Homegoing Services for Mrs. Mattie Mae Billings, Saturday, November 2, 2013, 12:00 Noon, New Moriah Christian Ministry 1224 Constitution Road, SE, Atlanta, Georgia 30316, Pastor Cynthia Smith, Officiating

HOJ\\E ~~OING SERVICES FOR
Saturday, November 2, 2013 12:00 Noon
NEW MORIAH CHRISTIAN MINISTRY 1224 Constitution Road, SE Atlanta, Georgia 30316
Pastor Cynthia Smith, Officiating

Mattie Mae Billings was born on February 6, 1922 to Mr. Gabert Tatum and Mary Ferrell Hinkle in Lagrange, Georgia. J\1attie spent some time on the farm in Troup County "vith her grandparents Will and Mattie Flowers. At the age of eight, Mattie was sent to live with her .1'-\..unt Arelia Cotton in .1'-\..tlanta, Georgia. Mattie quickly adjusted to the big city life \-vhich \-vas drastically different from living on a farm of her parents.
Mattie grew up in during a time in the south in \vhich segregation existed so she \-Vas home schooled and began working at the age of fourteen. J\1attie held several jobs as a young adult but quickly found her niche at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in do"vnto\vn .1'-\..tlanta. Mattie \-vorked at the Marriott Marquis several years before retiring in the early 1980's.
J\1attie married her beloved husband, Jesse Frank Billings, soon after she began work at the Marriott. The t\-vo settled into their newly purchased home 1611 Terry Mill Road. When the t\-vo met, Jesse had a daughter from a previous marriage and J\1attie had two sons from her previous marriage. Mattie gave birth to seven kids after the couple settled down: five boys and t\-vo girls. It \-Vas no secret that she loved her boys. Mattie took in her elderly mother, Mary Hinkle, who had moved to .1'-\..tlanta to live with her. Mary Hinkle passed away in 1977 and Mattie returned her mothers' body to Lagrange, Georgia.
J\1attie was affectionately kno\vn as Ms. Mae to everyone that kne\-v her in her neighborhood of East Atlanta. She never met a stranger because she fed anyone that came to her door in need. She never denied a person life's necessities: food and shelter. J\1attie \-vas a giving person that would literally give you the shirt off her back to \Vear. Every time she cooked, there was enough to feed a small army. Mattie never complained about anything and she always got the job done.
J\1attie's favorite thing to do later in her life \-vas to spend time with her grandchildren and other family members that came to visit and talk with her. On October 27, 2013, J aquan "Big Bubba" went to \vake her up on Sunday morning as he always did on the \-veekends, but peacefully Mattie had departed this life while she slept.
~fattie J\1ae Billings \-vas preceded in death by her beloved husband, Jesse F. Billings; sons, James R. Cotton, Raymond Cotton, Donald Billings, and Michael J\1ilam; sisters Ida, Elizabeth, and Hattie Mae; brother, Ben. J\1attie leaves to carry on her loving and giving spirit: daughters, Doris _A_. Jackson, Franees Gail "D.C" Milam, and Janice J\1ilam; sons, Gerald "Pete" Cotton, Leon "Hulk" Billings, and Mark Milam; grandchildren, Curtis, Valerie (Ronnie), Dwayne, Brenda (Ricardo), Donna, Curtis, Larry, Debra, Anthony, Dexter, _Adrienne, Randall, Ahmaya (Ibarya), .1'-\.ngel, Quinton, Thomasina, Jeffrey, and Jaquan; twenty great-grandchildren, six great-great grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephe\-vs, other relatives and friends.

I didn)t realize how hard this dqy would be You told me about it but I neglected to plan tar~ful!J
The l~feyou led I muld on!J hope to produce ha!f You gave without regard and I know God neededyou batk
.He lentyou to usfor agenerous amount iftime
My lffe from tlJZs dqy fonvard will take some time to get ba~k on tra~k ,__Angel Milam
Atfirst I didn )tget it) but it wasn )t meantfor me to. A woman that gave) gave) and gave but rare!J given to.
She loved without words and her actions .rpoke loud.
Treated all as her thildren zs what Mattie Mae was about.
A'!)'one who met her definite!J felt herpresente) Because knowing her was a gift and her tompa'!)' was the "present. ))
She fed the mmmuniry and opened up her doon~ never wanting a'!)'thing in return)
But a little bit oftompa'!J' is what she adored.
She would talk for hours about all sorts ifthings)
Most I didn )t relate to unless we talkedfashion and rings. She loved to dress and Big M stqyedf!Y)
Grandma tru!J lived so her Jpirit will never die. ,___ Dabriah Sease

Don'tgrieve for mefor now I'm free. I'm following the path God laidfor me. I took hi.r hand when I heard him call.
I turned my back and left it all.
I wuld not .rtqy another dqy, To laugh, to love, to work, orplqy. Ta.rk.r left undone mu.rt .rtqy that wqy, I've found thatpeat-Y: at the do.re oj'dqy.
Ifmy parting ha.r left a void,
Then jill it with remembered;qy. A friend.rhip .rhared, a laugh, a ki.r.r, Ahye.r, the.re thing.r I too will mi.r.r.
Be not burdened with time.r if.rorrow: I wi.rhyou the .run.rhine iftomorrow.
My life'.r been full I've savored much, Good timeJ~ goodfriendJ~ a loved one'.r tout-h.
Perhap.r nry time seemed all to brief,
Don't lenghten it now with undue grief Lift upyour heart and share with me, God wanted me now, he .ret me free.

Processional Selection.................................................................................... Mary Ann Hull Scripture Readings
Old Testament...............................................................Minister Janet Sander New Testament.........................................................Minister Ronney Johnson Poem..........................................................................................Dabriah Sease Prayer............................................................................ Minister Terry Billingsley Solo......................................................................................Mother Mary Gantt Reading................................................................................Pastor Irma Thomas
Matthew 25:3540
Reflections (TJ:uee Minutes, Please) ..................................................Friends and Family Poem............................................................................Mae Frances Wade, Niece
Obituary (Read Silently) Eulogy................................................................................Pastor Cynthia Smith
New Moriah Christian Ministries _A_cknowledgements ......................................................Donald Trimble Mortuary Staff Recessional. ................................................................................Catherine Smith Postlude
I<ennedy Memorial Garden 2500 River Road
Ellenwood, Georgia
~
1224 Constitution Road, SE Atlanta, Georgia 30316

y~~
Jasmine Gresham Ahmaya Yasharahla Thomasina Milam Gawaya Yasharahla
Randall ~1ilan Quinton Herndon
Mark ~1ilam Walter Green Quavius ~1ilam Quentin Gresham
~~~~
Thank you to Grady Memorial Geriatric Clinic and Floor 10-'---\. for all of the attention and caring they sho\ved over the past t\vo years. Thanks to ~ew Moriah Christian ~finistries for opening their doors to the family. Thanks to Valerie Johnson eldest granddaughter for your efforts and hardwork in putting together the service. I<aren Polly, Denise Rueben, Dabriah Sease, Sierra Sorrell, Sherica Coleman,The Hunt Family, Rice farnily, Harris Family, I<roger Family at Caroline St. Atlanta; and J abari Hayes of Bavarian Collision.
~
The family will ahvays remember each expression of kindness, sympathy, loving thoughts, concerns, the many phone calls, and those \vho shared in some way during the bereavement of our beloved Mattie ~fae Billings. We ask for your continued prayers as we go forward in the days ahead and we thank God for people like you.
Darryl Allen's PLUS 404.755.0965