Lelia Ann Marble-Lang (Gatewood) was born January 6, 1947, in Gulfport, Mississippi to the late Arthur W. Marble,
Sr. and Olivia Bell Lockhart-Marble. Our dear mother, passed away peacefully on June 5, 2022, at the age of 75.
She was a wonderful mom who was always there when we needed her.
Lelia Ann attended Gulfport City Schools from the 1st through 12th grade. During her four years at 33rd Avenue
High School, her activities included: Member of the Glee Club as she was the first-ever female "tenor" to sing in the
choir at the direction of the late great Mr. Don Hawthorne, member of the Tri-Hi-Y Club, cheerleader for the 33rd
Avenue Trojan football team, and she was first place winner in the Gulfport Beauty Pageant reciting a poem as her
talent. A proud member of the graduating class of 1964, she went on to attend Jackson State University, Jackson,
MS, Bryant and Stranton Business School, Buffalo, New York and American Beauty College, Gulfport.
During her stay in Buffalo, she met and married Donnie Gatewood, Jr. in 1966. To this union, three children were
born: Lethreanna, Lonnie and Gina. They were married for 15 years and jointly they committed themselves to
successfully raising their children. She later married Nelson E. Lang in Gulfport, MS. They were married until his
death in 2009.
Lelia Ann was a lifetime member of Little Rock Missionary Baptist Church, Gulfport, MS. She was baptized at an
early age by Rev. Famous McElhaney. As a child, she attended Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, and BTU
where she served as secretary. Lelia Ann was also a member of the BTU Congress. As an adult, Lelia continued
her participation in the Ladies Sunday School Class. She was a Church Announcement Clerk and volunteered for
the church's disaster relief efforts. She was also a member of the decorating committee and regularly attended
bible study. If there was a need, Lelia could be counted on to help meet that need. If there was a word of
encouragement needed, she knew just what to say and when to say it. She truly loved and was dedicated to the
church and its members. She lived her life with purpose, courage, conviction and dignity!
Lelia Ann was unequivocally steadfast in her opinions and beliefs! She was a community activist and Civil Right's
leader who worked tirelessly for the equal rights of people of color and women in particular. She was one of the
founding members of the West Gulfport Civic Club where she served as secretary, grant writer, and worked on the
beautification committee. She was a member of the NAACP, volunteered on political campaigns, spearheaded
grassroots voter registration, and encouraged and transported young adults to vote. As a young woman, she
worked at the local newspaper, The Daily Herald where she experienced many discriminatory acts. As a result, she
filed suit with the EEOC and won. Her victory opened the door for people of color and women at the newspaper.
Later, she began work with the National Business League, where she learned of their discriminatory salary
practices and thus, orchestrated a walk-out. She and others lost their jobs, but the business closed as a result of
the heated publicity. Never at a loss for words, she always spoke for and encouraged people she met.
Lelia Ann was an artist by nature and her greatest creativity was displayed in her poetry which she loved. She was
a member of The Spoken Word Poetry Readers and other poetry groups. She wrote poetry and recited her poems
in schools, libraries, and literary events throughout the Gulf Coast area and beyond. Her words were eloquent and
prideful, as well as, thought provoking and inspirational.
Though not a professional teacher, she had a love for words and was inspired and dedicated to helping children
with their education. She was a substitute teacher, tutored children and helped them with homework. She taught
many of them to read or brought them up to their reading levels. She taught them about black history and
encouraged them to be proud of who they were and from whence they came.