Maria L. Walls' Obituary
Maria Louise Ludwig Walls, 94, passed away January 31, 2024, after a short stay in the hospital.
She was born in Memphis, TN on December 14, 1929. Maria was the only child of Bernard Estes Ludwig and MaRia Lois Estes. In 1951, Maria met Garland Walls while working at Union Planters Bank and they married on October 6, 1951. The couple had two daughters, Erin and Dana.
Maria loved Jesus, her family, and laughter. Throughout her life, Maria was involved in church and was an avid student of the Bible. Growing up, she participated in the youth group and choir of Glenview Presbyterian Church. Later in life she was a founding member of Rejoice Church and served as a greeter for many years, working in the bookstore, office, and nursery as well. In her later years, Maria was a member of Second Presbyterian Church, actively involved in its senior ministry. Maria wasn’t just a church goer, but was truly a woman of faith, offering her family and friends love and acceptance. She trusted God through the hard times and rejoiced whenever she had the slightest reason to do so.
Maria always said that being a mother was her greatest joy in life. She was an active room mother for both her daughters in elementary school and always volunteered as a chaperone on field trips. Encouraged by her beloved sister-in-law, Ruby Ann, Maria began keeping children in her home after her daughters were old enough to be in school. For 25 years, Maria enjoyed extending love and support to dozens of children and families. She was ecstatic when her grandchildren came along.
Famous for her hugs, Maria gave these out freely and frequently. To friends of her daughters, she was like a second mother, listening, praying, and supporting. One friend remarked that she was someone who “hugged with her whole heart.” Another friend remembered that upon visiting Rejoice Church, Maria hugged her on her first visit. “I knew I was at the right church. It felt like coming home.”
Maria loved fun, spontaneity and celebrations. When she was in the third grade, her teacher asked her whether she pronounced her name as “MaRia” or “Maria.” On the spur of the moment, she decided that she was “Maria,” although she had been called “MaRia” after her mother up to that point. Birthday celebrations for her girls were joyful and heartfelt and the gifts were often homemade labors of love. Christmas could not happen without exuberant decorating, out-of-control cookie making and special handmade Christmas dresses.
Her enthusiasm was accompanied by a sense of adventure and determination, continually learning new hobbies and finding new places to go. Some of the interests she shared with Erin and Dana were sewing, macrame, pottery, and cake decorating. She learned to drive in 1966, and loved to go on local and regional “adventures” with her girls. When her daughters both did foreign study programs in college, Maria boarded her first airplane and took off on a whirlwind tour of Germany, Austria, France, Belgium, and Luxemburg. She also celebrated her granddaughter Kara’s first birthday with her in Hawaii.
A self-described “people person,” Maria never met a stranger. Erin observed that, if they went out to lunch at a fast food restaurant, Maria would know the life story of the McDonald’s employee by the time they got their order. During her later years, when Maria and Garland were living with Erin and her husband Faust in Fayette County, Maria would complain that there were too many trees and not enough people. She did enjoy watching the hummingbirds, though.
Maria is survived by her daughters, Erin Walls Reynolds (Faust) and Dana Walls Sherrer (Keith) and her three grandchildren, Kara Sherrer, Evie Sherrer and Ethan Sherrer. She was pre-deceased by her beloved husband Garland by less than a month.
Funeral services for Maria will be held at Memorial Park Funeral Home, 5668 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN, on Saturday February 17. Visitation is from 10 to 11 am, with the memorial service beginning at 11am. Interment follows. In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to The Christian Psychological Center.
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