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To celebrate the life and service of Mr. Willie Lee Gaddis and to extend our sincerest condolences to his family and friends on the occasion of his passing, Wednesday, April 1, 2020.
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WHEREAS, the members of Columbus City Council extend this resolution of expression in honor of the life and service of Mr. Willie Lee Gaddis who peacefully passed away on Wednesday, April 1, 2020; and
WHEREAS, Willie Lee Gaddis began his earthly pilgrimage on Monday, January 31, 1927, in rural Montrose, Mississippi (near Bay Springs), in Jasper County. On Wednesday, April 1, 2020, at age 93, after a brief illness, he peacefully drew his final breath, entering into eternal rest on what would have been his youngest daughter's 53rd birthday; and
WHEREAS, Willie was the youngest child born to Willie and Eunice (McGee) Gaddis. His parents were sharecroppers in the pre-civil rights era. He, his sister and parents lived in a house owned by the man whose property they worked picking cotton. Willie often recalled the mistreatment he experienced in the south, especially being routinely evicted from their home when the property owner would get angry. He remembers staying with Uncle Mike and Aunt Ruthie McGee during some of those times. The experience so seared his conscience that as a young boy, he resolved to own his own business so, "I will be my own boss." He dreamed of growing up, being a homeowner, and married with two boys and two girls. He often reflected, "I never want my wife and children to experience being uprooted from their home;” and
WHEREAS, as a boy, he envisioned his wife would have long, curly hair that bounced when she walked. He'd tell us, "When I saw your Momma walking down Mt. Vernon Avenue, I knew she was the girl in my dreams." And so it was. Rev. J.W. Butler, the first pastor of First Church of God, was the officiant of their union on Saturday, April 11, 1953, with Obbie McGee and Ruth Thompson DeBerry as best man and maid of honor respectively; a...
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