Joy filled the streets of Heaven and the angels rejoiced on Saturday, June 15, 2024, when our precious Willene was called home.
Willene ”Taylor” Massey, affectionately known to many as nanny or nanny-great, entered this world on February 5, 1940. Born in Strawberry, Arkansas, to Alex Elijah and Oretha Mae Crabtree Taylor, she was one of five siblings. One of those being her twin brother and built-in best friend, Willie. Willie and Willene were a tornado of fun, often the source of laughter and mischief. Where Willie was full of jokes, Willene was quick-witted and spunky.
On July 14, 1957, Willene married her high school sweetheart, James ”Jim” Massey. Together, they would spend nearly 66 years demonstrating what a Godly marriage looks like. They moved to Indiana for a few years, where they started their family. Twila Jeanette was the first of four, and when they discovered Willene was having twins, they moved back to Strawberry. In 1961, their family of three grew to a family of five with the birth of James Taylor and Jeffery Allen. However, heartache struck just two years later when they lost Jeffery Allen; thankfully, the good Lord saw fit to bless them with another child, Pamela Machell. Willene was blessed to enjoy ten grandchildren and twenty-six great-grandchildren, and through them all, left a legacy of love spanning three states.
Willene’s resume reads like that of a traditional homemaker of her time. She was known for making some of the best rolls and pies around town. She took pride in keeping a tidy home, in maintaining a garden and beautiful flowers, and opening her home to anyone passing by. Willene did spend time working outside of her home in various roles. She spent time working within the Strawberry school system as a lunchroom cook. The General Store would not have been the same without her big smile and welcoming voice as she assisted her dear friend Geneva Durham in keeping the place running. She enjoyed her time working in retail and also worked at the Strawberry Grocery and Saffell Grocery. Willene was an accomplished seamstress and could sew anything, a three-piece suit for James and wedding dresses for both daughters. However, one of her proudest creations were the baby quilts she made for each of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
While Willene enjoyed working in the community, she took the most pride in taking care of her family. From counting the cows with Jim to showing her grands her beautiful flowers, Willene always found a way to make you feel welcome. No one who arrived at her doorstep was a stranger, and absolutely no one left hungry. Her family fondly remembers her asking often, ”Have you eaten?” ”Are you hungry?” ”What do you want to eat?” And of course, never forget the importance of eating your dessert first. Willene loved all things sweets and believed that life was too short not to enjoy the little things in life.
Over the last five years, dementia took a great toll on Willene. Her favorite game show, Wheel of Fortune, lost its appeal. Her word searches, sudoku puzzles and coloring pages became harder and harder to complete. Names, faces, and memories slowly faded away. Yet one thing that never waivered was her love for the Lord (okay, okay and desserts, she loved desserts until the end). While she often struggled with what year it was and who was who, she never lost her love of the Lord. During online church services, she would hum and sing along with the hymns. Just this past Christmas, she sang ”It Is Well” at the dining room table. Without a doubt, she is praising His name in Heaven, singing ”It is well with my soul,” completely healed from her earthly pain.
She was preceded in death by her husband, James ”Jim”; her parents; sister, Daphne (John) Wyatt; brothers, Taylor C. (Carol) Taylor and Willie Taylor; son, Jeffery Allen; son-in-law, Rick Cook; and great-granddaughter, Willow Cook. She is survived by her baby brother, Stephen (Paula) Taylor, of Strawberry; sister-in-law, Joy Taylor, of Springdale; and three children: Twila Massey, of Strawberry; James (Terrie) Massey, of Strawberry; and Pamela Cook, of El Dorado. She leaves behind ten grandchildren: Tai Kirby, Centerton; Trent (Ginger) Polston, Lake Charles, LA; Thomas (Samantha) Polston, Strawberry; Terra Polston, Strawberry; Kari Ring, Cave City; Jeffery (Holly) Massey, Cookeville, TN; Blake (Jodi) Massey, Strawberry; Lori (Chris) Blevins, Lynn; Taylon (Daniel) Steele, El Dorado; Jared Cook, El Dorado, along with the great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, church family, and friends, all of whom she loved dearly.
A celebration of life will be held on Tuesday, June 18th at the Strawberry Church of Christ, 80 N. Main St, Strawberry, AR, beginning at 10 a.m. Visitation will follow immediately after the service. Interment will take place at Ward Cemetery, off Hwy. 230, outside Strawberry, at noon Pallbearers will be Chris Blevins, Jared Cook, Blake Massey, Jeffery Massey, Thomas Polston, Trent Polston, and Daniel Steele. Honorary pallbearers include Eddie Durham, Chad Taylor, Todd Foster, Mike Ober, Greg Taylor, Tim Taylor, Chuck Taylor, Taylor Wyatt, Brent Massey, Stayton Massey, Richard Massey, Joe Massey, and Kinnie Martin.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Children’s Home, 5515 Walcott Rd, Paragould, AR 72450; Arkansas Children’s Hospital, 1 Children’s Way, Little Rock, AR 72202; Ward Cemetery, c/o Bank of Cave City in Strawberry, AR or the charity of your choice.
