The Life Story Of My Mother By Carolyn A. Thompson

Deressa’s Mother And Father

The life story of my mother starts on Thursday, May 10, 1923, in the city of Warren, Bradley County, Arkansas.

Henry Lovell Creal, Jr., and Leona Kilgore Creal welcomed their first child, a superstar, Deressa Creal Thompson, into the world. Henry, her father, gave her the name Deressa.

A name he heard while serving in World War I from August 23, 1918, to December 21, 1918.

I am sure Henry and Leona met because Henry’s parents, Henry and Amanda Creel/Creal, lived next door to Leona’s brother, Elijah Kilgore.

According to the 1920 United States Census, they resided on Wanen Street and Kingsland Road in Pennington, Bradley County, Arkansas.

I would love it if you read Deressa’s grandparent’s story “The Life Story Of My Great-Grandparents, Henry & Amanda Creal/Creel” and visit the Creal/Creel Family Website for Creal/Creel history.

On February 15, 1920,

Henry and Leona were married on February 15, 1920, three years before Deressa was born, in Bradley County, Arkansas.

My mother told me that, even though she had older siblings, her mother was the first woman her father married.

According to the 1930 United States Census, Deressa and her family lived on a farm in the Township of Vilemont, County of Jefferson, State of Arkansas. (Courtesy of Ancestry.com)

Deressa was a member of what is known today as a blended family, but this was not something that was common at the time of her birth. Her father had at least one other wife and six additional children.

Deressa’s Siblings With Henry

• Jack Creal
• Sarah
• Unknown Female
• Bernice Creal
• Annie Lee Creal Glover
• Mattie Pearl Creal Burks

Deressa’s Siblings with Leona and Henry

• Lovell Henry Creal
• Lawrence Creal
• Roosevelt Theodore Creal

Grandparents of Deressa

Paternal:

Henry Creel/Creal & Amanda Johnson Owen Creel/Creal

I would love it if you read Henryn& Amanda’s “The Life Story Of My Great-Grandparents, Henry & Amanda Creal/Creel” and visit the Creal/Creel Family Website for Creal/Creel history.

Maternal:

Henry Kilgore and Mary George Kilgore

Great-Grandparents of My Mother

Paternal:

Harrison Duckworth and an unknown great-grandmother

Please read the “Life Story of Harrison Duckworth, My Great Great Grandfather.”

Maternal

Unknown great-grandfather and Kate (unknown maiden name) Kilgore Grimes

Uncles And Aunts Of My Mother

Paternal

• Burton Creel
• Martha Ann Creal Hicks
• Mary Annice Ann Creal Barnes
• Sylvester Creal
• DeVan Creal
• Donie Creal Chatman
• Luella Creal Davis
• Vina Creal
• Barney Creal
• Bertha Lessie Creal Johnson

Maternal

• Ann Kilgore
• Millie Kilgore Holmes
• Samuel Jasper Kilgore
• Elijah Kilgore
• Viola Kilgore Scott
• Burdie Kilgore
• Autrey Kilgore Heywood
• Benjamin Kilgore
• May D. Kilgore

Deressa’s Maternal Uncles, Samuel & Elijah Kilgore

Deressa’s Childhood

Deressa had many happy childhood memories with her family. She recalls her father working all week long and only coming home on weekends. Her father, Henry, spent a lot of time with her and her brothers, telling them funny and scary stories.

Also, as Deressa recalls, when her father arrived home on weekends, all the children simply wanted to play with their father, but their mother simply wanted to beat their father. She recalls many happy times playing and growing up with her brothers.

Leona Kilgore Creal’s Heartbreaking Death

Unfortunately, Deressa’s mother, Leona, became ill and was unable to care for her children for several years before passing away.

Deressa was probably seven years old at the time of her mother’s illness. One of Deressa’s favorite cousins, Jack Heywood, stated that her father was not the best husband for her mother, Leona.

Also, he claimed that Leona grieved herself to death as a result of her husband’s love for female companionship.

Deressa remembers her mother’s relatives temporarily removing them from their house and threatening to harm their father if he came to visit.

Fred Heywood

Leona’s nephew, Fred Heywood, was a teenager who assisted her with the children. My mother had a special place in her heart for him.

When Leona fell sick, Deressa, Henry, and Lawrence stayed at her bedside the whole time because they adored her, Fred said.

