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Jan. 14, 1946 – Nov. 12, 2015

NATCHEZ — Services for Anna “Ankey” Martin Ulmer, 69, of Natchez, who died Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015, at Merit Health Natchez, will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at First Baptist Church in Natchez with the Rev. Eric Greene and Dr. Doug Broome officiating.

Burial will follow at 4 p.m. at Oaklawn Cemetery in Centreville under the direction of Laird Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 1 p.m. until service time Sunday at the church.

Ankey was born Jan. 14, 1946, in Meridian, the daughter of Earnest Paul Martin and Vida Murl Luke Martin.

She spent her formative years in Baker, La., and graduated from Baker High School where she was proud to say she was a member of “The Herd 1964.”

After marrying William R. Ulmer, her husband of 46 years, she moved to Centreville where she lived the majority of her life. She was a member of Thomson Memorial Presbyterian Church, led a number of Bible studies and was a member and past president of Centreville Book. She was instrumental in designing and creating costumes for the production of the Centreville nativity put on each Christmas. She loved the outdoors and was an avid hunter.

She moved to Natchez three years ago and made it her home. She embraced all that it offered and won the hearts of many. She attended First Baptist Church and worked at the Natchez Visitor Center. Her easy nature and loving spirit was a testimony to everyone she met.

She loved her Lord, and it was evident in all she said and did. She faithfully fulfilled her God-given tasks of being a wonderful wife and mother. But her most precious job was being a grandmother, not only to her grandchildren but to their friends as well. To many she will always be known as “Gran.”

Ankey loved to travel and was a woman of many talents. She loved to teach her granddaughters to cook and was an excellent seamstress. She served as a counselor and teacher to many and will be remembered for her willingness to mentor others. Her kindness and her ready smile was evident in all that she did.

Ankey was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, William R. Ulmer; and one brother, Jerry Martin.

Survivors include one son, William R. Ulmer II and wife, Leah Pope Ulmer, of Natchez; one daughter, Erin Ulmer Hall and husband, Steven Hall, of Tupelo; seven grandchildren, Mary Catherine Wilkerson, Haylee Hall, Joshua Wilkerson, Kristen Hall, Maggie Ulmer, Allie Hall and Claire Ulmer; two sisters: Joan Moore and husband, Glenn, of Augusta, Ga., and Mona Woodruff and husband, Donnie, of Enid, Okla.; and seven nieces and nephews, Jason Holler, Scooter Beverly, Barbie Johnson, Kylie Beverly, Melanie Hillis, Terry Clark and Jerry Martin Jr.

A special thank you to the following for making her stay here on this earth as comfortable as possible: The Oncology Center and Dr. Jack Rodriguez, Dr. Blane Mire, Dr. Brad LeMay, Maggie Brown, the staff of Merit Health Natchez who were so caring and attentive in the most difficult of moments, and the countless friends and neighbors who prayed, checked on, picked up the morning paper, stopped to visit, brought meals and kept an eye out. You are appreciated more than you will ever know.

Pallbearers will be Buddy Lewis, Pat Conerly, Brian Berry, Thomas Labrano, Rich Field, Joe Brian, Joe Stedman, David Browning, Tommy Ferrell, and Buddy Frank.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Natchez-Adams County Humane Society and Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Online condolences may be set to lairdfh.com.