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| Left: Mama (about 12 years old) with her sister Mable Roy in Macon, Mississippi. Right: page 1 of funeral program |
Name: Margaret Ruth SLEDGE
Known AKA: Ree, Reese, Red, Lil Margaret
Surname Variations: SLUDGE, SLUDG
DOB: 21 Feb 1950 in Macon, Noxubee, Mississippi, USA
DOD: 27 Oct 2006 in St. Louis, Florissant, Missouri, USA
Father: Sam WILLIAMS Sr
Mother: Lillian C. SLEDGE
Siblings from her father and Mattie Lee: Woodrow/Woodie, Earnest, Lee, Sam Jr, Hardie, Odell "Red/Pain", James, Ruth O., Olivia (all siblings have the surname WILLIAMS)
Siblings from her father and Ida Frierson: Florence Jean/Jean
Siblings from her mother: Mable Roy BELL, Oliver "Fat" BELL, Edna Z. BELL, William Lloyd "Cot" BELL, Wade SLEDGE, Jean/Gene, Carlene
Spouse: Curtis Allen GREGORY
Children with Curtis Allen GREGORY: Tara, Tina
Children with Joseph K SANDERS: Billy
Children with Lee JOHNSON: William Lloyd
TIMELINE:
21 Feb 1950: Birth in Macon, Noxubee, Mississippi, USA (Macon, Noxubee County, Mississippi, USA birth certificate; St. Louis, Missouri, USA death certificate; United States Social Security Death Index)
1950-1968: Resident of Macon, Noxubee, Mississippi, USA
1972: Marriage to Curtis Allen GREGORY
1987: Divorce from Curtis Allen GREGORY
1968-2006: Resident of St. Louis, Missouri, USA
27 Oct 2006: Death in St. Louis, Florissant, Missouri, USA (St. Louis, Missouri, USA death certificate; United States Social Security Death Index)
4 Nov 2006: Burial in Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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| Page 2-3 of funeral program |
Mama grew up in the small town of Macon, Mississippi where everyone knew your business before you did. She loved to tell stories of life in the old days. She and her cousins had an amazingly carefree life coming of age in the Jim Crow South. They swam and fished in the creeks, eating turtle and frog legs (yuck). They played softball in the fields where she broke her wrist. It was an even less than memorable occasion because her father was passing by at the time and at the moment when she broke her wrist, she said "shoot" and he thought she said, "sh*t" so he whupped her for that. My favorite recollection of Mama's childhood memories was of her picking cotton. A truck would come to pick them up at dawn before school to take them to a cotton pickin' farm. They would put rocks at the bottom of their bags to make it weigh more and get more wages. While it was not an honest way to make extra cash, I understand how they could do it in the context of survival. Farmers just did not compensate them enough for their hard earned labor and some probably cheated them too. Mama's favorite subjects in high school were math and history. She wanted to go to college to play the piano and be a singer. She was on the basketball team. By 1967, Mama was a young mother to my brother Billy. Her second child, William, was born prematurely and only lived about 11 hours. A short time afterwards, she migrated to St. Louis, Missouri with her sister Edna. She got a job working at White Castle as a car hop and met daddy this way. They were married 14 years before divorcing. To this union were born two children and a painful miscarriage before I was born. She died of pneumonia and cirrhosis of the liver at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Mama had a beautiful voice and if I close my eyes now, I can still hear her singing. She was always a beautiful person, inside and out, kind, caring and forgiving. She was also a people person with a great sense of humor, just like my father, and was quite the talker. Many a time she cracked us up with her sayings, of which there are way too many to list here. Family was dear to her and she kept in touch with hers and my father's. There are two holes in my heart that can never be patched up, one for my father and one for her.
TRANSCRIPTION OF RECORDS:
1950 Birth Certificate
State of Missouri State file no: 123-50
Name: Margaret Ruth Sledge
Date of birth: 21 Feb 1950
Place of birth: Macon, Noxubee County, Mississippi
Name of father:
Birthplace of father:
Name of mother: Lillian Sledge
Birthplace of mother: Noxubee County, Mississippi
Informant:
2006 Death Certificate
State of Missouri State file no: 124-06203663
Name: Margaret Ruth Gregory
Date of death: 27 Oct 2006
Place of death: St. Louis, Missouri [county]
Name of father: Sam Williams
Name of mother: Lillian Sledge
Informant: [private]
http://bit.ly/Qosa3u
first name: Margaret
middle name: R
last name: Gregory
name suffix:
birth date: 21 February 1950
social security number: XXX-XX-XXXX
place of issuance: Mississippi
last residence: Florissant, Saint Louis, Missouri
zip code of last residence: 63032
death date: 27 October 2006
estimated age at death: 56
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| Top left: page 4 of funeral program. Top right: headstone in Calvary Cemetery. Bottom: burial index, Archdiocese of St. Louis |
http://bit.ly/zO4MHB
PAGE 1
Margaret Ruth Gregory
Saturday, November 4, 2006, 9:00am
Austin Layne Renaissance Chapel
7302 West Florissant Avenue
St. Louis, Missouri 63136
Reverend E.G. Shields, Sr., Pastor
Mount Beulah M.B. Church, Officiating
Margaret Ruth Gregory was born on February 21, 1950 to Lillian Sledge and the late Sam Williams, in Macon, Ms. She departed this life on October 27, 2006.
