Leatha Lee

“Leatha Mae” was born June 8, 1933, the fifth of ten children to the late McKinley and Mary Lou Lanier Jones in Madison, County, (Huntsville) AL. 

Mother Lee was educated in the Madison County School System.    She professed hope in Christ at an early age and united with the Madkins Chapel CP Church in Huntsville.  She loved to tell the story that when she “fessed religion” that her older brother Moses had to drive her all over Huntsville so she could tell her family and friends that she had “found the Lord”!!  She said “she looked at her hands and they looked new and she looked at her feet and they did too!!”

She was married at a young age to the late Oda Wade and to that union, four children  were born.  On March 7, 1965, she was united in marriage to the late Dock Emanuel Lee, with that union she gained two sons, and a daughter was born.  

Mother Lee, while living on McFerrin Avenue operated the  Neighborhood Childcare Home, providing loving childcare for  children on McFerrin, Petway, Manila, and Seymour Avenues.  She later began to work at Vanderbilt University and was able to positively affect the lives of young adults with her wisdom and kindness.  

She was a member of Ransom Temple CPA Church for a number of years.  When she decided to find a House of Worship closer to her home, she says she came to Foster Chapel three times before she came in for the service.  When Pastor Hatchett said in his sermon that “he was just a little ole preacher from Alabama”, she knew she had found a home because “she was just a little ole woman from Alabama”.

Mother Lee was the “glue” that held the family together.  All her children, grandchildren, friends, and family knew that she cooked dinner every Thursday and every Sunday and all were welcome.     Her nieces and nephews looked forward to coming to Nashville because they knew she was going to cook dumplings for them!!

            We thank God for bringing this woman of God into our lives and into the lives of hundreds of others.  She was an amazing daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother,  aunt, cousin,  sister-in-law, mother-in-law, mentor and was there for all those who needed a loving mother’s care.  We as a family truly felt blessed to have the loving presence of this great woman for 90 years.  

            In addition to her parents, Mother Lee was preceded in death by her husband:  Deacon Dock Lee son:  Horace Lee; three grandchildren, Vincent, Ashondo and Timothy Lee; brothers:  McKinley  (Melissa); Harry (Pearl); Roosevelt; Moses; Ernest; David; sisters:  Marie (William) Lewis; and Lucille (Earl) Mixon.

            Left to cherish her memory are very devoted sons:  Carl (Alberta), and Kenneth Wade and William Lee; daughters:   Dellcenia (Lewis) Ligon; Rochell (Daniel) Smith and Alisa McVey (Albert Miles, Jr.); sister:  Ada Phipps (Edward, deceased);  devoted grandchildren: Dellcenia Dawson, Horace Lee, Jr, Vanessa (Michael) Ervin, Brandon (Patricia) and Brittany Ligon, Kendrick and Lakendra Moore, Tomossa (Victor) Moore, Carl Wade, Jr, Christopher Wade, Adina Wade, Akendra (Ricky) Patterson, Alonda Wade, Donnie (Kelly) Wade; Clifford Jenkins, Jr.; Kannetha and Kailyn McVey; 17 great-grandchildren; brother and sisters-in-law, Emory and Geraldine Lee and Veronica Jones; daughter-in- law, Jeanette Wade and son-in-law Tony McVey; a host of nieces and nephews, cousins, and friends; devoted friends:  Mother Susie Armstrong and Sister Gaynelle Daniels.