In Honor of My Grandma, Willie Mae Callicutt Woodard
Born, October 3, 1918- Entered Life Eternal with Jesus, April 21, 2011
The Apostle Paul described himself as one being “born out of due time.” (I Corinthians 15:7-8, KJV) Paul was named as an apostle because He saw the risen Christ in person. However, he did not see Christ during His time on earth, but after Christ’s ascension. And Paul, at that time Saul, did not believe in Jesus as Messiah until after the time of Christ’s earthly ministry (Acts 1:1-3). It was following Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, described in Acts 13:26-32, and after His ascension in Acts 1:9. That is why Paul labeled himself as having an “untimely birth”, “born out of due time.” I would have to say that Willie Mae Callicutt Woodard, my own Grandma, and called “Grandma” by all who knew and loved her, was a woman born out of due time. Paul was born a little late for becoming an apostle. Grandma was born a little before her time.
Willie Mae Callicutt was born October 3, 1918, to a poor farming family in North Carolina. She was the ninth of fourteen children in the family. In high school, Grandma participated in school plays, sang a solo, and played basketball, wearing a uniform made by her mother. At first her father was unaware of her participation in these activities, as he did not think girls were supposed to do such things. Grandma was afraid he would not let her be involved in these extra-curricular goings-on, and her fear almost overcame her when she started to sing her solo and looked up to see her dad standing at the back of the room. After that he did not stop her from pursuing her dreams and goals.
Grandma was born at a time when girls were supposed to grow up, get married, and raise children, which she did. However, she also went back to school and earned her nursing degree while raising her children. At one point in her life, she drove up and down the east coast alone, delivering orphan babies to adopted families. She worked full time, not common in her day, out of sheer necessity to put food on the table. My grandfather was a country preacher and didn’t make enough for the family to survive. During the time the girls were small, he went on the road as a truck driver and was gone for long periods of time, while Grandma was left to take care of the children and work to provide for the needs of the family.
Grandma was an incredibly COURAGEOUS woman. One afternoon when she was at home alone with her little girls, washing dishes while my aunt sat at the kitchen table doing homework and my mom was in the high chair, the screen door suddenly opened. Into the kitchen stepped a large, scary man. My grandmother reached into the soapy dishwater and pulled out a large butcher knife (which just “happened” to be in the sink). She turned around, knife in hand, and quietly but firmly said, “Now you just need to turn around and step outside.” He did!
Another time my Grandma was managing a little ice-cream shop in the small town where they lived. A little boy had come in one day and left his toy gun in the store. Grandma put it behind the counter to save for him if he came looking for it. Now a toy gun back then could easily be mistaken for a real gun, as these were made of heavy metal and painted black to look like real guns. Later that afternoon, it “just so happened” that a man walked in to rob the store. He demanded the money from the cash register. Instead of getting the money, my Grandma pulled out that toy gun, pointed it at the man, and told him he had better get himself out of the store immediately. He turned around and ran!
My Grandma was not only brave, she was CRAFTY. I don’t mean crafty in a bad way. She just loved to make things. This amazing lady sewed all kinds of things from clothing to pillows and wonderful little “grandma” bags as we call them. I still have a whole collection of these bags made from scraps of material she saved. The bags have handles which come in handy (no pun intended) and can be used for travel to carry shoes and other personal items. I’ve used them as small diaper bags, carried assortments of children’s toys for entertaining little ones, and used some for gift bags.
Grandma also made truckloads of quilts and baby blankets, which are much cherished by our family and others who received her gracious gifts of love. She never sold anything she made, although we tried to convince her that she could really make some money at craft fairs and other venues. She told us she just loved to make things, and she loved to give them away. She just wasn’t interested in making money. All of her work was a labor of love. She also crocheted and did her best to teach all of her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren how to crochet. Unfortunately, none of us granddaughters ever became proficient. I always say it skipped our generation, as most of our girls became quite adept at crocheting.
One special memory for my children and my nieces and nephews is knowing that whenever you went to Grandma’s house she would have lots of crafts ready to make with the kids. From wooden sticks and painting to bead projects and embroidery, there was never a shortage of things to do. Besides all of the craft projects and teaching us how to sew and crochet, Grandma taught all of her grandchildren how to fish, how to swim, and how to drive. So many special memories of my incredible Grandma!
