Julia Mae Curtis

JULY 12, 1921 - MAY 19, 2013

Julia Mae Curtis passed away peacefully Sunday, May 19, in the home she resided in for the past 53 years. She was born in the southeast corner of Arkansas only minutes from Mississippi and Louisiana. Her birth town of Parkdale rose above the surrounding bayou and farmable land that was largely planted in cotton.

When not needed at home or in the field, Julia attended the Parkdale School. She treasured her time in school and greatly admired her teachers. A tiny photograph of Ms. Berni Smith was kept on her dresser. Math surely was a strong attribute and as a young girl, Julia was considered one of the best cotton weighers. The chores at home provided a vocational education. Julia could sew and quilt, milk cows and churn butter. Her formal and home education prepared her well for life. The last mortgage payment was made years ago and debts were never accumulated. At ninety-one, she could still nose out any scam.

Recognized as a good dancer, Julia Mae and husband Jim developed their two-step in Parkdale at the bluegrass hoedowns. Once in California, they discovered the Riverbank Club House and polished their dancing to tunes performed by Chester Smith and the Maddox Brothers and Rose.

Julia was the consummate homemaker. She maintained an immaculate house, packed lunches, ironed clothes, kept records of immunizations, and paid bills. Breakfast and dinner times were undeviating. As her children grew to have their own families, she took pride in serving up buttered biscuits topped with cocoa gravy to her grandchildren.

In Julia's later years she derived great pleasure from family gatherings at holidays, birthdays, and the summertime barbeques. She loved her grandchildren deeply and all were a tremendous source of pride. She helped care for her grandchildren when they were young. Together they played board games and put together jigsaw puzzles. When they were older, her grandchildren played guitar, repaired appliances and mowed lawns for her. Family from nearby, as well as Idaho, Missouri, and Costa Rica gathered during the last two weeks of her life to express their love and bid her farewell.

Julia Mae was preceded in death by her husband James Earl Curtis and two grandchildren, Darrel Cox and Sheila Willson, and one great grandchild. She is survived by her adult children Julia Marie Cox (Paul), Carolyn Sue Jensen, Shirley Ann Reeves, and James Earl Curtis, Jr. (Teri). She also leaves grandchildren Paula Hardrick (Joe), Paul Cox (Sarah), Jeff, Timothy, and Mathew Portue, Carolyn Ford (Russ), Gregory Reeves (Cheryl), Curtis Reeves, and Austin and Kalkidan Curtis, in addition to 13 great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.

Graveside service at Lakewood Memorial Park will be held Tuesday, May 28, at 1:00 pm. Remembrances may be made to Community Hospice, 4368 Spyres Way, Modesto 95356.