklin

October 11, 2008

I want to send my blessings and condolences to the rest of my family.

Love, Stephanie!

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