Ollie "O' Baby" Grayson

Ollie Lee Dixon was born on December 13, 1943, to Annie Mae Dixon and Eckward Bennett Seals “Son Seals” in Doddsville, Mississippi. She was raised by her stepfather, Will Garner, whom she thought the world of and gave her the nickname, “O’Baby”.

Ollie “O’Baby” toiled in cotton fields of the Deep South, share cropping alongside of the rest of her family. During those years, she met and married Herman Grayson and soon migrated north to Lansing, Michigan to be with the rest of the family and begin a new chapter in their lives.

Most of her working career was spent in childcare at various daycare centers throughout the Lansing area. She raised her family in the LaRoy Froh Housing Projects on Reo Road. While O’Baby already had seven children of her own to care for, every child in the projects knew that they were welcome at the Grayson household. Whether it was to play with (or tell on) her children, eat dinner to spending the night. They were always welcome and she would send a plate home with them knowing there were others in need - you didn’t have to ask, she would just do it. She never turned anyone away and always had a warm smile and a Virginia Slim 100 in the other hand.

During her years on Reo Road, she developed some deep lifelong relationships with some of her dearest friends until this date. Spending time with Elaine Branklyn, Shirley Walker, Twyla Pearl, Pearle Mitts, Fay Curtis, Denise King, and Barb Webb was nothing short of Girls Gone Wild! When those ladies got together to go to The Dells or the Town Pump a good time was had indeed. Some 50 plus years later, they still remained active in each other lives, getting together as often as they could. Those were her “Day Ones”, her “Ride or Die”, her life time friends.

O’Baby was preceded in death by her parents, Annie Mae Garner, Eckward Bennett Seals “Son Seals”, and Will Garner; son, Lenny Lionel Grayson; brothers, Charles Garner, Willie Dixon, Steve Garner, and Sylvester Garner; sisters, Bettie Joe Garner, Arlene Garner, and Mary Ann Garner.

Ollie gained her wings Monday, April 27, 2026. She leaves to cherish her memory sons, Cornelius (LaWanda) Garner of Lansing, Michigan, Kem Grayson of Lansing, Michigan, and Kevin Grayson Sr. of Lansing, Michigan; daughters, Suzy (Melvin) King of Conyers, Georgia, Annie May Grayson of Lansing, Michigan, and Loretta Grayson of Lansing, Michigan; many grandchildren; great grandchildren; great great grandchildren; sisters, Maggie Ishmel of Msambweni, Kenya and Betsy Garner Ford of Lansing, Michigan; and brothers, Clyde Garner of Lansing, Michigan and Morris (Darla) Garner of Lansing, Michigan.