What Happens To The Children

What would happen to Deressa and her brothers? Who would care for the children? Will they be separated? I am sure the families had many thoughts about the welfare of the children.

But, these children’s lives would be turned upside down, and they would face many, many difficulties. After Leona Kilgore Creal’s death, both families grieved for years to come.

For the next 70 years, some Kilgores would bear resentment against the Creel/Creals until their death.

Additionally, Leona’s death had a great effect on her little nephew, my cousin Fred, since he talked passionately about it in the 1980s, although it happened around 1932.

The Events That Befell Deressa After She Lost Her Mother

Following Leona’s death, Deressa’s maternal aunt, Viola Kilgore Scott, offered to raise her alongside her own sons.

But, Deressa told her father, that she preferred not to stay with those boys. She wanted to stay with her own brothers.

As a result, Deressa and her brothers, Henry and Lawrence, would face even greater difficulties.

Roosevelt, not so much for the baby. He moved in with one of the aunts. Deressa’s grandparents, as well as many of her aunts and uncles, had all died. It was a terrible period for many black people, and many lacked money, food, and space.

Deressa recalls her mother’s complexion as dark and said she was part Creole and red Indian. Because she was so young and her mother was sick for so long, she didn’t have many memories of her mother.

Deressa was only able to complete up to the 4th Grade

Unfortunately, my mother recalls only being able to complete up to the fourth grade. She remembers her two older sisters, who didn’t share her mother, walking her to school regularly.

She also thought her older sisters didn’t have the same mother either; she couldn’t recall their names, but thought one of them was Sarah, but couldn’t be certain.

Education was the top priority in Deressa’s household. I believe my mother’s relentless emphasis on education was because she was denied the chance to attend school. She thought that education was the key to living a fulfilling life.

My mother was very intelligent, especially given the fact that she was unable to attend school after fourth grade. She taught herself to read, write, and do basic arithmetic calculations.

Did My Mother Have A Photographic Memory

In retrospect, I think my mother had a photographic memory when it came to recalling events. She could mentally add numbers quicker than anyone I ever met.

And she put me to the test regularly by asking me to add a series of digits. In fact, before I’ve even begun to add the first two digits, she has already given the solution along with one of her favorite quotes:

“I send Y’all to school to get an education, What are Y’all Learning in School, the Longer Y’all Go, the Dumber Y’all Get.”

My sister Rosa told me that our mother sharecropped, and because of her arithmetic abilities, the white sharecroppers she worked for were unable to rob her of her earnings, as they were able to rob many others.

Favorite uncle Barney of My Mother

Deressa remembered her favorite uncle, Barney Creal, as someone who lived close to her. Also, her dad and uncle Barney married two sisters in the 1930s.

Life With Deressa’s Stepmother

Deressa had numerous vivid recollections of her childhood home with her father and stepmother, many of which were not pleasant.

She had distinct recollections of how her stepmother treated her stepchildren differently than she treated her birth children.

Furthermore, the birth child had permission to hit the stepchildren, even with objects. My mother said one day, one of the younger children hit her in the head with an object.

The pain was unbearable. But, when the children were home alone, she spanked her so hard and dared her to tell her mother. Because if she told me, my mother would spank her even harder the next time.

According to Deressa, her stepmother had the habit of peeling apples and giving the peelings to her stepchildren while giving the apples to her biological children.

For the remainder of her life, this experience shaped and molded my mother’s perception of stepparents.

She was not fond of stepparents and certainly did not trust them.

Additionally, she favored any child without a mother, she would invite them into her home, feed and clothe them, even adults.

For this group of people, she simply had a big heart.

Deressa’s favorite uncle, Barney, died when she was about ten years old, about a year after she lost her mother.

She recalls overhearing Barney’s wife discussing with her sisters her plans with the money from his insurance policy.

However, to everyone’s surprise, Maud Scobey Creal, Barney’s first wife, arrived with her child and collected the insurance money.

Wait, did I mention Uncle Barney’s death was a result of poison, according to my mother?

I understand why Uncle Barney was my mother’s favorite uncle because she grew up around him. And he impacted her life.

Barney married Maud Scoby on January 23, 1916, and he married Annie Gordon on March 23, 1931, under the name Barnie Creel.

However, he never divorced Maud, and even though they were not together, she was still the legal wife.

