Jessie Mae Gordon

Jessie Mae Gordon On December 24, 1943, the sun rose in the life of Jessie Mae Gordon, the baby of the family to Lois Phairr Gordon and William “Memphis” Gordon in Middletown, Ohio. Jessie, being the baby of the family, knew how to get her way.  Jessie was mischievous, but oh, so loving. Jessie often found ways to smile and sweet talk her way out of trouble for doing things such as deciding to grease the family dog Spot’s scalp, cutting her mother’s curtains to “make things,” and deciding as a young girl to cut her own bangs. Even when she was in trouble with her mother, she could always talk her father into buying her an ice cream cone with her large crocodile tears. She knew how to make her father’s heart melt.  Yes, Jessie had a way of winning your heart over and reminding you, “I’m the baby.”

Jessie attended Garfield Elementary School, McKinley Middle School, and Middletown High School, all of Middletown, Ohio.

Jessie was the baby of 5 children, Mary, Hazel, Saul, Eddie, and then her, Jessie. Jessie adorned her older sisters, Mary and Hazel. She followed after them like shadows, wanting to do the things they did. As a young girl, she never understood why she couldn’t have Pepsi and peanuts like Hazel or why couldn’t she go with Mary when she went places.  Then there were her brothers, Saul and Eddie. Jessie roughed housed with her brothers all the time. She’d tussle with them and often times it was she that won the tussle. Being the baby of the family, Jessie was naturally quite dramatic and loved attention. Jessie would put on performances at family gatherings, singing songs such as “This Bitter Earth” by Dinah Washington and “Drown in My Own Tears” by Ray Charles. Jessie had a love for music, dancing, skating, and being surrounded by her friends and family. Growing up, Jessie’s grandchildren remembered that the house was often flooded with the sounds of Jackie Wilson, Otis Redding, and at Christmas, Charles Brown’s “Please Come Home for Christmas” would be on repeat. Saturdays and Sundays, we were awakened with the sounds of Albetina Walker, Dorothy Norwood, Bishop G. E. Patterson, and Reverend F. C. Barnes with “The Rough Side of the Mountain.”

Jessie also loved to do things with her hands. Drawing, painting, sewing, doing hair, making clothes, and she loved to crochet, a skill Jessie picked up from her older sister, Mary. Jessie and her sister, Mary, would get together and just have days where they crochet together, talking, and reminisced. Jessie always had to keep her hands busy. She would put together collages of pictures, collages of newspaper clippings, and loved putting together puzzles. If you’ve been anywhere Jessie lived, you remember her walls being full of pictures, collages, drawings, and framed puzzles that she put together. Jessie also could not resist collecting figurines, statues, and antique dolls. All over Jessies house would be a collection of antique dolls sitting on her piano, shelves, and shelves of porcelain figurines. She called them “what nots.”  Jessie was a collector, historian, and wanted to pass things down throughout her family.

Jessie moved to Columbus in 1961 from Middletown, Ohio. While here in Columbus, Jessie attended beauty school.  Soon after obtaining her certificate, Jessie worked at Erma Lee Hairdresser with longtime friend, Johnnie Thomas, and then Jessie worked at Sir Mr. Kee Beauty Shop. Jessie gave birth to her one and only daughter, Mia, in 1965. After having Mia, Jessie worked for a little while longer in the shop but later did hair out of wherever she lived. Jessie did all. of her friends, nieces, and even great-nieces’ hair. Jessie’s nieces would tell you they all received a press and curl or roller set by Aunt Jessie Mae. Her great-nieces and Jasmine will tell you how they ALL had a Jerry Curl in the 80s and 90s.  Jessie being such a great beautician often told her grandchildren how she did the heads of people like Tina Turner and famous Jazz and Blues singers that came through Columbus. Jessie participated in hair shows in Detroit, Cleveland, and Columbus.

