Hattie Horry Drayton

Obituary Hattie Horry Drayton was a daughter, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, wife, and neighborhood mom affectionately called “MeMa” by friends and family alike. She entered this world on July 21st, 1934 and left us on July 20th, 2020. For most of her 85+ years she was a vibrant, energetic, go-getter with a can do attitude. Her proudest accomplishment was seeing her two kids, Joan and Herbert, Jr. grow into adulthood and start families of their own. She was a God-fearing and God-Loving women and could often be overheard telling people “I know that God loves me”. Hattie was raised in rural South Carolina, Ravenel to be exact. She was the youngest of 5 children from the union of Adam Horry and Maggie Grant Horry. Her siblings were Arthur Horry, Joseph Horry, Rosa Lee Horry Steplight, and Lillie Horry Carmichael. All of her immediate family preceded her in death. She was a good student, and graduated from Burke Sr. High School in 1952. After graduating from high school she moved to New York City to pursue a career in nursing. A young man from Ravenel named Herbert L. Drayton followed her to New York City and they were married on February 14th 1954. They remained married until his death in November of 2015. Their union produced two children, Joan Drayton Brown and Herbert L. Drayton Jr. Herbert was in the United States Air Force and the family began travelling around the world in 1959. Hattie was the ultimate military wife as she raised the children and supported her husband’s military career. That did not stop her from creating an interesting career for herself. She was a disc jockey when they were stationed in Morocco; a nurse’s aide at Scott Air Force base; an on-base taxi driver in Japan as well as the church Secretary. She was also active on the ladies’ softball team in the position of catcher. In 1973 they were stationed at Richards-Gebaur AFB in Belton, Mo., and Hattie decided to “plant roots” in Kansas City. She became a fixture in the community and beloved by many for her love and generosity to everyone that crossed her path. She had a servant’s heart and was very active in her church (St. Matthew Catholic Church), as a caregiver until her health failed her. She is survived by her children Joan Drayton Brown, KCMO; Herbert, Jr. (Phyllis), Detroit, MI. Five grandchildren, Brian Brown, Crystal Reaves-Jeffers, Katrina Drayton, Lauren Drayton, Phylisha Drayton, and one great-grand child Mega Jeffers. She also leaves a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins. Special friends include Ann Ladd (deceased), Carl and Marge Gipson and Dorothy Taylor. Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Thursday, July 30th at Second Missionary Baptist Church 5111 Harry S Truman Dr, Grandview, MO 64030. Visitation 10:00 A.M. Interment Leavenworth National Cemetery. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Hattie Horry Drayton, please visit our floral store. Read More

Hattie Horry Drayton

July 21, 1934 - July 20, 2020