Willie Mae Owens

On September 21, 2012, with her work on Earth complete, Willie Mae Owens was called away to her Heavenly Home to be with our Lord. She passed from this life after suffering a stroke on September 15. She was the Mother of six, Grandmother of seventeen, Great-Grandmother of thirty-four and Great-Great Grandmother of five. Willie Mae Acreman was born in Crenshaw County, Alabama, to William Henry and Hattie Lee Acreman on September 22, 1917. She was the sixth child of ten, four sisters and five brothers. At age 16, she married Tillman Monroe Owens on September 30, 1933 in Greenville, Alabama. She and her husband worked at both the canning plant and cotton mill in Butler County during the Great Depression and began their family with the birth of their first child in 1934. During WWII, while he marched across France with the US Army, she was at home raising their three children aging from 10 years old to infant. Leaving Greenville in 1952, the family moved to Pensacola, Florida, where she worked for her sister & brother-in-law at Tompkin’s Supermarket on Massachusetts Ave. In 1956, she gave birth to their sixth child, and for a short time, maintained a farm in Barrineau Park. Later, in the early 60’s, she operated a “rolling store” in the northern portion of Escambia County delivering groceries and dry good staples to residents of the far-reaching rural areas. In 1967, she became a member of the Gonzalez Baptist Church and remained a member for the next 45 years. She was a strong woman with strong beliefs in right and wrong; beliefs that did not change as the world changed around her. She was preceded in death by her husband on their 64th anniversary in 1997; She was also preceded by her parents, 4 brothers, 4 sisters, her eldest son (Bobby Gene Owens), her son-in-law (Jimmy Braun) and grand-daughter (Sybil Marie Owens). She is survived by her brother Joe (Sarah) Acreman of Pensacola, Peggy (wife of Bobby) Owens of Milton, FL, Cubie (wife of Jimmy) Braun of Gonzalez, FL, Mary (Sonny) Dudley of Dunnellon, FL, James (Melinda) Owens of Brilliant, AL, Sybil Cody of Cantonment, FL, Joyce (Glenn) Timothy of Pensacola, and numerous grandchildren, great-children, great-great grandchildren, nieces and nephews and their families. She was loved, and will be missed, by all that knew her. The viewing and family visitation will be from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Monday, September 24, 2012 at Faith Chapel North, US 29 in Cantonment. The funeral service will be held at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 25, 2012 at Faith Chapel North. Burial and graveside service will follow at Barrancas National Cemetery, NAS Pensacola. Honorary pallbearers are Michael Owens, Bobby Braun, Glenn Owens, William Timothy, Robert Owens and Chris Cody; Active pallbearers are Scott Dudley, Eddie Owens, John Owens, Tommy Cody, Patrick Timothy, and Phillip Cody. A special word of thanks to the members of Gonzalez Baptist Church for providing lunch and fellowship at the church after the services. Faith Chapel Funeral Home North, 1000 Hwy 29S, Cantonment, is in charge of the arrangements. Condolences may be expressed online at fcfhs.com

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Willie Mae Owens

September 22, 1917 - September 21, 2012