Mrs. Marilee McElmurry Robertson

Coleman Funeral Home of Olive Branch Mrs. Marilee M. Robertson, 82, passed away at her residence in Memphis, TN, on Friday, January 5, 2018. A visitation will be held Thursday, January 11, 2018, at Coleman Funeral Home beginning at 6:00 p.m., until 8:00 p.m. A Celebration of Life will be held Friday, January 12, 2018, at 10:30 a.m. at Coleman Funeral Home. A Family Interment will follow later Friday afternoon at Memphis Memory Gardens in Memphis. Coleman Funeral Home of Olive Branch is in charge of arrangements. Mrs. Robertson was born in September 1935 in Leslie, AR. She worked for Jones and Laughlin Steel Company beginning at age 19 until she retired in 1993. After retiring, she became a realtor and was part of the Memphis Association of Realtors. Mrs. Robertson sold many of her neighbors their houses. She enjoyed working with them and guiding them through every step of the home buying process. Mrs. Robertson will be remembered as someone who loved everyone – if you knew her, you know she loved to love on people. She cherished the time spent with her family and her extended family, her neighbors. All would remember to visit her around the holidays, especially Halloween for her special goodie-bags and Christmas to see her decorations. Mrs. Robertson was one to decorate for her favorite holiday, Christmas, even the bathrooms! She had over 80 boxes with items to put out on display each year. She was often referred to as “a kid at heart” by her mother and others in our family and that was shown by how she decorated and spent time with others during the holidays. Aside from the holidays, one would be able to find Mrs. Robertson in her yard, tending to her flowers (varying shades of blues with daylilies and irises). Each thumb was green and everyone knew it as she was often asked to help bring back family plants and neighborhood greenery throughout the years. Mrs. Robertson was also a teacher. She taught her children and grandchildren many important things throughout her time with them. She grew peanuts and cotton just so her children could see how things go from a seed to a fully grown plant. The family had a caterpillar one time and gave it a home in the jar with leaves and other items needed to grow. Mrs. Robertson had each of the children watch it grow and mature into a butterfly. Mrs. Robertson taught all of her children to read and write before they were in school. The greatest thing she taught her family was how to love others – not just their own siblings or relatives, but everyone. She will be remembered for that great quality. Mrs. Robertson leaves behind her sons, Thomas (Sharon) Robertson of Issaquah, WA, and John Robertson of Chattanooga, TN; daughter, Adrienne (Rocky) Murphy of Olive Branch, MS; nephew, Mike Montgomery of Jackson, MS; 7 grandchildren, Ashley (Mike), Chris, Amanda, Tyler, Rhys, Michael, and McKenna; 4 great-grandchildren, Hunter, Maggie, Cam, and Jonathan; and a host of high school classmates and lifelong friends. Mrs. Robertson joins her daughter, Melinda Katherine Robertson; father and mother, Adrian “Shorty” and Annie McElmurry; and sister, Nell Mae Tucker in Heaven. Memorials and contributions may be made in honor of Mrs. Marilee Robertson to the West Cancer Clinic (www.westcancerclinic.org/donate/) or to Methodist Hospice (Methodist Foundation; Attn: Methodist Hospice; P.O. Box 42048; Memphis, TN 38119). Online condolences may be left on her Tribute Wall at www.colemanfuneralhome.com.