Lila’s Story...

Lila Hazel Hayes was born on March 10, 1930 to Eugene Hayes and Kathie Lee Mack in Trinity, Texas. She took an early interest in cooking as a young child climbing on a chair trying to help her grandmother cook. As the eldest of her siblings, she always felt responsible for them and in turn was a very devoted and protective big sister. Lila attended Booker T. Washington High School and later married Ira Ligon Jr. on January 16, 1949. Through this union, eight children were born.

Lila dedicated her life at an early age to Christ. After moving to the “Freedman’s Town” in Houston, aka 4th Ward, she joined Mt. Carmel Missionary Baptist Church. She and Ira later settled in a new black working class neighborhood, Blueridge, Sunnyside. As an original mother of her neighborhood, many people considered her home their home as well as a safe haven. She welcomed everyone and would feed everyone. She and her late husband, Ira helped raise her brother-in-love J.W. Ligon as well as her two younger siblings, Carolyn “Tootsie” Haynes and Robert “Bubbie” Milton, as well as her niece Deborah “Debbie” Louis.

Lila was a skilled baker, cook, upholsterer, and seamstress. Her pies and cakes were infamous amongst anyone who knew her. Lila was also a soprano who could be heard singing spirituals throughout her home on any given day. She devoted her soprano voice to singing the gospel of Jesus her entire life joining the choir when she was about 13 years old. She was very strong in her faith and dedicated over 50 years of service at Greater Mount Horeb Missionary Baptist Church as Deaconess, the Mission President, Treasurer, choir member and bible study regular. Lila loved her church family and was extremely fond and thankful for the decades of friendship with her choir buddies Sister Ruth Bledsoe and Sister Shenettra Reed. She was the mother of the church until her later years when her illness prevented her from attending. She spent her last years of worship with her daughter Irene at Redemption Church of Pearland. Lila was employed by the Welch family and the Stewart family for over 40 years.

Lila and her late husband Ira Ligon Jr created an abundant family legacy as they were very strong in their beliefs and believed in being fruitful and multiplying. Lila is preceded in death by both parents Kathie and Eugene, 2 sisters Mary “Vip” Tony and Clyde Esther “Babe” Macgregor, 1 brother Sydney “Sunny” Hayes, her spouse Ira, 3 sons Michael Lyn, Dale Eugene, and Jerry Don. She leaves behind 1 son James Earl (Hattie), 4 daughters, Ira Nell, Irene Sue, Kathy Aleta, LaTiffany (Richard), 1 sister Carolyn and 1 brother Robert (Flora Jean) sister in love JohnElla Ligon Wise (ElRay) of California, brother in love JW Ligon (Erma Jean), seventeen grandchildren, sixteen great grandchildren, several great-great grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and family friends.