He changed the spelling of his first name and used the last name “Creel” instead of “Creal.” His family stopped using “Creel” 30 years ago, in 1900.

It appears as if my uncle Barney changed his name because he knew he was committing polygamy.

Deressa At Jack’s House

After arriving at Jack’s house, life would never be the same for Deressa, her brothers, and their father. My mother was between 14 and 16 years old.

She recalls that Jack wasn’t very nice to his siblings, and they worked on his farm. She also recalls Jack and his wife convincing her to marry my father, Mack Thompson.

Mack lived next door with his cousin and was best friends with Jack. Deressa recalls marrying Mack on April 10, 1939, at the urgent request of her brother, Jack.

On her wedding day, she remembers telling the clerk she was 16. But, her sister-in-law quickly corrected her, saying she had a headache, and she was really 18 years old.

My mother told me that after marrying my dad, he took her to his mother’s home in Mississippi. Also, she said Mack, my dad, never asked her father for her hand in marriage.

Marriage Certificate For My Mother And Father

However, on the way to Mississippi, they passed by her father’s house, and she pointed it out to her new husband.

Because they were both raised without parents, my parents promised to stay married forever. And they remained together from 1939 until my father’s death on April 6, 2001.

Although they were confronted with numerous challenges that life would throw at them, they kept their promise to each other.

After arriving in Mississippi, she would give birth to her first son on January 14, 1940, and he would become Mack Henry. Mack, after his father, and Henry, after his mother’s father.

Snippet of The 1940 Census For My Mother

My mother told me she became an early riser because, after giving birth, she found it difficult to get up in the morning to cook her husband’s breakfast before he left for work.

She felt so bad, and she was embarrassed. So, she became an early bird.

The very next year, in 1941, she would give birth to her first daughter, and they would name her Bobby Jean.

My grandmother, Mary Jefferson, became ill, and my father said my mother took excellent care of her to the end.

Lawrence, Deressa’s 14-year-old brother, died in January 1942 while still under Jack’s care.

My mother said that after his passing, her sister-in-law wrote to her father, requesting him to come to get Henry, who was sick.

Furthermore, the sister-in-law stated that the girl got married and left, and one of the boys was dead.

My mother said her father was mad, and Aunt Donie stopped him from killing his son. Henry took three children to Jack’s house but got only one back.

When Deressa was about 19 years old, she lost her mother-in-law. My mother said her sister-in-law never came to help her with her mother.

According to my beloved sister Mary Elizabeth, when our grandmother passed away on March 10, 1942, my father moved in with relatives in Memphis, Tennessee. Deressa gave birth to her in 1943.

Mack named him David Lee, after his great uncle, the man who raised him. David, my brother, told me he was named after Dave Pratt.

Because my parents were supposed to give him to them, but he didn’t get to live with them.

The next year, in 1944, Deressa would give birth to her fourth child, a boy. And they named him Maxsell Lawrence. She named him Lawrence, after her brother.

Deressa’s Husband Leaves For The Navy

At age 21, with a baby and three little children not living near any of her family members, her husband went to serve a country that had no respect for him.

He departed on May 11, 1944, and would not return until December 8, 1945. Life was not easy, and they didn’t have much money. I am sure she was overwhelmed, but my mother was extremely courageous.

My mother would get a three-year break before giving birth to her second daughter in 1947. They would name her Mary Elizabeth. Mary is after his mother and Elizabeth, is after his sister.

Mack would move his family from Memphis, Tennessee, to Clarksdale, Arkansas, near Dave and Ella Pratt, the people who raised him.

Clarksdale was small, and the nearest post office was in Turrell, Arkansas. They were poor and worked picking and chopping cotton from sunup to sundown.

Because Clarksdale was rural, Deressa’s next six children were born at home and delivered by a midwife. Her name was Ms. Carrie.

Bonnie Ruth, their first child, was delivered at home by a midwife in 1948, the third girl. Deressa named her Bonnie after her Uncle Barney, and Ruth after her sister Annie Ruth.

Deressa’s Next Two Girls

About three years later, in 1951, she gave birth to Andrew Lee. They named him after Mack’s father, Andrew Thompson.

He was their fourth boy and seventh child. Next came Rosa Lee in 1952, the fourth girl. She was named after Uncle Roosevelt.

The next child, Ella Lee, who was named after Dave Pratt’s wife, Ella, was born in 1954.

