Ethel Mae Wilson Austin

Ethel Mae was born on January 9, 1934 to the late Mr. Willie and Mrs. Daisy Pegues Wilson in Oxford, Mississippi. Ethel Mae, as she was so affectionately called by her parents and family members, was the youngest of four children born to the Wilson union, but was the only one to survive infancy. Being an only surviving child, Ethel took on her first cousins who lived next door to her as her sisters and brothers; there she became one of nine: Gus, A.J., Grace, Edna, JoLinder, Joe, Betty and John. Ethel was united in holy matrimony to the late Mr. Grant Austin, to this marriage her only child, William, was born. Ethel was active in the T.O.M.B., serving as Secretary of the District Congress for over thirty years, coordinated the Kitchen activities for the T.O.M.B. Congress and Association and worked for many years with the late Mr. Lee Thomas in coordinating the trip to the National Congress of Christian Education each year, of which she was an attendee for twenty-five consecutive years preparing herself to better serve her church and community. Ethel was active in civic and fraternal organizations as a member of the Senior Sewing and Savings Club, a charter member of the Eastside Homemakers Club and the Order of the Eastern Star. Ethel served as Matron of Philadelphia Chapter O.E.S. #277 for over thirty years, served as Grand Recorder/Grand Secretary for Bathsheba Grand Chapter P.H.A. jurisdiction of Mississippi from 1970-1990. Following a long battle with Alzheimer's, she quietly entered eternal rest October 28, 2014, leaving the "apple of her eye", her only son, William. Her grandson and granddaughter, Kenneth and Gloria Smith, the other "apple of her eye", her great-grandson, Keon. Ethel also leaves her extended family: her daughter-in-law, Jackie Vinson and the Vinson siblings, who she called her grandchildren: Aleah, J.T. and Alex, her sister-in-law, Katherine Austin Buford (Leon), her sisters and brothers: Augusta (Ervin) of Delaware, A.J.(Lena) of Oxford, Ester, Edna and Joe (Joann) of Flint, MI, Betty of GA, John (Marilyn) of Oxford, James (Sarah) and Elizabeth (Earl) of Muskegon, MI, her dear cousins and care givers, who were there for her, John (Dorothy) Pegues and her name sake: Ethelene Pegues, who gave the ultimate care to Ethel during her final years. She leaves several nieces and nephews and two special friends to the end: Mrs. Ruth Brown and Mrs. Jeanette Thomas. Online condolences may be left on the Tribute Wall of this website.