Lillie Mae Taylor

Lillie Mae Taylor was born in Belen, Mississippi, on December 7, 1941, to the resilient parents of Johnny and Inez (Nellie) Thigpen. After fighting the good fight of faith, she transitioned into eternal life on July 26, 2022.

Lillie possessed an unwavering faith that empowered her to live a monumental life. As the matriarch of her family, she toiled through 8 decades of American History. Lillie was born during the attack on Pearl Harbor, battled amid the backdrop of segregated schools, was deprived of formal education as a sharecropper, and survived discrimination during the lynching era. Yet, with her undying faith, she repeatedly managed to rise from the ashes.

She is affectionally called “Sister” by her siblings, nieces, and nephews. Sister was a blunt, bold, and brave believer serving in the Army of the Lord. She was also a hard worker who took pride in her domestic abilities to care for the needs of others, especially her immediate offspring of 64 descendants.

Her first job after picking cotton in the Mississippi Delta was at Jim Sidney’s Restaurant in Marks, Mississippi. As an 18-year-old, she fell in love with a man named Robert Crawford, and before going their separate ways, they conceived two beautiful girls, Marilyn and Patricia. As she moved on, another daughter, Linda, was born to the union of Jimmy and Lillie Bradley, who wed in 1964. They relocated to Gary, Indiana, where she gave birth to Cynthia and Charles. Nurturing her faith in God and family remained the cornerstone of her entire life. During her second marriage to Phillip Taylor in 1977, they gave birth to their baby girl, Valarie.

Lillie planted her spiritual roots deep by dedicating her life to Christ at an early age. She spiraled upward into a pillar of faith at Evening Star M.B. Church with almost 50 years of service. She believed in the power of prayer, brutal honesty, sharing love, and demonstrating loyalty amongst family.

Lillie Mae Taylor is preceded in death by her parents, Johnny and Inez Thigpen, her eldest sister, Johnnie Mae Thigpen, and three brothers, John Henry Thigpen, Johnny Thigpen, and Jerry Thigpen. She is also preceded in death by her 1st husband, Jimmy Bradley, and 2nd husband, Phillip Taylor. She leaves behind to celebrate her legacy three siblings, Sammy Lee (Ruby) Thigpen, Rutha Mae (Nathan) Morrison, Clarence (Lucille) Thigpen; and six children Marilyn Matheny, Patricia Beach, Linda Bradley, Cynthia Bradley, Charles Bradley, and Valarie Taylor; also 24 grandchildren, 34 great-grandchildren, and a host of nephews and nieces.