Then comes the next boy, Larry Dee. He was born in 1956. Sometime in 1957, their oldest son, Mack, left home and moved to a town near Osceola.

11th Child | Carolyn A. Thompson

The last child born at home, well, that was me, Carolyn Ann. I was born on Tuesday, June 17, 1958, and was named by the midwife, Ms. Carrie.

After my birth, my parents moved near their oldest son off Highway 61 in Driver, Arkansas. My mother wouldn’t give birth for the next three years, and I know why.

I am their sixth girl and the eleventh child. I grew up hearing about how I nursed until I was three years old. Oh, yes, I got in my mother’s lap at three years old and asked her to nurse.

I am very proud to say that my mother told me I was her only child to walk at six months. I started walking almost at the same time as my older brother. For whatever reason, he preferred not to walk, but to be carried.

First Grandchild | A Boy

Okay, back to Deressa’s story. Mack Jr. and Evelyn Beecham gave them their first grandchild, a boy, in May 1959.

They named him Michael. And the very next year, in 1960, their oldest daughter, gave them their second grandchild, another boy named Timmy.

Their next child was born, a girl. She was named after my mother, Deressa Lee, who was born in 1961.

When she was a baby, they said she was so pretty that they called her “Cookie.” She was the next child, or the first of the children, to be born in a hospital.

Moreover, that same year, Deressa and Mack welcomed their third grandchild, another boy, named Fred Windmon. Over the next six years, Deressa would have children at the same time as her oldest children.

Over the past few years, Deressa and Mack welcomed more grandsons: Melvin Windmon, Alfred Windmon, Tony Thompson, Mark Thompson, Andrew (Dink) Thompson, and Maxsell Thompson.

The next loss for Deressa came in June 1965, when Dave Pratt passed away. I remember her telling me that she didn’t learn about the Bible from her father.

She remembered her father being a Mason. But Dave, whom we called Granddaddy, taught her all about the Bible. And she said he was a nice man.

The last two born sons

Deressa and Mack’s next child was a boy. They named him Calvin Ray. He was born in 1963.

Their last son was born a few years later in 1965. They named him John Robert. My mother loved him so much. She passionately called him “Baby Dumdum.”

Their oldest five children had all left Arkansas. Mack Jr. had left the South for Oklahoma some years earlier because of a confrontation he had with a white man.

When he returned, his wife and our brother, David, all moved to Detroit, Michigan. They chose Detroit because Mack’s wife had relatives there.

Many of the residents of that small town relocated to Detroit, Chicago, or Saint Louis.

Maxsell and Mary were living in Toledo, Ohio, with our Aunt Elizabeth, who we passionately call Aunt Cat.

And Bobby had married Fred Windmon, and they were residing in Chicago, Illinois. Bobby was feeling overwhelmed, and she needed her father’s help. So, she sent for him.

Deressa’s Husband Leaves Arkansas

Mack left Arkansas and promised himself he would never, ever go back. He was done with the South forever because of all he had witnessed. Mack worked hard to get his family out of the South, and he did.

Meanwhile, Deressa had to hold down the family. She continued to sharecrop. I can’t even imagine the abuse she had to suffer at the hands of the people she sharecropped for.

I remember she had the biggest garden. My little sister and I were playing in the field one day while my mother was working.

I remember she was chopping with a garden hoe. My little sister was running and playing. I was walking slowly and looking down.

Then, I saw a snake. I screamed, “Madea, Madea”, as she was passionately called. I see a snake.

She ran so fast to me and started chopping at the snake. I am telling you, my mother was incredibly brave. She was not afraid at all.

She had the biggest garden; we grew nearly everything we ate. She had all kinds of vegetables: onions, peppers, greens, you name it, we had it.

But my focus was on the watermelons. We didn’t have pecan trees, although we picked them from the neighbor’s tree.

They had chickens and geese. We ate the chickens, but I do not remember eating the geese. I don’t know why they had geese.

But those geese were so mean, and they terrorized me as a child. We also had an outhouse and a water pump.

Yes, we had to go outside to pump water for all our water needs, including bathing. There was no bathroom or indoor water in our house in Arkansas in 1967.

My mother used to make ice cream every time it snowed, which wasn’t often. I also remember that she did not play.

When she told you to do something, you immediately completed that task if you did not want a whipping. You better do it.

