Mary Denton Willis

Mary Denton Willis of Franklin, Kentucky, passed away peacefully on March 10, 2026, surrounded by loved ones.

Born on November 17, 1931, in Simpson County to Samuel “Sam” Grainger and Zenobia “Nobie” Johnson Grainger, Mary grew up on the family farm in the Neosho area with her two older sisters. The nearby Sulphur Spring Baptist Church held a special place in her childhood. She later met her husband, T.C. Willis, while working at the local drugstore, which they eventually purchased and operated together as Shugart & Willis. Even while working full-time, Mary remained a devoted and attentive mother and wife.

In retirement, she and T.C. enjoyed traveling on bus trips across the United States with friends, wintering in Okeechobee, Florida, and playing Rook and dominoes with their circle of friends. A longtime member of First Baptist Church, Mary loved singing with the Senior Reflections Choir. Yet her greatest joy was being Granny, spending cherished time with her grandchildren and, later, her great-grandchildren.

Mary was celebrated for her Southern cooking, especially her miniature chocolate meringue pies that were always in demand at bake sales. She possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of local families, able to trace lineages back three generations and recall where ancestors were buried. Even from Florida, she stayed remarkably connected to news from the Franklin area. In her later years, though limited by weakness and chronic pain, her easy-going nature and good humor remained unchanged, endearing her to the caregivers who became like family.

She is survived by her children, Van Willis (Kathy), Clint Willis (Amy), and Mina Willis; her grandchildren, Sam Willis, Jessica Ellzey (Antonio), Adaline Smith (Keaton), Mary Grace Willis (Joey), Miranda Bain (Nathan), and Zach Willis; her great-grandchildren, Norah Gray, Annie, CJ, Hattie, Declan, and Baby Ellzey; her nieces and nephew, Beth Dunn, Ron Dunn, Fran Meador and Marla Link; many great nieces and nephews; and her devoted caregivers, Debbie Barnett Link, Pam Anderson Gray, Tonya Hall, and Charlotte Anderson.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, T.C. Willis; her parents; her sisters, Louise Meador and Elizabeth “Libby” Dunn; her sister-in-law, Floy Groves; her niece, Connie Eubanks; and her nephews, Kent Groves and Marty Meador.