Laney Wooten Obituary (1934

April 28, 1934 - August 5, 2024 Leila Laney Wooten (Laney) passed away peacefully at home on August 5, 2024, at the age of 90. Born on April 28, 1934, in West Point, Mississippi, Laney lived a life marked by love, dedication, and service to her family and community. Laney is survived by her sister, Exir Brennan of New Market, Alabama, her brother and sister-in-law, John Burt & Kathy Wooten of West Point, sister-in-law, Bobbie Jo Wooten of West Point and a multitude of nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, William Lucian Wooten and Maebelle Bentley Wooten, and her siblings: William Franklin (Billy) Wooten, Virginia Wooten (Sister) Smith, Emery DeWitt (Jim) Wooten Sr., Lucian Edward (Luke) Wooten, Robley Evans (Bobby) Wooten, Norman Francis (Bud) Wooten, Norma Wooten (Nan) Todd. Words cannot adequately express how special our Aunt Laney was to all who knew her. She was the definition of a “true southern lady”. Although she never had children of her own, she dedicated her life to taking care of her family. She lovingly cared for her father, mother, and siblings in the family home until their passing. Laney's home was a haven for family members, always offering a warm bed and a hot meal to visitors. No one ever went hungry in her house. Holidays with Laney were special. While you could never know exactly how many Christmas trees would adorn the halls of the Wooten home, one thing you knew with absolute certainty was that Christmas (and every other holiday for that matter) was going to be at Laney’s. She had the ability to make you feel like the most loved member of the family, despite the fact that fifty of your nearest family members were crammed into every corner of the house with a slice of pie or homemade cake. Every one of those family members seemed to have the same impression - that they were the center of the universe. Maybe it was because she memorized your favorite food and made sure some of it was sitting on the sideboard if you so much as hinted you might swing by for a visit, or maybe it was because she listened with genuine interest to every story about your life you might share with her. Laney touched the lives of countless pupils in traditional and Sunday school classrooms from Moorhead to West Point. If you were under her tutelage, or even in close proximity to her, you were going to learn something and develop a respect for the force of nature that was Laney Wooten. She taught English and Journalism at Mississippi Delta Junior College in Moorhead, Mississippi, before returning home to care for her parents. After which she taught Spanish and Journalism at West Point High School until her retirement in 1993. Laney had a passion for gardening and reading. You could always find her outside in her flowerbeds or with an Agatha Christie novel. She was an active member of First United Methodist Church and remembered every miniscule need in her loved ones' lives each night in her prayers. For many years, she was a dedicated member of the Daughters of the American Revolution Horseshoe Robertson Chapter, serving as regent. She loved fiercely and without condition - her biological family, her church family, and many who claimed her as a teacher or a friend. In quiet and innumerable ways she kept everything running, everyone together. She was an angel among us that none of us deserved. Visitation with family and friends will be Friday, August 9, 2024, from 10:00 to 11:00 AM at First United Methodist Church in West Point. Funeral Services will follow at 11:00 AM. with Dr. James Towery officiating and Reverend Chad Bowen assisting. Burial will follow in Greenwood Cemetery in West Point. Calvert Funeral Home of West Point is honored to be entrusted with the arrangements. Pallbearers will be Will Wooten, Shannon Wooten, Emery Wooten, Mac Smith, Garrett Carmichael, and Nate Prather. Honorary Pallbearers will be her many friends at First United Methodist Church in West Point. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to First United Methodist Church of West Point: online at https://giving.myamplify.io//app/giving/fumcwp or by mail P.O. Box 293 | West Point, MS 39773.