Willie Goggins Varner A.K.A. Ma' Willie, Ms. Willie, Ms. Varner or the Telephone Queen of McDonough, was born off Bridges Road to married couple John Lee and Ever Ruth Holland Goggins, who were only 24 and 19 when Varner was born. At only 15 months old, she and her brother Tommie lost their mother, and their grandparents, Judge, and Lillie Holland, raised them while their father worked. Willie grew up in Shiloh Baptist Church in McDonough, under the leadership of Rev. C.C. Cloud and Rev. R.H. Milner. They instilled in her the Christian ideals of serving one another and your community, models she lives by today.
After Varner graduated from the Henry County Training School, she married Mr. Wyman Henley Varner, and they had one son named Henley. Sadly, in 1957 Wyman passed away unexpectedly, leaving Mrs. Varner a 25-year-old widow. After her husband's passing, Varner began to work as a community advocate. She began to partner with community leaders like J.W. Lemon to register voters after church on Sundays throughout the county; she worked on taking care of the African American section of the McDonough City Cemetery; She served on the Henry County Integration Committee and countless other leadership roles on the county commission authorities and boards, especially in her home church of Shiloh Baptist.
Two of her most significant achievements were the integration of the McDonough City Cemetery with Councilwoman and Senator Janice Horton and the development of the Henry County General Hospital.
Today marks her 91st birthday, and we wish her nothing but the best on her special today! Happy Birthday Ma' Willie!
Comments