She believed in children doing what they were told. It was not OK for children to be disrespectful or disobedient at that time in history.

Actually, I think she loved giving whippings because she would always have a smile on her face.

Well, at least when she whipped me. It was probably because I was determined to have it my way.

Also, I have to mention that, normally, when one child gets whipped, every child in the house who was promised a whipping gets one. 

For example, every time you break a rule, if it warrants a whipping, even if you didn’t get it that day, you may get it later if she remembers.

This was called “whipping” for the old and new. So while you were being whipped, she reminded you of every time she promised to whip you.

Some children get whipped less often because they follow the rules more. My mother did not believe in men whipping children, so my father didn’t whip us.

Well, he really didn’t have to, because his presence demanded respect. All the children were on their best behavior when he was around.

There came a time when all the children went to live with Ella Pratt, except for the one who was named after her, Ella.

This was our transition period from the South to the North. Ella remained behind with my mother in the house.

Ella later told us how she had to go outside and play and call all the children’s names to give the impression that the other children were around.

She talked about how the white people were harassing our mother, asking all kinds of questions about our father.

Additionally, she told us, that Mr. Rutherford, the driver, pushed her and my mother into the car. Because he said if “the man” saw him, he would be in trouble.

The Family Escapes From Arkansas

Then, one night, my mother came with a man and a woman in a station wagon.

All the children, Bonnie, Rosa, Ella, Larry, Cookie, Calvin, John, and me. Can you imagine all those people in one car?

Andrew had gone ahead of us because he had been giving my mother some trouble.

I remember the long ride and the older girls saying, “Pinch me, I can’t believe we are leaving.”

Sure, I am not sleeping, they keep saying. I was probably about seven, and I will never forget the smell because someone had awful gas.

Several months after moving to Chicago, thank God, my family moved from 47th to 87th Street and Halsted.

It was a much nicer area because my older brother wasn’t getting beat up every day when we walked to school.

Two Sisters found each other in a magnificent way

That same year, my mother found her sister Mattie. It had been 30 years since the last time these sisters had seen each other.

The last time they saw each other, Mattie was about four years old and Deressa was about 14.

Aunt Mattie is Henry Jr.’s last child, as well as Henry and Amanda Creel/Creal’s last grandchild.

Aunt Mattie was traveling from Saint Louis, Missouri, to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and her car happened to stop right in front of our house. My father, Mack, went out to offer help.

He said to Mattie, “My wife’s sister had a mold on her face like your mold,” and Mattie said, “What’s your wife’s name?” He said, “Deressa,” and then Mattie said, “She is my sister.”

My father invited them into the house. It was quite late at night by this time. My mother was working, and when she walked in the door and saw Aunt Mattie, she started screaming.

And this is how the sisters found each other 30 years later. Was that a divine encounter or what?

Before finding her sister, Deressa traveled to Portland, Oregon, to see her father because he was ill.

She stayed with him as long as she could. Her husband and children needed her too.

She really wanted to take her father home with her to Chicago. Initially, his wife agreed but changed her mind when Henry said that if Dad goes, his check goes.

Meanwhile, back at home, life was quite different for all the children and my father.

I remember hearing the grown and teenage children talking about my father behind his back.

They said he had the nerve to say, “We are only cooking rice and tuna if that is all he bought.”

Of course, they were all afraid to say it to his face because they were afraid to tell him. Needless to say, we were all thrilled when she finally came home.

First Granddaughter | Last Child-A Girl

After many grandsons, Deressa and Mack eventually received their first granddaughter, Belinda Thompson, born in 1964.

Three years later, in 1967, Deressa and Mack welcomed their last child, a girl, into the world.

Deressa was older, so she enlisted her daughter Mary to help with the baby. Mary named her Sharron Yvonne.

The next year, on June 13, 1968, Deressa lost her father, whom she loved dearly. My mother did not attend funerals.

I recall this because she said, she was allergic to the embalming fluid used. As a result, she sent two of her children.

Deressa was a devout Christian, and she and her husband reared their children as Baptists.

She did, however, study with the Jehovah’s Witnesses and frequent the sanctified church.

I believe she appreciated the holy church because she did the joyful dance. During this period, I recall my mom being my best friend.

I didn’t get along with the other children. And, absolutely, I would tell my mother about almost everything they did.

I really enjoyed going to the sanctified church and studying with the witnesses with her, as it was not a requirement.

