Jessie Lee Douglas' Obituary
800x600Normal0falsefalsefalseEN-USX-NONEX-NONEMicrosoftInternetExplorer4/* Style Definitions */table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-priority:99;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}Walking ExampleA member of the Center Point Baptist Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee, Jessie was a Christian who was a true inspiration to her family and her church. She taught her family to pray, to love Jesus and attend church services. Religion played a key role in her life. She read the well worn pages of her bible daily. When she prayed, she remembered everyone. She would say her own prayer when others were praying and if you were standing beside her she would enthusiastically grab your hand. Jessie walked the talk by setting such a supreme example that her family has done their best to follow in her footsteps. Her mouth never uttered a curse word. She did not approve of gambling and would tell people she met who frequented casinos that the activity would send them straight to “H.E. double L”; spelling bad language was her solution! She would pounce on anyone who called somebody a fool – not acceptable in her world. She did not abide bad behavior. Devout, one of a kind Jessie was a true saint in the eyes of her family. Kitchen DelightsJessie loved her kitchen and many happy memories were made around her table. She planned ahead and her children would dread the regular visits to the Farmers market when the car would return with a trunk load of corn and green beans – she put everyone to work getting the veggies ready for the freezer. The best peanut brittle and cake with fudge icing could be found at her house. Everyone especially loved Christmas and Thanksgiving when the baking overflow including pies and cupcakes would be piled on the washer and dryer. Mammy’s beans and dumplings were also family favorites. If you went to visit her, you ate. Without question, you were welcome. She was obsessed with eating cake and ice cream, treating herself to some every night – perhaps the secret to her longevity? Her husband enjoyed eating spicy food and on one occasion she made the comment to her children “your daddy really liked hot stuff - I guess that’s why he loved me!” Sew SpecialWhen her passion for sewing turned to the creation of tiny pillows, she shared her talent with everyone. Imagine her daughter opening a small box only to have four pillows pop out just like a Jack in the Box! After supplying all members of her family, which is no small task, she made sure that the children at her church each had a special pillow. Made with fabric and a great deal of love, some of those pillows comfort children every night. Loving Nurturer and CaregiverHugs and gum – both were given freely by Jessie. She gave out so much bubble gum to kids that it came to a point where some moms had to ask her to stop. She was known as the hugger at church – she thoroughly loved to hug everyone, especially good looking men, of course, with permission from their wives. When she first met someone, she hugged. She said hello and goodbye with a hug – it was her way. While several of her daughters and youngest son were misbehaving, Jessie sent the boy to get a switch for punishment. He brought back a log – guess who got the whipping! When the grandchildren misbehaved, Jessie would threaten them with a fly swatter if they were not behaving. She would chase them but not catch them; switches to fly swatters – a sign of the times. Jessie met her biggest life challenge with gusto - raising her kids. She gave birth to seven children – six at home and only one in hospital. When she ran a home daycare, complete with stacks of coloring books and crayons, she would care for as many as twelve kids in addition to her own. The kids behaved well, spending many lunch times slurping her delicious chicken noodle soup. Many of those kids continued to visit her when they grew up. Music was her SunshineThe Douglas family loved to sing and was often called to do so at church.Jessie enjoyed taking part as a member of the Madison Baptist church choirWhenever the family gathered, whether on camping trips or during jam sessions, music played a key role. One session that Jessie attended involved a musician singing a tune with lyrics that were not too respectable. She gave him great complements but scolded him about the vocabulary. Her husband would serenade her singing songs like “Crying My Heart Out Over You” Life to the FullestNothing stopped Jessie except learning to drive a car. The first and last time she tried was many years ago. The car was a standard shift, and when she was crossing a bridge she popped the clutch and drove safely to the other side where the car stalled; she probably prayed her way across, but that was the end of her driving attempts. Jessie triedto roller skate, even after she fell and thought she busted her head. She tried jet-skiing even though she couldn’t swim, enjoyed go-carting, horseback riding and could manage a golf cart. At the age of 92, while attending a family reunion, she insisted on going for a spin on a three wheeler motorcycle. Her comment was “there was only one thing wrong with that ride – you didn’t go fast enough!” One of Jessie’s favorite adventures was travelling in an 18-wheeler truck. She was so tiny that she needed a case of soda for a footstool. She was excited when she was travelling to visit family. On an eight-hour trip she would carry on a constant conversation. During the twenty-minute breaks from driving, she read her bible. Always feisty, Jessie would stand up to her children who would tease her about her gentlemen friends, who were also in their nineties, and the possibility of having a new step-daddy. She let them know that they were just friends and her one husband was the only man she ever wanted. As the matriarch of the family, she left no doubt that she lived life to the fullest. Jessie treated all in-laws who married into the family as her own. She was loved by all who knew her. Everyone will always remember her lovely laugh and sweet smile on a face that was framed by a necklace, clip-on earrings, and brooch lovingly saying “Bye, I love you”. LegacyBorn to John and Nannie Shadowens on January 25, 1920, Jessie was the 4th of 13 children. Jessie Lee Douglas passed away on August 12, 2012 at the age of 92. She was predeceased by her husband of 59 years in 1999, Jesse M. Douglas. Their remarkable legacy numbers over 165 people. She is survived by her devoted children Clarice (Jackie) Raines, Jesse (Dianne) Douglas, Wilburn (Ella) Douglas, Donald (Barbara) Douglas, Wanda (Larry) McCullough, Sharon (James) Bush, and Anita (Clay) Roberts; sisters, Mary Bain and Ethel Simpson, 33 grandchildren, 92 great-grandchildren, and 37 great-great grandchildren.
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