Mary E. Gant, Butler, 89, went home to be with the Lord Saturday, May 16, 2026, at North Mississippi Medical Center Hospice in Tupelo, MS.
She was born August 26, 1936, in Vaiden, MS, the daughter of the late John B. and Minnie Lee.
When she was 5, her family moved into the hills just off of Hwy 35 near Vaiden where she resided the rest of her earthly life.
She is preceded in death by her brothers, John B. Lee Jr., Robert E. Lee, and Ruben Odell Lee.
She was a former and long-time employee of J.A. Olsen Company in Winona, as was her first husband, the late Murphy Gant of Blackmonton. Upon retirement, and thirteen years a widow, she married the late Wayne Butler of Winona and loved his sons, David, John, and Robert like they were her own.
Mary, whom everyone affectionately called “Sissy,” had three passions in life: her church, her family, and her garden.
She was a member of Blackmonton Presbyterian Church of Vaiden and is survived by a daughter, Brenda Gant Stafford of Blue Springs, MS and two sons, Lathern Gant of Senatobia, MS and Mike Gant of Conway, AR. In addition, she had many grandchildren, great grandchildren, and even great-great grandchildren. Several of them were present with her at the time of her death.
She was close friends with and is survived by Maydeen Lee, the wife of her brother, the late Ruben Odell.
Before neuropathy and bouts of vertigo plagued her, Sissy could be seen mowing her grass, tending and canning her tomatoes and beans, and preparing way too much food for her children and grands whom she complained didn’t come to see her enough. Her weekends were also spent tending to the needs and functions of Blackmonton and Shongalo Church with Maydeen. From time-to-time, she would even slip off with the Baptists, “The Live Wires” of Vaiden Baptist Church, into the Appalachian Mountains which was her favorite getaway. Mary loved Jesus; She loved her family; And she loved a simple life.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, May 23rd at Oliver Funeral Home in Winona. Visitation is from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm with a chapel service at Oliver immediately after. Burial will follow at Vaiden Cemetery.
Pallbearers for the service are Preston Gant (grandson), Michael Gant (grandson), Cameron Stafford (great grandson), David and Robert Butler (sons of the late Wayne Butler), and Ray McGehee (long-time friend of the family).
Honorary pallbearers include Ruling Elder, Joe Don Jones of Blackmonton Presbyterian Church and Ruling Elders Bob McEachern, Ken McDougal, and Chris McRae of Shongalo Presbyterian Church, along with Deacons, Dr. Marty Caldwell, Stan Rodgers, and Shannon Self, also of Shongalo.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made in Mary’s memory to either ℅ Blackmonton Presbyterian Church at Bank of Commerce in Vaiden or ℅ Mary G Butler at Bank of Winona.