Funeral services were held at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, at Elliott Baptist Church celebrating the life of Mary Elizabeth Chambley Corley, 93, who departed this life at her earthly home for her heavenly home on Thursday, Dec. 14, surrounded by her family. A private family committal service followed in Oakwood Cemetery in Winona. Visitation was held one hour prior to service time at the church.
Mary Elizabeth was a native of McCarley where she lived her entire life and it was the dearest place in her heart. Her husband of 54 years, Norris I. Corley, preceded her in death and she faithfully served the Lord beside him during his long ministry as a pastor with more than 40 years of service at Elliott Baptist Church. They married after his honorable discharge from the United States Navy and bought a farm that they would live on for the rest of their lives. She and Norris named the farm “The Rundown” since it required extensive work over the years and it became the family home where all were welcomed. Together, they raised Angus cattle and Yorkshire hogs, grew various crops, raised timber and planted summer and fall gardens. Many area youth spent nights on “The Rundown” where they learned about the farm life.
In the years after graduating from J.Z. George High School, Mary Elizabeth worked in Greenwood as a telephone operator for South Central Bell. Later in life, she was a bookkeeper and payroll clerk for Shirley Curtis Beauty Salons and served as a part-time postmistress at McCarley Post Office. All the while, she had a servant’s heart and ministered alongside Bro. Norris in the churches they visited, the hospitals and held the hands of the broken hearted. Her love for teaching children about God was exemplified in her pre-school Sunday school class at Elliott Baptist Church where she taught for decades.
Her passion for flower gardening was displayed all around her spacious yard. She shared these with the sick and in her gorgeous arrangements for church. She was also a wonderful seamstress, making most of her daughter’s clothes and dresses for piano recitals. Her loving nature and big heart were best demonstrated in the care of her relatives and friends when they were sick or hospitalized. She would stay days to nurture them back to health and care for their every need.
Her parents, Henry and Dorrence Bacon Chambley; her brother, Virgil Chambley, and her sister, Shirley Chambley Curtis, also preceded Mrs. Corley in death.
She will be greatly missed by her daughters, Susie Austin (Jimmy) and Lou O’Bryan (David), all of McCarley. She also leaves behind the joy of her life, her four grandchildren and four great grandchildren, Jessica Austin McCrary (Wayne) and daughter, Sara Austin Welch, all of McCarley; Brian Austin (Katy) of Mobile, Andy O’Bryan (Macon) of Oxford, and Brad O’Bryan (Monica) and their daughters, Ava Elizabeth, Ainslee Marie and Maren Hart, all of McCarley.
Pallbearers were Jeff Lancaster, Dave Lancaster, Rodney Waters, Louie Nail, Craig Morgan and Sam Marter. Honorary pallbearers were Jerone Funderburg, Charles Norris, Keith McGee, Eugene Lancaster, James Dixon, Mark Harville, Wayne Edwards and Charles Vance.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be directed to Elliott Baptist Church, 566 Nat G Troutt Rd., Grenada, MS 38901; McCarley Baptist Church, P.O. Box 125, McCarley, MS 38943 or Gideons International, P.O. Box 140800, Nashville, TN 37214.
The family would like to thank Adoration Hospice and its staff, along with their precious sitters for their tender care of Mrs. Corley over the past two years.
Online condolences can be expressed to the family at www.ofhwinona.com
Oliver Funeral Home of Winona was in charge of arrangements.
