Ida Mae Wahlquist BuchananMemphis, TNIda Mae Wahlquist Buchanan was born on April 17, 1932. She broke free this mortal coil on Friday, May 12, 2017 at age 85, holding the hand of her one true love, L.C. "Buck" Buchanan, to whom she would have been blissfully wed for 66 years on May 28th. The two of them had a beautiful and blessed life together and raised four children, who bore them seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Ida is survived by Buck, and by her son, L.C. Buchanan, Jr. of Suwanee, GA, daughter Linda Buchanan of Gulfport, MS and daughter Tk Buchanan of Memphis, TN, all seven grandchildren and all seven greats. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Patti Clark of Memphis, TN, with whom she shared a special bond and with whom she is doubtlessly reunited. No poet, no philosopher, no clergy who ever walked the Earth could teach us more about unconditional love and devotion than Ida. She was an extraordinary person and the center of the universe for her family. She was joyful and outgoing and had a remarkable sense of humor and timing. She never left the house without lipstick and was active in her church, community and children's schools. Ida had a smile plastered across her face every day of her life, but loathed having her photograph taken, refused to cooperate and when cornered, would clown to try to mess up the shot. The rare candid photos her family does have of her- being a mother or grandmother to the children she loved above all else, are precious treasures that will sustain her family in this time of grief. She was a Memphis Belle, through and through, born to a Blues musician that instilled in her a love for Memphis music – Gospel, country, blues and a brand new sound called "rock-n-roll" that, despite her Southern Baptist background and beliefs of her era which prohibited such, forced her to dance every time she heard it from her very beginning to nearly the end. She had a beautiful singing voice and generously lent her talents to church choirs throughout her life and now holds down the alto section all by herself in the choirs of angels. She was also a world-class pitch-perfect whistler and, much to the defiance of Southern folklore, which suggested that "a whistling woman and a cackling hen both will come to no good end," she had a long and fruitful life. Hens being one of her favorite dishes, however, we cannot attest the same for their outcomes. Even when chronic illness stole her mobility and dementia stole her sense of self, she made it clear to all that she was the captain of her family's ship- she'd exit on her own terms and in her own time. Ida bounced back from death hundreds of times over the last forty years, for which her family gratefully nicknamed her the Energizer Bunny. While mortality eventually looms for all, news of her passing was still met with shock and heartache. She taught us each, the most important lessons in life and she takes a piece of our hearts as she goes. She lived by faith in God and in a constant state of grace, and at last, she is pain-free, with her parents, sisters and daughter in Heaven. Visitation for Ida Buchanan will be on Monday, May 15th, 5:00PM- 8:00PM at McBride Funeral Home, 206 N Commerce St, Ripley, MS, and service will be Tuesday, May 16th, at 11:00AM, also at McBride. Interment to follow at Antioch Baptist Church Cemetery, 4910 CR 419, Ripley, MS.