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Obituary for WILLA MAE PLATER
Willa Mae Wallace Plater was born on May 24, 1936 in Calvert County, Maryland. Willa Mae was the fourth daughter of the late Grant and Hilda Wallace. There were 19 siblings in all, 16 girls and 3 boys.
Willa Mac earned her high school diploma in 1955. She was married to her high school sweetheart Kenneth E. Plater (KP) in 1954. From this union there were seven sons; Tyrone, Gerald, Kenneth, Garrick (deceased), Edwin, Ronnie and Tony. As a young adult she attended Mount Hope United Methodist Church. Later she changed her membership to Bethel Way of the Cross Church under the leadership of the late Bishop A. Jacob Green. Willa Mac was baptized in Jesus Name on November 3, 1957 at Bethel Way of the Cross Church and later she was filled with the precious gift of the Holy Ghost. She was a member of Bethel for 59 years serving faithfully on the Senior Choir, Pastor's Choir, Sisterhood Choir, Missionary Board, Usher Board and attended Sunday School regularly. Sister Plater loved to sing. She sang many solos at different events. She was very faithful to her church and had great respect and passion for her pastor.
Missionary Willa Mae worked in many job capacities. In her early life she worked at the Calvert Memorial hospital. Later, she worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) in nursing & private homes. She also worked in the Calvert County Public School System as a substitute teacher for ten years. She went to Cosmetology School and graduated in 1969. She worked in various shops around the area then decided to open her own hair salon (Plater's Beauty Salon) for thirty years. Missionary Willa Mae was a devoted wife and loving mother and a hard worker. At times, she worked three jobs, whatever it took to help raise her children. She was a mother to many other people. She kept many people in her home and treated them as her own, including her grandson, Teon, who became her eighth son. At one time folks began to call her home the (House of Ruth). She had a giving heart, she gave until it hurt but never changed. She had many that called her "MOM". As many of us know, her favorite food was fried chicken!
Her favorite songs were: God Specializes, Precious Lord and Silver and Gold. Her favorite scriptures: "Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness...” PSALMS 107:31 & "The Lord is my light & my salvation...” Psalms 27:1."
Missionary Willa Mae will be remembered by her six sons: Tyrone (Stephanie-deceased), Gerald (Crystal), Kenneth (Judith), Edwin (Tracy), Ronnie (Lorie) and Tony (Robyn); her nephew Eugene Plater was very close to her; 23 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren, step daughter Joan (Robert) and 1 step son Oswald (Claudia). Nine living siblings: Ida (Paul-deceased), Edith, Dorothy (Leon-deceased), Ruthie (Leon), Agnes (Alfred), Aubrey (Elizabeth), Thelma (Arthur Lee), Dale (Timothy) & Rondallyn; 2 aunts-Nina Reid & Helen Ray; one uncle, Webster Reid; two Godsons, Henry Jones and Jack Barlow, Jr.; three Goddaughters, Erica Makel, Angela Jones and Annette Ellison; 2 adopted daughters, Dianne Gray and Joann Gilcrest. She also had 3 special daughters, Casaundra Easton, Cinderella Claggett, and Tisa Crowner. Her special sister, Ruthie Jones was more than a sister; she was a caring and devoted sister who made sure she kept up with her doctor's appointments. Special friends were Sister Helen Spriggs, Delores Howe, and Mother Emma Easton. Her life-long friends were JoAnn Benson and Ann Tyler. She also leaves a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, Bethel church family and friends.
Nine siblings preceded her in death: Martha (Floyd-deceased), Wilson, Iola, Stanley, Rosemary Janice and 3 siblings at child birth wino names. Missionary Willa Mac Plater leaves her earthly family to join her husband, Kenneth Elsworth Plater that preceded her in death on July 23, 2007.
