Ernest Lee, Beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather, age 78, of Wolf Creek Road, Williamsburg, went home to be with the Lord Monday, August 31, 2020.
Ernest was born on August 9, 1942, at home, in Gatliff, Kentucky, to Luster and Myrtle Bennett Lee.
Ernest was a long and loyal member of Mountain Ash Baptist Church where he loved to listen to the choir sing old hymns. Ernest loved the Lord and prayed faithfully.
As a young man, in the mid 1950’s, at around 15 years of age, Ernest left his Kentucky home and traveled across the country by bus to Fresno, California. He spent several months in California working on the farms that were supplying grains and other foods throughout the world. While in California Ernest visited the Redwood Forest and the Pacific Ocean. After leaving California, Ernest traveled to Chicago, Illinois and Cincinnati, Ohio where he found work in factories.
Ernest married the love of his life, Wilma Rose, on December 1, 1961 in Jellico, Tennessee. They went back to Ohio to live so that Ernest could continue working. During a trip home to Kentucky for Christmas, Ernest was in a terrible car accident that left him badly hurt. Shortly after the accident, he was notified that he had been drafted into the Vietnam War; however, he was unable to go due to his injuries.
After he recuperated from his accident Ernest and Wilma moved to Toledo, Ohio where they started their family. They worked hard, saving their money, with one goal in mind, to move home to Kentucky, and build a house. This goal was achieved in 1975, when they moved home and built that house. Ernest and Wilma finished raising their family in this house, and Ernest took his last breath in the home he had worked so hard for.
Ernest loved to watch his favorite teams, the Detroit Tigers, the Atlanta Braves, and the Cincinnati Reds play baseball. He often played baseball at Pearson Park with his friends, which was something he also enjoyed greatly.
Ernest was a hardworking man who would regularly work all day, come home and eat supper, then go back outside to work in his yard. He was very proud of the flowers he grew, often sharing their seeds with his friends. Reading Westerns and playing solitaire in the winter months kept him busy. Ernest had a sweet-tooth and loved homemade cakes, pies, and cobblers.
Ernest’s greatest joy was his family, when his children were young, he would often take them to the park to play and to the river to fish. He loved playing with his grandchildren, even to the point of building a wooden fort in the living room for them to play in.
Ernest retired from the Kentucky State Department of Transportation where he was employed for 21 years. During his tenure as a state employee, he received two letters of Merit. On November 15, 1994, Kentucky Governor Breteton C. Jones, commissioned the Honorable Ernest Lee as a Kentucky Colonel. Ernest was well liked and had many great friends that he worked with.
Ernest is survived by his beautiful wife of 58 years; Wilma Rose Lee, daughter; Brenda Lee Johnson (Randy), sons; Ernest Jeffery Lee (Brenda), David Alan Lee, grandchildren; Scott Lee (Meredith), Joshua Johnson, Nicole Inman (Travis), Erin Johnson, Isaiah Lee, Abigail Lee, Benjamin Lee, great grandchildren; Kyler Dean Frederick and Ava Jade Inman, sister; Eudene Siler, brothers; James Lee and Willis Lee (Janice), sisters-in-law; Doris Lawson (Elmer), Georgia Cox (Virgil), Linda Hale (Earl), Barbara Graham (Ron), Tammy MaGaffee, several nieces, and nephews. Ernest is also survived by many friends and family.
Ernest was preceded in death by his parents; Luster and Myrtle Lee, his infant sister; Christine Lee, sister; Annie Lawson, his father-in-law and mother-in-law; Flem Rose Jr. and Grady Rose, brothers-in-law; Arnold Lawson, Marshall Siler, J. L. Rose, Jerry Rose, John MaGaffee, sister-in-law; Margie Rose, nephew; Randy Cox, and niece; Jada Rose.
Funeral services for Ernest Lee will be held on September 3, 2020, at Ellison Funeral Home Chapel in Williamsburg, Kentucky. The family of Ernest Lee will receive friends from 11:00 AM, until the funeral hour, 2:00 PM. Mr. Lee will be laid to rest in the Wolf Creek Cemetery, immediately following the funeral. Officiants are Rev. Billy Carpenter and Rev. Kenny Carr. Pallbearers will be Scott Lee, Joshua Johnson, Isaiah Lee, Benjamin Lee, Randy Johnson, Tom Weaver, TJ Weaver, and Jeremy Miracle. An honorary pallbearer is Kyler Dean Frederick.
Memories are things that death cannot steal;
Departing leaves a pain that only Christ can heal;
Some may forget now that you are gone;
But we will remember no matter how long;
The love you gave shall remain forever strong.
Ernest will be greatly missed by all who knew him.To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Ernest Lee please visit our Tribute Store.
