Ada May Mallory's Obituary
Ada May (Ma) Mallory, was born on October 28, 1940 in Chatham, Mississippi, to Luther Lang and Emma Lang (Childs) both of whom preceded her in death. She was the youngest of four daughters. Nancy Rogers and Lucille Lang preceded her in death, and Mary Lang who still lives in Greenville, Mississippi.
The family moved to Greenville, Mississippi where the sisters grew up and attended school in a one room schoolhouse, worked picking cotton, and attended church. Ada loved the Lord and accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior at an early age.
Ada moved to Detroit, Michigan in 1964 after visiting her aunt in Cincinnati, Ohio the preceding summer. She once said “I knew that I couldn’t live in Mississippi anymore after seeing all of those bright lights in the big city”. After moving to Detroit, Ada met and married Bradford S. Mallory in December of 1971. That union produced a son, Bradford P. Mallory.
In the early 1970s Ada joined the Davison Missionary Baptist Church where she served in the Excelsior Choir (later Adult Choir), Senior Usher Board, and Kitchen Ministry. She truly loved her church family. One of her favorite activities was making breakfast for the church following early morning and special services.
Ada loved sewing, cooking and working in her garden, and worked as a seamstress and hair dresser in Detroit. Anyone who needed alterations or even an outfit made sought Ada for her well-known God-given talents. Additionally, Ada was known far and wide for her prowess in the kitchen. Her homemade dishes like greens, stovetop corn bread, salmon croquettes and rice, macaroni and cheese, myriad desserts and of course her fried chicken, just to name a few, were favorites of many people. She was happiest when she could cook and watch people enjoying the food she lovingly prepared.
Ada was known for her unique homespun phrases and sayings affectionately known as “Ada-isms” or “Ada-nyms”. These hilarious and perfectly timed sayings included:
“He was crazier than a sack of road lizards.”
“She was grinning like a mule eating biscuits.”
“That boy was belching like a butcher’s dog.”
“I’m so hungry my stomach thinks my throat’s been cut”
Whatever the situation, there was always an appropriate “Ada-ism” for the occasion.
The love in Ada’s heart knew no bounds. She was a living example of what it means to love people and she constantly demonstrated that love through acts of kindness and generosity. She would give her last if it meant that she could help someone. She never met a stranger and was a self-proclaimed “collector” of children, big, small, young, old, two-legged or four-legged. She had more adopted children than anyone could count and she loved each one of them dearly. Despite being such a loving and caring person, she didn’t take any mess from anyone. She was a momma bear that kept things real, and heaven help anyone that upset or hurt one of her children. Offenders would be “read the riot act”, “raked over the coals”, “taken behind the wood shed”, or “have hands laid on them” (in a non-biblical sense)!
On the evening of March 11, 2017 with her children at her bedside, all of Ada’s sorrow, pain and burdens were replaced by the rest, peace and joy of the Lord as she went home to be with Him in glory.
Ada’s enduring legacy includes her son; Bradford Mallory, daughter-in-law; Pamela Mallory, granddaughter; Soraya Mallory, adopted children; Aragorn Steiger, Hannah Kelley, and Chad Hughes and many other children “collected” over the years. Many nieces and nephews including a host of great, great great and great great great nieces and nephews, cousins and friends.
Although she is gone, she will live on in the hearts of the countless people on which she left a positive indelible mark.
What’s your fondest memory of Ada?
What’s a lesson you learned from Ada?
Share a story where Ada's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Ada you’ll never forget.
How did Ada make you smile?