Mrs. Valada Dare Ezell-Hammock, age 96, of Murfreesboro, TN went home to be with our Lord on Sunday, October 23, 2022.
Valada lived each & every moment of her life to the fullest up until her last days on earth and was a blessing in the lives of her family, friends, neighbors & anyone she met.
This photo is from a recent field trip to a corn maze! She also went bowling…AND beat the other residents & staff BOTH games!
Valada was one of the original “Rosie the Riveters” after her high school graduation, working in a munitions factory during WWII. She was also a hairdresser, hospice volunteer, & animal lover & she traveled the U.S. in an RV with her husband, Harry & assorted dogs & cats. She loved to read & read the Bible from cover to cover several times over.
She enjoyed sitting on her porch with her collie, Bonnie, watching the birds & squirrels in her yard. Bonnie was her devoted companion after her husband’s death & Valada would comment “that dog is almost TOO smart for MY own good!” She also loved music & became part of a karaoke family that gathered each week at a local restaurant.
She was affectionately known as the “Matriarch” of The Well Church & loved dearly by all her church family who didn’t even allow covid to stop them from surprising her with a drive-by birthday parade in front of her home!
She often said that she wished to be remembered by all the good times & laughter she had shared with others & wanted them to know for sure that when the Lord called her home, she was ready and excited to go!
Heaven is a lil’ bit brighter now that she is there, but we are sure going to miss having her here with us. She was one special, sweet & feisty lil’ lady that blessed all our lives by her presence.
Valada is survived by her daughter, Valerie Lutes and her husband Charles; stepson, Harry Hammock and his wife Debbie; grandchildren, Mike Ezell and his wife Sarah, Ashley & Kyle Hammock; great-grandchildren, Gianna and Alaina Ezell; devoted friends, Joe & Connie Katimi & family; and many beloved long time neighbors, friends & church family.
She was preceded in death by her son, Laymond Ezell, and two husbands, Winford L. Ezell and Harry D. Hammock Sr.
Thank you to Stones River Manor for providing a safe & caring place for Valada to receive the extra attention she needed and for the staff’s kindness & dedication to her health & happiness. She loved & appreciated each of you & so do we.
Visitation for Valada will be Sunday, October 30, 2022 from 2:00 pm until 6:00 pm at Woodfin Memorial Chapel. A casual time of sharing stories & memories of Valada will begin at 3 pm. https://www.woodfinchapel.com
An additional service is scheduled for Thursday, November 3, 2022 at Crete Funeral Home, Crete, IL with mausoleum placement at Skyline Memorial Park in Monee, IL.
For more obituaries visit https://rutherfordsource.com/obituaries/
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