Jessie was a happy child and was always drawn to the pretty things around her. Jessie had a special gift for making others feel noticed and special. All who knew her can attest to the consistent and intentional way Jessie let others know that she cared about them and that they were important. Earlier in her life, it was not uncommon to receive a kind note, written with perfect penmanship, on a lovely piece of stationery. In her later years, a well-timed phone call was her social medium of choice. Time spent with Jessie on the phone became a run-down of the events of the day, a fashion lesson, a culinary lesson or a beautiful walk down memory lane. By the end of the call, you would certainly have covered “all the things”, but you would also hang up with a smile on your face.
Jessie accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior at an early age. She and her sisters, Ethel Lee and Annie Lee were all baptized early one Easter Sunday morning. She and her family were consistent and faithful members of Greater New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Houston Texas, where her grandmother, Ellen Thompson was a Founding Member. It was in the church where Jessie’s love of music and her beautiful soprano voice developed. She and her sisters, Ethel and Annie formed a group known locally as The Barnes Sisters. They traveled around Houston and the surrounding areas, chauffeured by their older brother John, singing the gospel and spiritual hymns that were important and uplifting to the African American communities in the area.
Jessie married her first husband, the late Charles Suel Cain in 1940. Charles, known as “Trummie” because of his talent to play trumpet, had strong ties in the R&B and Jazz communities. His affiliations afforded Jessie and him the opportunity to meet and become friends with the musical greats of the time, Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington, to name a few. On April 24, 1941, in Houston Texas, Marva Ann Cain would be born to the union of Jessie Mae Barnes and Charles Suel Cain. Marva was Jessie’s only child. The special bond between mother and daughter was evident and Jessie always had Marva at the center of her attention. The marriage between Jessie and Charles ended shortly after Marva’s birth.
For a season, Jessie and Marva lived in Berkley, California. It was during this time that Jessie began attending a special hostess and party planning course at UC Berkley. As Jessie recalled, the course was led by “two fabulous women from Paris, France.” It was during this time that Jessie’s love of party planning and entertaining would emerge and flourish. The “Berkley course” (as Jessie referred to it) was the foundation and vision for what would later become Jessie’s Wedding & Party Planning Service.
In June 1954, Jessie married the love of her life, Frederick Kelley. Jessie and “Fred” had a beautiful bond. Together, they launched Jessie’s dream of being a wedding planner and caterer. Their business was a thriving success delivering happiness and joy to people celebrating the most important days of their lives. During their 23 years together, they celebrated the marriage of her daughter Marva and the joy of becoming loving and devoted grandparents. Jessie and Frederick Kelley enjoyed a long happy marriage until Frederick passed away.
In the mid-80’s, Jessie formally retired her business and moved to Kingwood, Texas to live with her daughter Marva’s family. It was during this time that Jessie found her next great adventure: taking care of her two grandchildren, Mark and Nicole, volunteering as a teacher’s aide at the local elementary school and being a dedicated member of Kingwood First Baptist Church. Jessie continued to share her gifts of decorating, cooking and building up others in everything that she participated. Referred to by members of the church as “Mother Jessie”, every Sunday you could count on seeing her in the center pew section, second row, corner seat, bible in hand, dressed to the “nines”, replete with a fantastic hat. As new career opportunities moved the family to different Texas cities, Jessie enjoyed each adventure. While in Colleyville, Texas, she faithfully served at First Baptist Euless, and membership in the Colleyville Women’s Club. When the family moved to San Antonio, Texas, Jessie continued her faithful service as a member of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church.
In her last years as a resident of the Lennwood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Jessie continued to generously give of her time/talents and made sure she was fashionably dressed, with face fully made. Her greatest joy was to ensure that her fellow residents had an experience where “all things were done with grace and perfection”. Jessie was instrumental in working with local ministers to establish the Sunday Morning Worship Hour, “producing” an Annual Christmas Concert hosted by her family and of course the annual celebration of her birthday!
Known by many endearments: Jessie Mae, Mom, “Gram”, Aunt Jessie, “Mother Jessie”, “Granny”, has been a blessing to all who knew her. Her love of people always reflected Christ’s love. Her joy for bringing people together and making others feel special was a gift from which we all benefited.
Jessie was the longest living member of her family’s generation. She was preceded in death by her parents, Margaret and James B. Barnes, her siblings, John Jordan, Lela Jordan Robinson, Ethel Lee Johnson and Annie Harris Moten Jenkins.
Jessie is survived by her daughter, Marva Cain (James O. Benton); grandson, Mark S. Benton (Shelley), granddaughter, Jimmi Nicole Benton; great-grandchildren, Joshua Stephen, Parker Weston and Jessica Cain; Nieces and Nephews, Della Margaret Robinson, Rosaylia and her husband, Tyree Wilson, Margaret Materre and family, Theodore Harris and family; The McNary Family, Julia Malveaux and family and many relatives and faithful friends. Special thanks to Jessie’s dedicated care givers at the Lennwood Center and special friends, Sue Daniel, Jean Jackson, and Mr. Kenneth Martin, for their constant dedication and loving support to Jessie over the years of her residence at the Lennwood.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.beanmasseyburge.com for the Kelley family.
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