On June 19, 1934, Mama began her journey here on earth. she was the first born to Beatrice and Ezell Carter in Wagoner County, Oklahoma. They named her Versa Lee.



She grew up in Porter, Oklahoma and attended as well as graduate from Historic Carter G. Woodson School in Tullahassee, Oklahoma. She had very fond memories of being a Tullahassee Wildcat, where she was a member of the band and also played basketball.



She professed a hope in Christ at an early age and became a member of the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Porter. Upon graduation, Mama moved to Muskogee, Oklahoma. As she went through the walk of her adult life, she became friends with many. She answered to different names, such as Mama, Versie, Versalee and Pepsi-Cola. But as she went through the years, she finally met the true love of her life and she became Mrs. Willie A. Gray. Once their journey together began and time passed, their family grew. She later affectionately became "Granny".



In order to help support her family, she worked various jobs. It was when she became employed at Muskogee Head Start Program under the direction of Jamie Robertson that she knew she had found her calling. During her employment at Head Start, she attended Northeastern State University in Tahlequah and she obtained her Child Development Associates Degree.



After giving 30 years of dedicated service, she retired from Head Start. Mama spent the majority of her golden years with her grandchildren, laying across her bed watching television and looking out her bedroom window, sitting on her front porch, all while talking on the phone with family and friends. She enjoyed having her family around her and preparing her signature ham and lemon meringue pie for family gatherings. The Lord blessed her with a large family; four boys and five girls.



On Monday, November 17, 2014, surrounded by her family, Versie Lee Gray answered her Master's Call from Muskogee. Awaiting her arrival in Heaver, she was greeted by her son, Larry Miller and her daughter, Patricia Walker, her parents, her husband, her sister, Lucille Palmer and her brother, Ezelle, Jr.



Those left to celebrate her homegoing; her sons, Terry Townsell, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Ronnie D. Singleton [Connie], Phoenix, Arizona and Howard McBride, Jr., San Diego, California; her daughters, Joyce Lowe [Chauncy], Muskogee, Oklahoma, Willie Etta Gray [Lonnie], Mesquite, Texas, Jacqueline Gray--Mack [Calvin], and Pamela Rucker, both of Muskogee; her brother, Jimmy Carter; her sister, Betsy Ferguson, both of Kansas City, Kansas; her step-daughter, Carolyn Whitaker, Muskogee; her sister-in-law, Margaret Carson [Kenneth], Albuquerque, New Mexico; 22 grandchildren; 36 great-grandchildren; along with a caravan of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.



The Sacred Farewell will commence on Wednesday, November 26, 2014 at 11:00 AM in the Mount Zion Baptist Church. Reverend David Ragsdale is the Pastor.

Burial will follow at 1:00 PM in the National Cemetery at Fort Gibson, Oklahoma.

You may visit Mrs. Gray as she slumbers in sweet repose at the funeral home in Muskogee on Tuesday from 10 AM until 6 PM.