Our mother, Willodean Rogers McNeely, departed this life on Oct. 5 at NHC Oak Ridge.
She was born July 26, 1923, in Graves County, Ky., to Maggie and Ira Atwell Rogers. She was raised there on a farm with numerous brothers and sisters.
She met and ultimately married her high school sweetheart, Billy Joe McNeely. Their marriage lasted almost 70 years and produced two sons, Joe and his wife Patsy of Oak Ridge, and Mike and his wife Teresa of Kingston.
She also leaves three grandsons, Michael, Matthews, and Brett, and adored great-grandchildren, Harleigh, Noah, Cora, and Andrew.
She and her husband came to Oak Ridge in 1943. Willodean was a longtime member of New York Avenue Church of Christ, where she became close friends with Opal, Kathleen, and Midge.
When Willodean spoke of her early years in Oak Ridge, she often spoke of living in a trailer on the property where Wal-Mart now stands, the muddy streets, and her job as a calutron mechanic. She was a lover of flowers and gardening and was proud of having the greenest grass on Northwestern Avenue.
The family received friends on Sunday, Oct. 7, from 1:30–2:30 p.m. at Weatherford Mortuary. The funeral followed at 2:30pm with Gabe Potter officiating.
A graveside service was held on Monday at 1 p.m. at Oak Ridge Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any memorial gift be given to New York Avenue Church of Christ.
An online guest book can be signed at www.weatherfordmortuary.com.
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