There were two things that my Grandma did not tolerate. Those were whining and bickering. I will always remember her warnings, “If you girls don’t stop that, I’m gonna jerk a knot in you!” I never did know exactly what “jerking a knot in you” meant, but I knew she meant what she said and I listened and obeyed! Grandma herself never, ever complained. She was a marvelous example of grace and kindness, a woman of wisdom, faith, and noble character.
Grandma was AN AMAZING COOK who treated her grandchildren like royalty when we came to her house. Before she got sick, it seemed like she was constantly preparing something scrumptious for us to eat. She would fix bacon and eggs and biscuits for breakfast. She would wait on us hand and foot, letting us eat on TV trays watching cartoons, bringing us refills on our drinks, and serving us whatever we wanted. Then, after cleaning up, it wouldn’t be long until she would say something like, “Well, it’s about time to start fixin’ some lunch. Aren’t y’all getting hungry?” I suspect that if you ask all of the grandchildren what was their favorite thing made by Grandma, we would all say her fried apple pies (and maybe her famous homemade biscuits). You might think we were all spoiled rotten, which we were, but somehow through her attitude of serving others, she taught us how to serve. How to be like Jesus.
Grandma used to take us shopping every time we visited her. As long as she was healthy and had a little money, she would take us to the mall, usually to shop at Dillard’s or Peebles. She would say, “Now I want you to pick out an outfit for yourself.” Then, she would take my kids with her and they would go and pick out “an outfit” for themselves. And there always had to be a day to go to Walmart, where she would buy the children “a little something”. Grandma showed us how much she loved us by her generosity, just as God showed us His love “according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us”. My Grandma freely gave us grace, forgiveness, and sacrificial gifts, even as our Heavenly Father has “freely bestowed” His grace on us in redeeming us and forgiving us our trespasses through the sacrifice of the blood of His Beloved Son. (Ephesians 1:7-9)
Finally, Grandma was known for her CARE, for others and for her Lord Jesus. Her concern for others was evident, for after raising her own children, she then was integrally involved in raising her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She babysat for relatives and friends over the years. She took in and cared for nieces and nephews who were not being cared for 
properly at home. She even babysat for a family friend who had three children, a boy and twin girls, until she was eighty years old. After that, until the last year or so of her life she helped take care of her great-great grandsons, Justin and Jordan.
She lived until she was 92 years old. In March of 2012, just weeks before she died, a picture was taken of five generations that included our first grandson, Erik. She had served her Savior well and would soon go to be with Him in glory. As the apostle Paul said at the end of his life, Grandma could also confidently say, “I am ready…the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (II Timothy 4:6-8)
Grandma taught us by listening to us, praying for us, and giving us words of wisdom and encouragement. Grandma loved Jesus and her life showed it! She always told us in every situation, “You just need to pray and trust the Lord. He will take care of it.” Grandma was always an example of faith and faithfulness. Every night before she went to bed, we would see her on her knees in prayer. Every Sunday, as long as she was healthy, she was faithfully in church. When we were growing up she took us to church. She served faithfully in the church, singing in the choir, working in the church office, and teaching classes in the Christian school. My first experience serving in ministry was playing the piano and helping her with her three-year old Sunday school class (with thirty plus children) in south Florida, when I was only about ten years old. I observed her as she whispered words of love, wiped noses, sang songs, and taught these precious children about Jesus. She took “old people” to the doctor and listened to their ailments and complaints. She volunteered in the public schools, helping with arts and crafts and loving little children. When I was a young mom, I would call her with my parenting struggles. She would listen, she would cheer me on, and she would pray for me. Her life was a sweet fragrance of Jesus every day that she was alive.
I miss her very much, but because of her life and her teaching, I know that I will be with her again one day in glory. This wise woman, born ahead of her time, was born at the perfect time to be the mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great grandmother of our family. The matriarch of our family, she was our Grandma, and was also the “Grandma” to the many people who knew her. She was indeed a Woman of Wisdom, noble and virtuous. Today we honor her and “her children rise up and bless her” on this Mother’s Day.
“A virtuous woman, who can find?
For her worth is far above jewels…
She looks for wool and flax and works with her hands in delight…
She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hands grasp the spindle.
She extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy…
Strength and dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the future.
She opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and bless her…”
From Proverbs 31:10-28 (NASB)