Mary Etta Brookshire

Mary Etta Brookshire was born December 20, 1920. She entered heaven 11:42 pm Saturday 12/2/17. She was totally calm.

One of 12 children, she grew up during the Great Depression. To help support her family, though an excellent student and life-long avid reader, she dropped out at age 16 and became a spinner in a cotton mill. She gave her earnings to her mother. She worked all her life.

Eventually, she worked in Echota Cotton Mill where Rev. Robert Brookshire was an overseer. She met and married his youngest son Lester in 1941. He was a weaver.

Lester became a Technical Sergeant and Flight Engineer and Waist Gunner for heavy bombers B- 24s and B-17s, flying 25 bombing missions over Germany and occupied countries in 1944, receiving many medals including a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. Mary worked at Combustion Engineering as what is now called a "Rosie the Riveter." Being tiny, she was hired as a bucker because she could crawl inside the wings of war planes and hold a piece of steel over a hole while a lady on the outside drove a rivet against it. She was building the planes while her husband flew in them.

Mary continued working in various jobs including carpet mills until about age 70. She was a member of Pleasant Valley South Baptist Church.

Mrs. Brookshire was preceded to heaven by her parents Alex and Mary Wofford, by siblings Buford Wofford killed in WWII, Ann Crump, James Wofford, Drucie Wofford, Kathleen Riley, Francis Scruggs, Gene Wofford, Dean Corlie, Irene Wofford, Barbara Wofford, youngest son Barry Brookshire, and husband Lester Brookshire, Sr.

Mrs. Brookshire is survived by a brother Don Wofford and his wife Evelyn of Summerville Georgia, son Lester Brookshire Jr. and his wife Wanda of Rome Georgia, granddaughter Agnes Bevels and husband Dan of Rome Georgia, great granddaughter Emily Brittingham and husband Hunter of Chattanooga Tennessee, great granddaughter Elizabeth Bevels of Cleveland Tennessee, various nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank Chulio Hills for their exceptional love and care of our mother and the doctors and staff at Floyd Medical Center for their prompt and decisive care. We are blessed to have these institutions.

The funeral service will be conducted on Monday, December 4th at 3:00 p.m. from the chapel of Max Brannon and Sons Funeral Home. Dr. Phil May will officiate. Burial will follow in Gordon Memorial Gardens. Pallbearers serving are Wayne Worsham, Terry Simmons, Eddy Hawkins, Dan Bevels, Phil Reed, and Otha Youngblood.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Monday, December 4th from 2:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m.

Condolences may be left online at www.maxbrannonandsons.com. Arrangements are under the care and direction of Max Brannon and Sons Funeral Home of Calhoun.