Gertha Mae Ross

Gertha Mae Ross came into this world on August 25,1935 in Arlington, Tennessee to Louis and Mary Sawyer. She was the youngest of thirteen children. She was affectionately called Mae by her children and those closest to her. Her maternal grandparents were Anderson and Jenny Smith. Her maternal great grandparents, Wesley and Susan Smith were born into slavery and resided in Alabama. Her father died when she was two years old and it was a struggle for her mother to care for her many children. Although Gertha was not educated beyond grade school, she became a visionary entrepreneur.

In 1951, Gertha married John Payne. They made their home in Memphis, Tennessee. To that union was born Shirley and Joann Payne. Gertha later moved to Chicago where she met and then married Robert Ross, Jr. (Bob). To that union was born Barbara, Beverly, Lataska, and Rosalind. Robert was also stepfather to Shirley and Joann who joined Gertha in Chicago.

Gertha was involved in many business enterprises. One such included selling Avon, where she was regularly a top agent. She also worked as a window dresser at Lerner’s and other clothing stores. In 1973, she took courses at Olive-Harvey City College.

In 1973, Gertha moved to Atlanta, GA and decided to launch a new career as a barber. She graduated from barber school and opened her own barber shop: Four Scissors. There, she worked alongside her best friend Ann Oliver and also employed several other barbers. Her barber shop was quite famous in Atlanta and many well-known people regularly came for cuts including baseball player Hank Aaron. Upon closing her barber shop business, Gertha then purchased a commercial building and started a new business called Ross Flea Market. She ran this successful enterprise for many years and sold it in 1987 when she relocated to Houston, TX where three of her six daughters lived at the time.

In 1996, she returned to Atlanta and resumed her resale shop business for 8 more years, retiring in 2004 after she was diagnosed with COPD.

Outside of work, Gertha loved watching sports, particularly football and golf. Any given Sunday in the fall, friends and family knew not to call because “the game” was on. She loved to passionately discuss and debate all aspects of the sport, the players, and the coaches, whether you were a football fan or not. During the football off season, Saturdays and Sundays were for watching golf and no one could dare say anything against her favorite golfer, Tiger Woods.

When moving around town, or around the country, Gertha’s favorite car brand was Cadillac and she owned several in her lifetime. Her family meant a lot to her and Gertha loved celebrating birthdays by sending cards to her kids and grandkids with her signature five dollar bill inserted.

In 2019, with her health failing, Gertha relocated to Bloomington/Normal, IL to live with her daughter Rosalind. Two years later, after a short-term battle with lung cancer, Gertha passed away peacefully at home with her five remaining daughters as well as granddaughters Tawania and Kesha by her side.

Gertha was preceded in death by her daughter Barbara, all of her brothers and sisters, and great-grandson Shaydon. She leaves to cherish her memory her daughters Shirley, Joann, Beverly (Robert), Lataska, and Rosalind (Tony); her grandchildren Rashaad, Tawania, Talisha (Sonnie), Brandon, Jasmine, Shalane, Aaron, Adrian, Austin, Kesha (Ocie), and Justin; her great-grandchildren DeMarco, JaKolbe, Christion, London, Leila, Braylon, Carter, Brandin, Teagan, and Aeris; and great great-grandchild Alena; Bernadette, Chloe, niece Charlotte, and a host of loved ones.