Berta Ann

Pendley

Ann was born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, on May 8, 1943, to Glenn and T. Berleen Landress. She was the oldest of their children and the last surviving sibling, preceded in death by Jerry Landress, Jean Evans, and Jack Landress. Her children, Lamar Pendley, Marty Pendley, and Deddie Autry; her grandson, Kenny King.

She is survived by her loving family, including her children, Deborah King and Denine Autry; her grandchildren, Christina North, Randy Autry, Waylon Autry, Tasha Richardson, Jason Autry, Kevin King, and Christopher Autry and many beloved great grandchildren.

For more than 30 years, she shared her life with, Junior Long, who remained by her side through life's many seasons.

Known for being one of the strongest women anyone could ever know, Ann was both fierce and sweet. She could hang with the boys, as she did for 37 years on the night shift at General Motors in Doraville, and put them in their place if she needed to just as easily as she could make you feel loved with a home-cooked meal. She was the kind of woman who could weather life's hardest storms without ever allowing those hardships to overshadow the love she gave to others.

Some of Ann's happiest moments were found in life's simple pleasures: a warm cabin in the woods, a spontaneous last-minute trip to the beach, driving the loop at Cades Cove looking for bears, making her famous banana nut bread, listening to Conway, Dolly and Willie and, most importantly, being surrounded by her family.

The world has lost a true steel magnolia, but her family will forever carry a little of her strength, a little of her fire, and a whole lot of her love.

She was one of a kind. And there will never be another Maw Maw.