Estella's Story

On November 12 ^th , 1945, the heavens opened up and blessed Fannie Lou Walker (mother) and Mitch Wilson (father) with a beautiful baby girl, whom they named Estella Elizabeth Wilson. Estella (affectionately called Stella) was born in Patterson, Georgia and raised in Waycross, Georgia alongside her two older sisters, Dora Janie Mays and Hattie Louise Ramsey. Stella lived in Waycross, Georgia until 1968; when she relocated to Belle Glade, Florida in search of a better life for her and her son (Maurice). Stella worked various odd jobs until she landed a job in the sugar cane field in Belle Glade, Florida. Little did Stella know that this wonderful job opportunity would be where she would meet the love of her life, Preston (Nuke) Washington.

Stella and Nuke would have and raise six more children, who all loved and adored their parents. Stella was a doting and stern mother who taught her children everything she knew. She was known to be an avid fisherwoman and was said to be one of the best to ever hold a fishing pole and a .38. She loved fishing so much that she spent many days and nights in the canals and various parts of the Okeechobee lake showing off her talents and teaching her loved ones how to perfect the craft of fishing. Stella and Nuke lived in several places, such as Pahokee and Okeechobee, Florida in search of a safe and healthy environment that provided love and family support to raise their children. Stella would welcome her first grandchild in 1990 and would have many more to love and spoil.

The day before her 47 ^th birthday (1992), Stella would experience a heartbreak like none other when the love of her life passed away. Stella did everything she could to carry on and raise her children the best way she could. She knew that she was all that her kids had and they were depending on her to be strong and she took on that challenge with pride. Stella worked various jobs to provide for herself and her children.

Stella was a strong, independent and straight to the point woman who was honest about how she felt and never sugar coated anything. She was endearingly known as GG (gangsta grandma) because of her pistol toting, tell it like it is persona. She was full of life and a blast to be around. She cared for and raised many of the neighborhood kids and was always there when she was needed. There was never a day that went by when the ones she loved didn't know what great lengths she would go to, to show her love for them.

Stella endured her share of heartaches and pains by losing a host of family members and close friends but she persevered knowing what the word of GOD commanded her to do (James 1: 2-4: Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything ). Even though Stella was strong enough to continue the good fight, GOD knew that the pains of this world were weighing heavy on Stella, so he relieved her of that pain by calling her home to glory on October 8 ^th , 2019.

Left to cherish her precious memories are her children: Maurice (Kim) Wilson, Tammy Washington, Kelvin Wilson, Prestina (Frank) Coleman, Sharonda (Anthony) Thomas and Efrem (Desiree) Washington; 23 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren; various nieces and nephews, four GOD children: Ronald Dozier, Terrence (Toby) McCray, Ivy Sergent and Arthur Harrington and her close friend, Pearline Ferguson.

Preceding her in death are: Preston (Nuke) Washington (husband), Dora Janie Mays and Hattie Louise Ramsey (sisters), Stephanie Washington (daughter) and Expavious (Tyrell) Taylor (grandson).