Mrs. Gwendolyn E. Ragland Long

Gwendolyn E. Ragland-Long was born on August 16, 1958, at the Experiment Station in Jackson, Tennessee to her loving parents, Lizzie Ragland and the late Clifton Ragland. At the early age of thirteen years old, Gwendolyn was baptized at the Middleton and Payne Street Church of Christ. She was a faithful member of the East Jackson Church of Christ at the time of her passing. She received her education from the schools of Jackson, Tennessee. She was known by her family as “Sugamama”. She was a loving wife, daughter, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin, and friend. She was a bus driver for 38 years and along with her side jobs: a server for the Old Country Store, a caretaker sitting with the elderly, a stocker for Walmart, and a concession stand operator for the Rodeo and the Carl Perkins Civic Center. She was also a fashionista when it came to clothes, shoes, purses, jewelry, and jackets. She was a kind, giving, and helpful person. She would help anybody without a second thought. She enjoyed life and always joked. She had the biggest and brightest smile you would want to see and a laugh like no other. Her faith in God gave strength to all who were around her. She will be truly and dearly missed by all who knew her. She was preceded in death by her brother, Ivan W. Ragland. She leaves to cherish to her memory: her husband, Mitchell Long of Jackson, Tennessee; mother, Lizzie Ragland; children, Tamara Ragland (Melvin) Henning, Caria Harrison (Christopher) Thomas, and Mitchell Gillespie, all of Jackson, Tennessee, and Citchell Gillespie of Atlanta, Georgia; seven siblings, Charles (Linda) Ragland of Oceanside, California, Billy Ragland and Ronnie Ragland, both of Tucson, Arizona, Windle (Paul) Chambers of Chicago, Illinois, Gary (Gwen) Ragland, Tilda (Craig) Pearson, Perry Ragland, and Terry Willis Ragland, all of Jackson, Tennessee; thirteen grandchildren, Ta’Cori Thomas, Kendalyn Harrison, Kyson Thomas, and Cassius Thomas, all of Jackson, Tennessee, Aaliyah Gillespie and Amiya Gillespie, both of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Kennedy Gillespie and Kevonte’ Brooks, both of Nashville, Tennessee, Mariah Dotson, Kaniah Dotson, Kylyn Dotson, Mitchell Gillespie, and Malik Gillespie, all of Jackson, Tennessee; a special brother, Raymond (Sara) Bonds of Indianapolis, Indiana; a special sister, Cynthia (Tappy) Steed; four godchildren, DaShunda Steed, Reginald Steed, Makhi Lee, and Tori Mitchell, all of Jackson, Tennessee; and host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Mrs. Gwendolyn E. Ragland Long

August 16, 1958 - January 26, 2022