However, attending church was a requirement for everyone who lived in their household.

Even if they didn’t attend church, it was required for the children to attend every single Sunday.

One day, my father got laid off from his job. My older brother happened to visit us on the way home to Detroit from Arkansas.

Mack was sharing how he had just gotten laid off from his job. One of my brothers said, “Come to Detroit with me and I can get you a job tomorrow.”

So off Mack goes to Detroit, Michigan. I’m not sure when he left or how long he was gone.

1970s Big Fire

While sitting in class one day in 1970, we noticed smoke, a lot of smoke. The students were all laughing and joking about how the school was on fire.

Please report to the office over the loudspeaker, Carolyn Thompson. I’m no longer laughing; instead, I’m trying to figure out why I am being called to the office.

Once at the office, I was informed that my house was on fire and that there were two injuries.

Now I am panicking because my little brother was at home when the fire started.

He had two broken legs and one broken arm. Sometime earlier, my brother, Calvin, and I were hit by a left-turning car.

When the car hit us, it knocked me out of the street and pushed him further ahead into the street. Then another car ran over Calvin.

The second car was a hit-and-run. It didn’t stop. It happened on the side of our house at 87th Street and Halsted.

I will never forget that day. My mother was at work, I was about 11 or 12, and Calvin was five years younger than me.

This devastated my mother and took her years to overcome.

After moving to Detroit, she retired. A few years later, she worked as a lunch aide for a few years before retiring again. My parents seemed to be happy living in Detroit.

Then, in 1975, Andrew got hurt at work and had to have 90 percent of his small intestines removed.

Over the next few years, my mother served him, trying everything to keep him alive.

Then, Roosevelt, her youngest brother, passed away in 1976. But he visited her right before his death. He lived in Eugene, Oregon.

The next year, in 1976, they lost their first child, Andrew Lee. After his death, my parents moved to Pontiac.

And they left the house and everything in it to Ella, Larry, and me. But Bonnie, Mack, and Rosa got the house.

My parents took Deressa, Calvin, John, Sharron, and Bernard with them to Pontiac, where they stayed in Andrew’s townhouse.

Even though they probably should have taken me because I was only 17, my mother said I couldn’t come because I had a baby.

I had placed myself in a woman’s position, so I had to be a woman. They were closer to my father’s job, too.

How Deressa Found Her Brother, Jack Creal

Before Moving To Pontiac

Deressa’s elder children were staying at the Holiday Inn in Little Rock, Arkansas, around 1989 or 1990.

A young man in the elevator told one of my brothers he looked just like his uncle. “What’s your uncle’s name?” my brother inquired.

Hart was his response. We don’t know any Harts, he said. So, when the young man exited the elevator, my brother remarked, “Bye, Mr. Hart.”

“No, my name is Creal, Jack Creal,” the young man replied. They all exited the elevator because our uncle’s name was Jack Creal.

Several of Jack’s children visited the hotel. Jack’s uncle, Joseph Creal, kept in contact with his aunt, Deressa, until the end.

Moving to Pontiac, Michigan

Pontiac became their new residence. My father found a church home and rose to the position of head deacon. He could really sing and lead the congregation in prayer.

My parents lived the remainder of their lives in Pontiac, Michigan. Deressa and Mack’s 15 children would give them over 40 grandchildren.

At least 90 percent of those grandchildren lived with them at some point in their lives.

Those 40 or so grandchildren would give them 80 or so great-grandchildren. Deressa had a difficult year in 2001. 

In February, she lost her first grandson, Maxsell Thompson. In March, she lost her next grandson, Timmy Windmon.

Then, on April 6, she lost her husband, Mack Thompson. Deressa lived for the next 17 years without her beloved husband, Mack. 

My mother was self-reliant, driven, devoutly religious, a comic, and meticulously clean. She was able to return to school and obtain certificates in both sewing and cooking.

In her church, she served on the Mother’s Board and the Missionary Committee for many years.

Also, she continued to garden every year, collect pictures, babysit, attend church, study with the Jehovah’s Witnesses, cook, and carry out her role as the family matriarch, holding her family together.

The End | My Mother’s Life Story

Deressa lived by herself until the age of 93. She lived long enough to see the birth of her great-great-grandchildren and to see her brother Lovell, sister Annie, and her son, Larry passed away before she closed her eyes forever on October 14, 2018.