Ida Wills Stanton Holmes' Obituary
Ida Wills Stanton Holmes passed away peacefully in her sleep early on July 6, 2025 at the age of 94. She was born on December 16th, 1930. She will be lovingly remembered
by Lynn Blumenthal (daughter) and Terry Blumenthal, James Holmes (son) and JoEllen Holmes, and Julie McKenna (daughter) and Greg McKenna, and grandchildren Daniel, Aaron, Sarah, Nathan, and Kathryn.
Ida graduated with a B.A. from Memphis State University and earned a Master’s Degree with a focus on Christian Education from Emory University in Atlanta. She taught first grade before deciding to focus on her role as a minister’s wife and mother of three. She served at her husband’s side in ministry for over 50 years, leading and teaching in her own right through various programs within the church and community. Ida and her husband, James Holmes, were active in the civil rights movement in the 1960s and beyond, advocating for integration and equal and fair education for all.
She loved to sing hymns and Broadway musical tunes and enjoyed gardening, especially growing roses and African violets. Other interests included cooking and cake
decorating, painting, and sewing. She also tutored young children to teach them how to read.
The memorial service will be in St. Edward Chapel at Trezevant Manor (177 North
Highland Street, Memphis, TN 38111) at 1:00 pm on Friday, July 18th, 2025. There will be a reception following the service in the main lobby and music room. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Germantown United Methodist Church–where she and her husband served for 9 years, Memphis Interfaith Association (MIFA), or the Alzheimers Association.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery, 5668 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee 38119 (901) 767-8930. “Where Memphis comes to remember, since 1924.”
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