Mrs. Esther Willis

Esther Lee Willis, daughter of the late Gayron and Marie Forts was born on June 15, 1940 Inman, GA in Fayette County. The family later moved to Hapeville, GA where she attended public school. She was the youngest of three siblings. The Forts family was Baptist for years; but, joined the Church of God In Christ shortly before relocating to Detroit, MI. Esther started working at an early age. She began helping her grandmother (Ether) with the crops in the summer time, babysitting the neighborhood kids and any odd and end jobs she could find. After working in the hospitality industry, Esther quickly found more opportunity in the Dry Cleaning business. She was united in holy matrimony to the famous Blues singer, the late Robert Lee (Chick) Willis, aka “The Stoop Down Man”. After three years of marriage the couple was blessed with their daughter Metsa. A Political Fight for Women Rights 1962 Esther worked at One Hour Martinizing Dry Cleaners in Atlanta, GA. The owner of the dry cleaners had nine stores with a predominately female workforce. When she applied for her maternity leave pay the request was denied, even though her white female co-workers received maternity pay. Upon learning there were other African American female employees who were being denied maternity pay, Esther united all the women together and sought legal recourse through several grassroots organization such as the NAACP and SCLC but to no avail. The group of women approached The Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). The organization said yes to the charge of representing the women in their fight for justice. At first the owner refused their demands which led the women to organize a boycott. Esther and the other women placed picket lines in front of all nine stores which resulted in all of the stores closing. The owner, after having a heart attack from all the stress, lost so much money he finally agreed to give all of his African American female employees’ maternity pay. Esther received several death threats during the protests but she never wavered. Esther retired from Denny’s as a culinary professional and trainer. In her mature years, Esther joined the Church of Latter Day Saints, Palmer Park Ward in Detroit, MI and was a faithful member for nearly 20 years. She joined the Twin Oaks Ward, Atlanta Georgia Stake in 2012 when she returned to her home state to reside with Metsa and her grandson Dontae Mitchell. Esther loved Coca-Cola! Her love for the beverage ran deeper than her passion for the fizz at the end of a swig. In her mind, every time she purchased a Coca-Cola it was a statement of freedom and equality. One day after young Esther and her siblings received money for working on their grandmother’s land they headed down to the country store. At the store her siblings saw her crying and she explained the owner said “I can’t buy a Coke, because he don’t sell niggas Coke”. When they told Grandma Ether, she took them back to the store and confronted the owner. “I don’t want no trouble Ether”, he said, she stated “I don’t want no trouble either”, she stated. “My grandchild just wants to buy a Coke”. The shop owner told Esther to go get her a Coca-Cola and they headed back to the farm. Esther’s beautiful life will forever be cherished in the life of her daughter: Metsa Mitchell of Atlanta, GA, brother, Bobby (Michelle) Forts of Ypsilanti, MI; grandchildren, Donald Mitchell Detroit, MI, Dontae Mitchell Atlanta, GA; Aunt, Mrs. Grace Cooper of Atlanta, GA; great-grandchildren, DaJharae Mitchell, DeAja Mitchell, DeJai Mitchell (all of Detroit, MI), and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Funeral Saturday, May 6, 2017, 11am at Gregory B. Levett & Sons Funeral Home, 4347 Flat Shoals Pkwy, Decatur, GA., 30034. Visitation Friday, May 5, 2017 10AM-8PM with family hour 6pm-8pm. Burial at Kennedy Memorial Gardens

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Mrs. Esther Willis

June 15, 1940 - April 27, 2017