Jessie was a historian and a storyteller. She loved telling stories about her growing up and of her family. Being her grandchildren, we heard tons of stories. We heard stories of her grandmother and how beautiful she was. We heard stories of her and her brothers going south to visit their grandmother with their mother. Her brothers played too roughly with a young boy of another race and how they had to be rushed back north to Middletown to avoid what we all know could happen. Grandma loved telling stories of her upbringing. We heard stories of Lois being the first black woman to sell Dunbar insurance in their town and how her father, Memphis, was recognized for his tenure and work at Armco. Jessie talked about skating with the Isley brothers down in Lincoln Heights. We heard stories of how she came up with nicknames for her nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews, Pooh-Pooh, Auntie’s Yellow Banana, Oopie, Dink-Dink, Bit-Bit, just to name a few. Jessie was full of history, full of knowledge, full of love, and believed in passing on that richness and legacy of storytelling.

Jessie loved being a mother to Mia, but when she became a grandmother, her life changed, and she beamed with love and light. Jessie dedicated her life to raised 4 of Mia’s 6 children. Jessie brought up her grandkids in fear and admonition of the Lord. She always taught her grandkids to be the best version of themselves, walk with their heads held high, and never feel less than because they were being raised by their grandmother. She instilled God, love, hard work, respect, and self-worth in each of her grandkids. Jessie didn’t just do this for her blood grandchildren but all children. Jessie was loved by everyone from the hood to the church! Jessies was EVERYONE’S grandma, and to her, if you called her grandma, she treated you like her own. Jessie not only babysat her nieces and nephews, neighborhood children, but kids in the church to which she belonged. Those kids called her grandma, and she loved them all as if they were her own. EVERYONE got the same love, discipline, and frequent jewels she would drop while talking to and encouraging you. Jessie was a staple everywhere she lived, and the entire neighborhood all called her grandma. Summerset, Trevitt, Mount Vernon, River Point, she was everyone’s grandma! If you brought friends home, she fed them, sheltered them, and encouraged them. She did not care what you had done, what you had experienced, what your story was, she found a way to speak life to you. She’d also tell you like it is without filter, but she did it in love. She prayed for you. Jessie made you her family; she had a way of making all feel welcomed and important.

Jessie was a member of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church where she served for 33 years. In those 33 years, Jessie was a dedicated member of Sunday Church School, Matron of the Drill Team, member of the Jubilee Choir, and memberof the Women’s Fellowship. Jessie never missed service at her church or in the community. Jessie faithfully attended simultaneous revival, city revivals, and she also served in the National Baptist General Convention. Jessie loved the Lord and told anyone who would listen. Jessie would always talk back to the preacher, saying “Uh-huh,” “Come on Jesus,” or offering up a little “preacher’s hoot.” Jessie was first baptized in a holiness church in Middletown at the age of 9. When Jessie first moved to Columbus, she worshipped at Refuge Baptist Missionary Church but joined Friendship Missionary Baptist in 1991. During Jessie’s life, she brought many souls to Christ through her love, stewardship, example, and just from her being the grandma to the children whose lives she touched. Jessie believed in making EVERYONE feel loved; Jessie believed in making EVERYONE feel valued. Jessie exuded Christ’s love in her everyday life. This is why she will be missed.

Jessie was preceded in death by her mother, Lois Phairr Gordon; father, William “Memphis” Gordon; brothers, Saul Gordon and Brother Eddie “Goo” Gordon; sister, Mary Smith-Echols; and daughter, Mia Gordon.

Jessie leaves to cherish her memory: her sister, Hazel Smith; sister-in-law, Kathy Gordon; grandchildren, Jasmine, Auddi, Raven-Nicole, Heaven, Rayshawn-Josiah, and Arry’Anna (Denaya); great-grandsons, Tylen-Isaiah and Mekhi; friends, Gail Maxwell, Johnnie Thomas, and Michael Thomas; godchildren, Fred Randall, Carla Martin, J’hanna Moody, and Destiny Moody; and Jessie, being considered one of the matriarchs of the family, leaves a host of other family, nieces, nephews, and close friends to cherish her memory as well.

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