Margaret was educated at Macon High School, in Macon, Mississippi. Margaret enjoyed her school career, often mentioning the pride she felt at being named valedictorian in junior high school. Showing her athletic ability, Margaret played basketball for Macon High School and also played in neighborhood softball games when she could. An equal fan of nature, Margaret remarked on the numerous adventures she had during the spring and summer months.
Margaret confessed hope in Christ at an early age at Second Baptist M.B. Church of Macon, MS. In later years, she continued her faith at St. Peter's A.M.E. Church in St. Louis. Margaret was a devoted reader of Scripture and loved to sing, especially gospel.
In March of 1966, Margaret gave birth to her son, Billy Johann Sledge. In 1968, she and Billy made the journey to St. Louis, Missouri. During this time, one of her first jobs was a 'carhop' at White Castle. It was there she met her soon to be husband. Margaret Ruth Sledge and Curtis Allen Gregory were married on March 24, 1973. Curtis was very proud to become the father of Billy and soon all three welcomed the births of Tara Renee Gregory in January of 1975 and Tina Nicole Gregory in March of 1976.
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| "My mama was a shining example of forgiveness ever since I can remember. If someone hurt her, she would usually not respond in kind and turn the other cheek" (TRG) |
Although divorced from Curtis, she was saddened by his death in 1994. Margaret's love of people knew no bounds. If you talked to her for five minutes, you knew her and she never forgot you. She felt that three of her greatest accomplishments were her children and she shared tremendously in their success, watching each one graduate from college. Her latest joy was being able to help raise her first grandchild, Omar Nafel Alenazi.
Margaret leaves to mourn her passing: a loving mother, Lillian Sledge of Macon, Ms; three children, Billy of St. Louis, MO, Tara of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Tina of St. Louis, MO; her grandson, Omar of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Five siblings (born to Lillian Sledge), Jean Holman and William Bell of Memphis, TN, Carlene Graham and Wade Sledge of Macon, MS, and Edna Davis of St. Louis, MO; also leaves, siblings born to her father, Sam Williams a multitude of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
Order of Service
Processional
Scripture
Prayer.....Rev. Robert Houston
Selection.....Evlean Colyer
Acknowledgment of Expressions of Sympathy.....Tina Gregory
Tribute.....Tina Gregory
Condolences
Selection.....Rev. L.P. Colyer
Obituary (Read Silenty).....Soft Music
Eulogy.....Reverend E.G. Shields, Sr. Mount Beulah Missionary Baptist Church
Parting View.....Austin A. Layne Mortuary
Benediction
Recessional
Acknowledgement
The family of Margaret Ruth Gregory wishes to express their gratitude and appreciation for not only this time of need, but for each moment that you have given her and us over the years. Thank you for your expressions of kindness and love offered through cards, floral arrangements, phone calls, visits, and other equally important acts. May God continue to bless each and everyone. ~The Family
Dear Mama,
Are you really gone? It is difficult, at the very least, to believe. You would be overwhelmed at the outpouring of love and support. It equals the love and support you so willingly bestowed upon each of us, day after day. You never complained and you always gave, even if you didn't have it to give. You were (and still are in our hearts), one of the best people to have graced this earth. Your intelligence, humor, warmth, and beauty are everlasting. Thank you, thank you, thank you. WE LOVE AND MISS YOU ~Billy, Tara, Tina, and Omar
Pallbearers: Family and friends
Interment: Calvary Cemetery
Services entrusted to:
Austin A. Layne Mortuary, Inc.
7239 West Florissant Avenue
St. Louis, Missouri 63136
(314) 381-6900
Burial
Burial Index of Archdiocese of St. Louis, 1700-2010
http://bit.ly/1aKTgyE
Inter #: 512253
Cemetery: CALVARY
Name: Margaret R Gregory
M/F: F
Burial date: 4 Nov 2006
Age: 56
Section: 033
Row:
Lot: 0182
Find A Grave Memorial
http://bit.ly/MVBVoH
Name: Margaret Ruth "Reese/Ree" Sledge Gregory
Birth: Feb. 21, 1950
Macon
Noxubee County
Mississippi, USA
Death: Oct. 27, 2006
Florissant
St. Louis County
Missouri, USA
Bio: http://wp.me/p2v72Z-2q
Family links:
Parents: Sam Williams (1892 - 1979)
Lillian Claudell Sledge (1917 - 2013)
Spouse: Curtis Allen Gregory (1946 - 1994)
Inscription:
Margaret R Gregory
Feb 21, 1950
Oct 27, 2006
Mother of perpetual help pray for us
Note: Age 56
Burial: Calvary Cemetery and Mausoleum
Saint Louis
St. Louis City
Missouri, USA
Plot: Section 033, Lot 0182
Maintained by: Tara R. Gregory
Originally Created by: T.V.F.T.H.
Record added: May 24, 2010
Find A Grave Memorial# 52805669
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