Mother Mary L. Terry

TERRY, Mother Mary L. - Age 89, passed away Thursday, November 3, 2016 at her residence. Family hour 10:30AM Saturday November 12, 2016 at New Zion Baptist Church, 1601 Chippewa Street, with funeral service commencing at 11:00 AM Pastor Jacob Hawkins Jr. officiating. Interment Sunset Hills Cemetery, G-4413 Flushing Rd. Friends and pallbearers will assemble at the church 10:30 AM Saturday. Mother Terry will lie in state in the Chapel of Lawrence E. Moon, 906 W. Flint Park Blvd., and may be viewed from 2:00 PM - 8:00 PM Friday, with the family present from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM to receive friends. Mother Mary L. Terry was born April 14, 1927 in Longview, Texas, the daughter of Willie Hollins and Fannie Fisher, she moved to Henderson, TX at an early age, where she completed elementary and secondary education. Mother Terry then when on to attend Fisk University and Tennessee State College in Nashville, TN. She received a B.A. degree from Arkansas Baptist College. Additionally, she completed twenty-one hours of graduate school at Bishop College in Marshall, TX. Mother Terry taught school in Texas and Tennessee. She married Dr. W.G. Terry, Pastor of New Zion Baptist Church. Mother Terry’s steps were ordered by the Lord, serving in many capacities including; Instructor for V.B.S. in East Texas District Baptist Congress, Director of the Sunshine Band and Young Peoples Department of the Tennessee Baptist Convention, Instructor of the Tennessee B.M.E. Convention, Instructor in the Mississippi Valley Association. She also was one of the Founders for the Tennessee B.M.E. Youth Encampment, President of the Baptist and Inter-Denominational Ministries’ Wives of Jackson, TN. Presently, Mother Terry served as Program Chairperson for Pastor’s Wives in the National Baptist Convention, USA, Incorporated, serving in that capacity for over 40 years. She was a beloved matriarch, mentor, and coordinator, locally, statewide and nationally. Additionally, she served as Co-Director of Christian Education at New Zion Baptist Church, where her husband Dr. W.G. Terry was Pastor. Mother Terry had worked with various organizations including Church Women United of Flint. All of her steps were laid out and ordered in the Lord’s architectural draft. Her favorite Bible verse and her life’ philosophy was directed by Proverbs 3:5-6; “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" KJV. Her greatest desire was just to light a small candle in the corner where she stood. Mother Mary Lois Terry leaves to cherish her loving memory: daughter, Linda (Ray) Spivey; 2 grand-daughters, Tina and Tracy Spivey, all of St. Louis, MO; nieces, Loretta Hurd of San Antonio, TX and Brenda Blackburn of Flint; nephew, Herman (Carolyn) Blackburn Jr. of Grovetown, GA; great-nieces, Samecika (Nathaniel) Williams, and Camiya Nicholson; great-nephews, Nathaniel Williams Jr., Nataevion Williams and Tyrien Griffin, all of Flint; 3 brothers-in-law, Norris (Bertha) Terry of Tacoma, WA; Bishop T.T. (Virginia) Terry of Dallas, TX, and Harry (Bernice) Terry of Henderson, TX; other family and special friends including, Nora Cannon, Ina C. Whitaker, Pauline Pryor, Futha Williams, Hildria Richmond, Rev. Jacob Hawkins Jr. and the New Zion Missionary Baptist Church family. Mother Terry was preceded in death by her husband, Reverend Dr. W.G. Terry; parents, Willie Hollins and Fannie Fisher; sister, Pazetta Blackburn; aunt, Corrie Bryant; uncles, Matthew and Oscar Moss. The family would like to express special thanks to caregivers: Dea. & Sis. Thuster Cannon, Sis. Anne Randolph, Bro. Henry Lomax, Shawana Vance, Tymeisha Jenkins, Latonia Fletcher-Townsend, Owner of Valley Assisted Care, Absolute Care, the New Zion Missionary Baptist Church, Ebenezer Ministries and St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church families.

Mother Mary L. Terry

April 14, 1927 - November 3, 2016