Winnie Mae Brantley's Obituary
Winnie Mae Brantley, 96, rested peacefully at Sarasota Memorial Hospital on April 7, 2015 after fighting back multiple injuries from an auto accident on January 14, 2015.
Winnie was born February 7, 1920 in Chiefland Florida to Robert and Lillie Margaret Edwards Nelson, the last of eight children. At three months old, Winnie’s mother passed. Winnie was raised by a great and loving church mother, Fannie Simon (Ma Simon). At the age of 18, Winnie married Arthur Brantley September 7th, 1939 in Tampa Florida. From that year on, family and friends saw young Winnie grow up with drive, determination and tenacity for life to raise her two children Marjorie Chatman and Arthur Brantley Jr. While raising Marjorie and Arthur Boy, Winnie and Arthur (Champ) by the late 1950s, on 27th Street in Newtown (now Dr. Martin Luther King Way) in Sarasota, owned a taxi Cab company, a restaurant, three rental properties and 120 land lots.
For Winnie, sitting down on a bucket with a cane pole to fish was her favorite past time. Nevertheless, Winnie moved back to Tampa to start new adventures. She purchased a home on Arch street where she maintained a collection of Black American literature, History books, and a collection of vintage bibles. Winnie was also employed by the Hillsborough County School system as a school bus driver. During her tenure with the Hillsborough County school system, she received numerous awards for safe driving. If that was not enough, In 1968, she completed 800 hours of Cooking classes by attending the Manpower training center in Tampa. Keep in mind, Winnie did not have a formal education.
Each year Winnie would travel to every Nelson/Dexter Family reunion. Today, Winnie is uniting with her late husband Arthur Brantley, Sisters: Ida Mae, Eula Mae, Willie Mae, and brothers, Alexander, Johnny, Leroy, Raleigh and Robert Jr. The Circle of Robert and Lillie Nelson is now complete, they are all together in glory.
Those who will miss Winnie the most include her children, Marjorie Chatman and Arthur Brantley Jr., grandchildren, Sheryl Rainey, Darold Rainey, Denise Brantley, Vincent McClendon, Arthur Brantley III, Amanda Haygood, Anthony Haygood. Great grandchildren, Sakinah Rainey, Jammàl Rainey, Jeremy Beal, Sheresha Rainey, Dieon Rainey, Sasha Rainey, Darold Lightburn, Shakira Rainey, Step sister Lillian Hadley Fluelling, four generations of great grands, nieces, nephews, Church members, and friends.
We will rejoice with Winnie at the chapel and interment on Saturday April 18, 2015 at 11:00 AM at Skyway Memorial Gardens, 5200 US Highway 19 N., Palmetto, Florida. Memories and condolences may be left online at www.skywaymemorial.com.
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