MARIANA ESSIE MAE HOLLEY

Mariana E. (Casey) Holley was born on June 6, 1928, in Knoxville, Tennessee, to Jasper Jack Casey and Gracie Lee (Mills) Casey. Mariana and her twin brother, John Anderson Casey were the sixth in line of their siblings. Mariana accepted Christ as her personal Lord and Savior at an early age while living in Knoxville, Tennessee, and attending First Calvary Baptist Church. In 1954, Mariana, her parents and siblings moved their families to Grandview Heights in Columbus, Ohio, where she attended Antioch Baptist Church, and frequented Lincoln Heights Methodist Church under the direction of Rev. Harold Turner and Rev. Melvin Smith. She also met and married the love of her life, James C. Holley. In the mid-1970s, James and Mariana became members of Springhill Missionary Baptist Church under the direction of Pastor A. J. Andrews, Pastor Stanley Woods, Pastor Hosea Davis and Pastor Tommy Hicklin where she and James Holley remained members for the rest of their lives. Mariana and James loved their pastor and did all they could to maintain the integrity and good standing as faithful members. Mariana loved Sundays at Spring Hill. But, gradually, after having to say goodbye to the love of her life in 2006, and dealing with advancing health issues took their toll, and her attendance at Spring Hill began to wind down until she could fellowship only when she could receive visitors by her loving congregation and pastor. She eventually moved in with her oldest daughter Jamesena where she resided until the time of her transition. Mariana had an extremely close relationship with her daughters, Jamesena and Suerathia, who made sure she didn’t want for anything. Mariana, her daughters, her chosen son, Gerald Eugene Martin, spent many wonderful years together through all their good and challenging times. Mariana was always a thoughtful, loving, and praying mother. Any time her children, grand- and great-, needed her, Mariana was ALWAYS there for them, no matter what. She was predeceased in death by her husband James C. Holley, parents Jasper Jack Casey and Gracie Lee (Mills) Casey, twin brother John Anderson, brothers Jasper, Jr. and Theson, and sisters Pattie, Corrine Jackson (Robert), and Prudence Smith (Rev. Melvin H., Sr.) To cherish Mariana’s memory, she leaves two (2) daughters Jamesena (Turner) McCreary and Suerathia C. Turner, six (6) grandchildren – Tonya, Tina, Kenneth, Tashieka, Tasha and Oyanga, nineteen (19) great-grandchildren, twelve (12) great-great-grandchildren, and two (2) of the Casey sisters - Marie Ferreira (who is 97 years young), and her baby sister Icie Alexander (Sam Bolden). Mariana absolutely loved her spiritual family and was a faithful member of Springhill Missionary Baptist Church for many years, and in her mind and heart, there was no better Pastor and First Lady than Tommy and Toni Hicklin. Mariana E. Holley was “something else altogether.” She was intelligent, fashionable, and fun. If something was on her mind you’d better hold on and get ready because, like it or not, it was coming out of her mouth…………………………. Laughter, the keeper of her heart! She was living proof that God certainly has a sense of humor.

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