Emma Jean Washington

BORN MARCH 03,1941. ORIGINALLY KNOWN AS DOROTHY JEAN, SAME AS HER BIRTH MOTHER DOROTHY JEAN MELCHOR, SHE SOON BECAME  KNOWN AS EMMA AS HER MIDWIFE WANTED THIS BEAUTY TO SHARE HER NAME. WELCOMED BY HER FATHER HENRY AND BEULAH VAIL SHE  WAS RAISED IN CLARKSDALE, MS WITH AN ABUNDANCE OF LOVE. ON APRIL 17, 2021. SHE TRANSITIONED TO HER HEAVENLY HOME  SURROUNDED BY HER GIRLS AT HER HOME IN MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE. 

AFTER LIVING IN SYRACUSE, NY EMMA RETURNED HOME WHERE SHE MET AND MARRIED HER SOUL MATE JAMES HOWARD WASHINGTON ON  OCTOBER 15, 1970. SOON JOINING THIS UNION WERE LINDA, CHARLES, JACQUELINE, JEANEEN, CHERYL, AND ALISA TO COMPLETE THIS LOVING FAMILY. 

EMMA WAS EMPLOYED AS DIRECTOR OF THE ROUND YARD COMMUNITY CENTER, CROSSING ATTENDANT FOR CLARKSDALE POLICE  DEPARTMENT AND MANAGER OF ULTIMATE EVENING FORMAL WEAR. HER LOVE OF PEOPLE AND CREATIVE SKILLS ALLOWED HER TO SEW,  DESIGN, PAINT, DECORATE AND CREATE FOR SO MANY YEARS. SHE ACCEPTED CHRIST AT KINGS TEMPLE MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH WHERE  SHE SERVED UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF CHARLES M. JOHNSON. HER LOVED FOR CHRIST WAS EXPRESSED TO EVERYONE SHE MET. 

HER LOVE OF YOUTH PLACED HER AS A SUNDAY SCHOOL AND VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL TEACHER, GIRL SCOUT AND BROWNIE TROOP LEADER,  4-H CLUB, WOMEN’S MINISTRY AND COUNSELOR. 

RETIREMENT FOUND HER TOO SOON AND SHE SOON RETURNED TO THE WORKFORCE AS HER NEST BEGAN TO EMPTY. GOD SENT HER TO TWO  AMAZING FAMILIES DR. VENUS JONES AND ROBERT “ODELL'' JONES AND THE DICKERSONS JIM, KAY, MAC AND JAMES TO SHARE HER DEVOTED  TIME, PATIENCE, AND LOVE WAS REWARDED WITH THOSE RECIPROCATED GIFTS OF LOVE. 

VISITATION WILL BE FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2021 FROM 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM AT KING TEMPLE MB CHURCH, 1402 LYON AVE., CLARKSDALE, MS 38614.  THE CELEBRATION OF LIFE WILL BE SATURDAY APRIL 24, 2021, 1:30 PM AT KING TEMPLE M.B. CHURCH WITH THE REV. JAMES JACKSON OFFICIATING.  BURIAL WILL FOLLOW AT HEAVENLY REST CEMETERY.

LEAVING TO CHERISH HER MEMORIES DAUGHTERS LINDA (THOMAS) HALL, JACQUELINE HICKS, OF CLARKSDALE MISSISSIPPI, CHERYL  WASHINGTON OF CLEVELAND MISSISSIPPI, ALISA PITTMAN, JEANEEN (JOHNNY) OF MEMPHIS TN COUSIN SHIRLEY WINFIELD AND FREDIA  TAYLOR OF INDIANA, SISTER-IN-LAW EDNA PEARL HOWARD OF MILWAUKEE WISCONSIN GRANDCHILDREN ASHLEY (CORY) RICHARDSON OF  FARGO NORTH DAKOTA, RODNEY WILLIAMS JR. OF GALVESTON TEXAS, JEANELLE WILLIAMS, JASMINE WASHINGTON, COURTNEY WASHINGTON,  PORSHA SMITH, PHYLICIA SMITH, TASHARA RILEY, , ASHLEY (ANTONIO) BOX, TACHANDRA JACKSON OF MEMPHIS TENNESSEE, JAMISON HICKS,  ALEECHIA GRACE, MARQUITA JACKSON, KIARA JACKSON, RAQUEL JACKSON, CIERRA HAWKINS OF CLARKSDALE MISSISSIPPI, GIORGIO HAWKINS  OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, 22 GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN AND A HOST OF OTHER BELOVED FAMILY MEMBERS. 

SHE WAS A SPIRITUAL MOTHER TO REBECCA WILSON, GRACEY BILLINGSLEY, GWENDOLYN PAGE SHANNON, MARIO BURCH, GOD DAUGHTER  DESIREE DRIVER AND GOD SON TERENCE DRIVER AND THE YOUTH OF KINGS TEMPLE IN THE CLARKSDALE AREA. 

SHE ALSO LEAVES DEVOTED CAREGIVERS, KOKEETA THOMAS AND GLENDA NEAL STONE.

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