Mary Emily Wilson

Mrs. Emily Wilson age 85, of Griffin passed away peacefully at her home on Sunday, January 22, 2023. She was born Mary Emily Howard on October 9, 1937 to Harvey L. Howard, Sr., and Flora Elder Howard. She was educated in the local school system and graduated from Griffin High School in 1955. She received her B.S. in Education from Tift College and her Master’s Degree in Middle School Education from West Georgia College. Emily taught for 30 years in the Griffin-Spalding County School System and spent the last 11 years of her career at Taylor Street Middle School where she was selected as system wide teacher of the year in 1998.
Emily married her high school sweetheart, Frank S. Wilson, Sr. in August of 1957 and they became parents to four daughters and one son. In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by two daughters; Susan Anne Wilson and Judy Wilson Dixon; her sisters, Dorothy Craze, Janelle Gipson, and Barbara Howard; her brother, Frank Whitton; nephew Jack Gipson; and sons-in-law, Tom Grubb and Bill Dixon.
Mrs. Wilson was a longtime member of First Baptist Church of Griffin and the Lydian Sunday School Class. She taught Sunday School classes for many years at Luella Baptist Church and at First Baptist. She was a past member of the Georgia Association of Educators, and the Griffin-Spalding Retired Teachers Association. She was also a past member of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. Emily loved to read anything she could, and she especially enjoyed writing, memorizing and reciting poetry. She was a past longtime manager of voting precinct # 7 and she also loved to accompany the Junior Deputy youngsters on their annual trips to Washington, D.C. After retirement she traveled to Europe several times with special friends and celebrated her 75th birthday with a ride in a hot air balloon. She very much loved her family, her life with Frank out at the farm, and all the children she taught over the years.
Mrs. Wilson is survived by her husband of 65 years, Frank S. Wilson, Sr., daughters, Beth Wilson Griffin (David); Emily Wilson Ebinger (David); son Frank S. Wilson, Jr. (Melissa); nine grandchildren, Sara D. Davis (Ben), Ben Dixon (Tracey), Jessica G. Rooks (Stephen), Tripp Wilson (Niki), Cameron Wilson, Nathan Wilson, Danielle Wilson, Katie Ebinger, John Ebinger; her great-grandchildren, Hope Dixon, Dallas, Tanner, and Leo Dixon, Henry, Maggie, and Ruth Rooks, and Will Wilson. She is also survived by brothers Harvey L. Howard, Jr., and Byron Howard (Denise), brother-in-law, George Wilson, sister-in-law Georgia Wilson Jones, and many, many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, and great friends.
Visitation for Emily Wilson will be Thursday, January 26, 2023 from 2:00 pm until 4:00 pm at Conner-Westbury Funeral Home. Following the visitation, a funeral service will be in the Chapel officiated by Reverend Dan Wilson. Interment will be in Oak Hill Cemetery.