Jessie Mae Avery
03/13/1935 - 07/02/2022
Funeral service will be 2:00 p.m. EST, Monday, July 11, 2022 in the C.T. Chapel of Taylor Funeral Home with Elder David Sanders, officiating. Interment will follow in Edmonds Cemetery, Phenix City, AL. Visitation will be Saturday, July 9, 2022 from 3-5 p.m. EST.
Jessie Mae Avery was born on March 13, 1935 to the union of Willis and Rosetta Calhoun in Phenix City, AL.
Ms. Avery's walk with the Lord first began at 18 years old when she accepted Christ as her personal Savior and joined the general assembly and church of the first-born which are written in heaven. On this earth, until her death her last assembly for worship was with the Garden of Gethsemane Church in Fort Mitchell, AL that she and her late biblical husband David L. Avery built with their own hands, established and maintained for over two decades. As it relates to their dedication and guidance from the Lord a thriving congregation was sustained which produced two ministers, both who are actively engaged in their own congregations today.
Prior to Ms. Avery's work for the Lord in Fort Mitchell, AL, she lived and worked for the Lord in Detroit, MI. These years most emphatically represent the prime of her life. During this time she was seriously involved in Christian service at both the Better Living and Burns Seventh Day Adventist Churches. Through her personal dedication and zeal for Christ she led dozens of souls to accept him and be baptized in his name. A typical week for her would be spent daily canvassing in the community, making home prayer visits and nightly bible studies hosted in her home. One of the talents and callings on her life was gathering the neighborhood children in the basement of her home to teach them about the love of God.
These gatherings were richly blessed. Some of the children have remained faithful to the Lord until this day and two of them are active pastors with their own gathering flocks. She often shared with her children and grandchildren that she would attend revival meetings seven nights a week, lasting almost two months under the late Pastor J. Malcolm Phipps.
In the very prime of spiritual and economic prosperity Ms. Avery felt the Lord leading her back to her roots in Phenix City, AL to labor and bringing in the light of God’s truth to her extended family. In the early eighties she migrated back south to collaborate the establishment of the Better Living Seventh Day Adventist Church, currently operating as Mount Moriah Seventh Day Adventist Church in Phenix City, AL. As she faithfully discharged her duties to the cause of the Lord several of her extended family members accepted him as Lord and Savior and was baptized in his name.
Also, included in Ms. Avery’s many talents were the ministry of song. She was entrusted with the gift to compose numerous songs of which she said the Lord himself provided the words, melody, and arrangement. One of her life goals and accomplishments was to professionally record these songs and she did so by the production of one of her most loved renditions “King of Kings”.
Ms. Avery was educated in the Phenix City School District where she attended South Girard School and later received her diploma from Chattahoochee Valley Community College (CVCC). In accordance with her compassion to help people, Jessie Mae was employed for many years as a physical therapy assistant. She quickly excelled in her field and would go on to be offered sponsorship from her employer to further her skill and education as a Licensed Physical Therapist. Ultimately this offer was declined as tragedy struck and sacrifice was made to rear one of her grandchildren.
Jessie Mae "Dean" aka "Big mama" was loving, tenacious, vivacious, full of vigor and spirit. Yes, her bark was worse than her bite, but all who truly knew her would say that she was generous and would help anyone she could. She was well known as an individual that did not and would not mince words and told you exactly how she felt. Oftentimes that might take place as you were sitting at her table enjoying and being nourished by one of her delicious meals because she really could cook.
She was preceded in death by her sons, Danny and Willie Latulas; daughter, Peggy Saffold.
She leaves to cherish her memories two daughters, Helen Griffin (Dwight) of Detroit, Michigan and Connie Sanders of Columbus, Georgia; one sister, Claudia Hollis (James) of Fort Lauderdale, Florida; one brother, Rozell Calhoun of Fort Mitchell, AL and a host of grandchildren; great-grandchildren, great- great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.