Visitation services for Wanslie LaTrelle Ivey Poole, 93, of Clarkesville, were held Thursday, Feb. 11, at Hillside Memorial Chapel in Clarkesville. She will be returned for final resting place beside her husband at Oakdale Baptist Church cemetery in Canton, where a graveside service will be held with family and close friends.
Mrs. Poole passed away Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021.
Born May 11, 1927, she was the daughter of the late Joseph Olin Ivey Sr. and Iva Ida Goolsby Ivey. In addition to her parents, she was preceded by her beloved and much missed husband, Grady Lee Poole; son, David Grady Poole; brother, Joseph "Joe" Olin Ivey Jr.; sister, Elaine Ivey Payne, sisters-in-law, Barbara Ivey and Pat Ivey; brother-in-law, J. Deforrest Payne; her treasured niece, Sheryl Payne; and several cousins and other extended family.
She grew up in Atlanta with a younger brother and sister. She graduated from West Fulton High School on June 1, 1944. She married the love of her life, the late Grady Lee Poole, on June 2, 1944. She was 17 years old when she married. She had met Grady two years earlier, when he came to Atlanta from Canton to work, renting a home in her neighborhood. When her own mother commented that he was a nice young man, she remembered saying "she wouldn't have him if he was presented on a silver platter." However, she had the honor of being married to him for almost 72 years before he died. Wanslie and Grady first lived in Atlanta, where Grady sold insurance. When Grady was drafted into the Army during World War II and sent to serve at Camp Lee in Virginia, she followed him. They lived with two other couples in a shared space in someone else's home. She worked nights at the telephone company there. After that, they lived in South Georgia, owning a service station for a time. They moved back to Wanslie's native Atlanta, buying a home in the early 1950's in Southwest Atlanta. There she raised her family a daughter, Jan and a son, David. While Grady worked long hours selling Life Insurance, she maintained the home. In the 1960's and 1970's, she sold Avon. She also became a Real Estate agent as well. Her home had many perfume and cologne bottles collected from her time selling Avon. In Atlanta, she met some life-long friends, and she enjoyed playing Bridge and traveling in later years. A close friend taught her to sew, and she enjoyed making clothes for her children and grandchildren and in later years doll clothes and other items for her great-grandchildren. While in Atlanta, she attended Jefferson Avenue Baptist Church, with both immediate and extended family. She made some life-long friends there as well. In the 1980's, Wanslie went to work for Davidson's Department store at Cobb Galleria Mall, which was later bought by Macy's. She worked her way up from an associate in the women's accessories department to working in the customer service department. She retired there after 10 years of dedicated service. In 1992, she and Grady sold their home in Atlanta and moved to Clarkesville, buying a home on several acres that allowed Grady to return to his farming roots and have a large garden. While there, Wanslie helped establish the Clarkesville Garden Club and was involved for a very long time. She enjoyed the garden club very much, and she enjoyed decorating and assisting with the annual fundraiser for multiple years, a fashion show! She joined Bethlehem Baptist Church in Clarkesville, where she and Grady enjoyed attending for many, many years. She enjoyed trips with her Sunday school class. Later, she joined Clarkesville Baptist Church. She and Grady enjoyed traveling in their later years. They traveled to the northwest part of the country, where they met fellow travelers from Australia that she maintained a friendship with for many years. She enjoyed an active social life in Clarkesville, where she made her home from 1992 until her death.
She is survived by her daughter, Jan Holbrook; daughter-in-law, Elaine Key Poole; granddaughter, Michelle Holbrook Homier; grandsons, Michael Holbrook and wife, Jennifer, Nick Poole and wife, Maribeth, Philp Poole and wife, Danielle, and Alex Poole; great-grandchildren, Jonathan Holbrook, Riley Homier, Paleigh Homier, Zoely Homier, and Colton Poole. She is also survived by a cousin, Wanda Daughtry and husband, Bill; and many nieces, nephews, and grand-nieces and nephews and their families, many of whom she was close with. She will also be remembered by many close friends.
In lieu of flowers, we are sure she would request donations to the following organizations that are near and dear to her and her family's hearts, Georgia Baptist Children's Home, Donate GBCH&FM (georgiachildren.org) or P.O. Box 329, Palmetto, GA 30268; Bethany Christian Services, Donate Attn: Donor Records, 901 Eastern Ave. NE, P.O. Box 294, Grand Rapids, MI 49501-0294; or Clarkesville Baptist Church, 1287 Washington St., P. O. Box 667, Clarkesville, GA 30523.
An online guest registry is available at HillsideMemorialChapel.com.
Arrangements were in the care of Hillside Memorial Chapel, Clarkesville.