Mrs. Mae Rayburn

Mrs. Mae Holder Rayburn, 89, of Westminister Village, Spanish Fort, Alabama, died Sunday, September 10, 2006 at her home. Mrs. Rayburn a native of Forrest County, Mississippi, lived in Brooklyn and Hattiesburg until her marriage in December 1942, after which time she resided with her military husband wherever he had state-side assignments during his 26 year military career. She resided in Gulfport, Mississippi for 43 years prior to relocating to her present residence in August 1997. Mrs. Rayburn attended schools in Forrest County, Mississippi and was employed in various secretarial and administrative positions throughout her career and retired from the Supply Division of Keesler Air Force Base, Biloxi, Mississippi with 25 years in Civil Service. Mrs. Rayburn has been a member of the First Baptist Church, Gulfport, Mississippi since 1954. During this time she and her husband were active in many church activities. She was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, United Daughters of the Confederacy, Gulf Coast Good Samers, National Good Sam Club, Golden Retirees, Campers on Mission and the National Campers and Hikers Association Travel Clubs. After retirement much time was spent traveling in the states and abroad. Several summers were spent as a volunteer park campground hostess with the National Forrest Service in Cave Run Lake, Kentucky and the National Park Service at Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Mrs. Rayburn was preceded in death by her husband, Lt. Col. (Ret) Olan I. Rayburn; her parents, Andrew Willie and Sarah Shattles Holder; and a brother, Major (Ret) Robert N. Holder, Sr. Mrs. Rayburn is survived by a sister, Mrs. Nell Holder Tyner of Daphne, Alabama; three nephews, David F. Tyner, Jr. of Birmingham, Alabama, Robert N. Holder, Jr. of Roswell, Georgia and Dr. Andrew J. Holder of Shawnee, Kansas; a niece, Mrs. Ruth Holder Plumley of ElDarado, Arkansas; and a foster-son, Robert H. Watson, Jr. of Gulfport, Mississippi. Visitation will be Tuesday, September 12, 2006 from 6:00 to 8:00pm at the Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Home, O'Neal Road, Gulfport. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, September 13, 2006 at 1:00pm in the Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will be in Floral Hills Memorial Gardens in Gulfport.