PRIESTLEY, Etta Mae

Published by Yuma Sun on Feb. 8, 2022 - Yuma, Arizona - Etta Mae (McGahey) Priestley was born December 28, 1920 to Jessie Alice (Griffith) and Marvin Samuel McGahey in Copita, Duval County, Texas. She passed away peacefully on January 26, 2022 in Tucson, Arizona at the age of 101. Etta Mae graduated from Falfurrias High School in Texas. In 1943 she enlisted in the United States Army Women's Army Corp in World War II and was one of the first military policewomen (MP). Etta Mae married Horatio Wayne Priestley on March 10, 1946 in Falfurrias, Texas. Twin sons, Donald and Ronald, were born in McAllen, Texas on December 19, 1946. Wayne worked for the Bureau of Reclamation and they were transferred to Yuma, AZ which would be their home for many years. Etta Mae also worked in Records Management in the US Army Yuma Proving Grounds. Wayne passed away in 1995 and Etta Mae remained a resident in Yuma until 2011 when she moved to Tucson. In addition to her parents and husband, Etta Mae was preceded in death by 5 brothers: Lloyd Glen, Lee Riverious, Guy Morris, Marvin Dale, and Ralph Delbert and 3 sisters: Jessie Hazel (Hudspeth), Anna Mildred (Billingsley), and Mabel Marie (Cornelison). Etta Mae will be dearly missed by her sons Donald Wayne (Janet), Adelaide, Australia, and Ronald Layne (Gail), Tucson, AZ: her 3 grandchildren Brenton Wayne (Irina Majumder), Adelaide, Australia, Claire Louise ( Christopher Williams) of New York, New York, and Lauren Elise (Thang Nguyen), West Footscray, Australia: 8 great grandchildren Bennett, Ellis Priestley, Dorothy, Roxanne, Heidi Williams and Elise, Sadie and Violet Nguyen as well as many other relatives and friends. Her smile, humor, laughter, and sweet and gentle spirit will be sorely missed by all who were blessed to know her. A special Thank You to William Billingsley and Rosa Avino for their devoted friendship and assistance that allowed Etta Mae to live independently in Yuma until she was 90 years old. An additional thank you to the staff of Atria Campana Del Rio in Tucson where she enjoyed living for the past 10 years. A Memorial Service will be held at Evergreen Mortuary in Tucson, AZ on February 9, 2022 at 2 pm. Burial will take place at Desert Lawn Memorial Park in Yuma, Arizona at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to a charity of your choice in her name. Please sign the guestbook at www.legacy.com/obituaries/yumasun