Laura "Marie" McKnight May

April 29, 2023
Laura "Marie" McKnight May Laura "Marie" McKnight May

Laura “Marie” McKnight May, 94, of Rusk, TX, passed from this life April 22, 2023, at the Angelina House in Jacksonville, TX. She was born February 14, 1929, in Dialville, TX to Columbus “Lum” Johnson McKnight and Gracie Gilmore Poston McKnight. She graduated from high school and went on to beauty school to learn to be a beautician. She is a member of First Baptist Church in Rusk, TX.

Mrs. May, who was affectionately known as “Gran,” loved to cook, read, garden, and spend time with her grandchildren. She loved life, loved to travel, camp, and even went ziplining for her 85th birthday. Not to mention, she thought about skydiving after her ziplining experience. Gran always found time to volunteer at the Good Samaritan with her late husband, William May, and spread love and kindness to everyone she encountered. With all of that, she even found the time to spend with her Lunch Bunch Ladies.

Mrs. May is survived by her grandchildren: William Craig May and his wife Annie of Grandview, TX, Bradley Allen May of Coral Springs, FL, Shane Eugene May and his wife Amy of Oak Point, TX, Austin Waddle of Rockwall, TX, Amber Dawn Douglas and her husband Joshua of Lakeland, FL, Clayton Waddle of Garland, TX, and Eric Wynn; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces & nephews, great grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, and countless friends.

She is preceded in death by her parents; her husbands: Edward L. Wynn & William Benjamin May; her children: Linda McKnight, Laura Adelle Waddle, Jimmy Wynn, Randy Craig May; her brothers and sisters; and her best friend: Peggy Abernathy.

The May family would like to say “Thank you” to Natalie, her team, & the staff at Heart-to-Heart Hospice, the staff at Comfort Keepers Home Healthcare, and the team at Angelina House, for standing by her and the family’s side until her final moments.

A time of visitation with Mrs. May’s family will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday, May 1, 2023, at the Wallace-Thompson Funeral Home, in Rusk, TX. A Celebration of Her Life will be held on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. in the Chapel of the Wallace-Thompson Funeral Home with Randall Stewart officiating. Interment will follow at the Cedar Hill Cemetery in Rusk, TX.

The pallbearers will be her great grandsons Hunter Leggett & Brice May, grandsons William Craig May, Shane May, Austin Waddle, and Clayton Waddle. Honorary Pallbearers will be Janis Martinez, Beverly Parsons, and Laura Brown