Jimmie Ruth Frank

Jimmie Ruth Frank was born to Willie and Inez Mount in Dayton Texas on August 17, 1932. She is preceded in death by her parents Mr. Willie and Inez Mount, Sister: Elnita Thibodeau, Brothers: Freddie, Claudis, Harold, and Marshall of Beaumont, Texas. Surviving Sisters: Mrs. Carol Conley, (Maryland), Mrs. Barbara Phillips (Beaumont,Texas), and Brothers: Willie Mount (Beaumont,Texas), and Ronald Mount (Beaumont,Texas).

Wife and Mother

Also known to us as Jimmie, Jim, Jim Cat, Tooty Fruity, Suzie Bell, Nana, Granny, Momma, Ma, Mother; lived a very exciting life. Mother lived with her parents in Beaumont Texas, but wanted to move to Dayton Texas to attend high school with her friends. Her mother gave her blessings, and she lived with her Aunt Eva Mae until she graduated. She then moved back to Beaumont Texas, and that is when she met the love of her life, our father, Chester Frank, at the young age of sixteen. Our father enlisted in the military on November 10,1951, and on June 14,1952 they were married. Their sixty-eight year union produced five daughters, Sandra, Wendy, JoAnn, Patricia, and Sharon.

Life in the military allowed our family to travel around the United States, and around the world. Our father received orders to various USAF installations including, Waco Texas, England, New Mexico, San Rafael California, Vallejo California, Thule Greenland, two tours of duty in Vietnam, and Tucson Arizona.

In 1963 our entire family moved abroad to a military installation in Wiesbaden Germany until 1966. Living in Germany was a wonderful experience for us all as we enjoyed playing in the snow, and learning their culture. We then moved to Neah Bay Washington, and lived on a Native American Reservation.

In December of 1966, our father received orders to Riverside California, where we remained. Our mother, the matriarch of our family helped to raise five daughters on her own after our father securely situated us in our home. Their love and devotion for one another sustained them only seeing each other while he was on his scheduled leaves, until our father retired on June 1, 1973.

Mother took pride in her daughters and often shared stories of how she cared for us. She commented on how all of our clothes were always neatly ironed, and our hair was washed and pressed every week. When friends and neighbors would see the Frank girls, they would always ask her how she was able to keep us all so pretty every day. She told them it was an absolute joy to care for her daughters. We never went without. She would take us shopping for clothes; take us to the movies, on picnics, and anything else you could ever imagine. She always put us first, and supported us in everything we did.

Mother accepted Jesus as her personal Savior at a young age. She believed in the power of prayer, and before going to bed each night she would get on her knees and say her prayers. Our family was raised as Catholics, and later she converted to Christianity. She watched Ever Increasing Faith Ministries on television for years, and would frequently visit Crenshaw Christian Center in Los Angeles.

As their family began to grow, our parents looked forward to the arrival of each grandchild. They were awesome grandparents. The first group of grandchildren (The OG's) Lorrie, April, Angel, Randy, Mark, Paul, Christopher, and Rodney called mother Nana. The younger grandchildren, Taylor, Onjelle, Bryce, Lanie, Breanna, Savannah, Logan, Anthony, Monae, Eric, Kalyna, Kingston, Brandon, Alicia, Serenity, Cheyenne, Jordan, Erryn, Kevin, and Joseph called her Granny. How did that happen? She liked the name Granny better, and whatever Jimmie wants, Jimmie gets. Our parents made each grandchild feel as if they were the only grandchild. Quality time was spent with each of them playing games, reading books, wrestling, dancing, playing pranks on each other, taking them to and from school, bathing them, combing their hair, fixing their food, and teaching them right from wrong. They were their second parents. Always showering them with love. Every birthday and Christmas was celebrated with gifts. They made every holiday special, and at Thanksgiving they would gather them all together, and have them answer to their name one by one to come up and receive their envelope of money. They are the best Grandmother and Grandfather.

Mother was elegant and exquisite in everything she did. Her attire and fashion was impeccable from her head down to her feet, she was always on point. Her hair was never out of place, her makeup was never too much, but was just right. Her jewelry was simple, but beautiful. When she needed to wear a belt she did, when she didn't, the hem of her shirts were always rolled under once, and neatly placed. She had shoes that coordinated with every outfit. A different outfit for everyday, and every season. She wore big rounded or squared sunglasses that were always placed on her head until she needed them. Her clothes took over every closet in their home. Our father would jokingly say, "Jimmie, you only have two feet and one body, why do you have to buy so much!"

Mother never had to work a day in her life, but she chose to so that she could help buy all the things she wanted. She began as a cashier working at an Alpha Beta market in various cities. She was knowledgeable of all the prices of items and was efficient in every area of her job. The last city she worked in was in Hemet CA, where she was faced with racist customers that often treated her poorly and threatened her life. She was often escorted to her car by security. She was determined to leave on her own terms and left when she had received a position at the Riverside Unified School District as an Instructional Aide at Emerson Elementary School.

From there she worked at Lincoln Continuation High School in Riverside, and Poly High School as a Campus Supervisor. The students all loved her and called her "Christy Love", a detective on a television show. They even loved her when she had to reprimand them. They were her protector, and dared anyone to speak out of line to her.

After working at Poly High School, she received a position at Ramona High School as a Career Technician for almost fifteen years until she retired. She enjoyed her job and often practiced her presentations with us to make sure she perfected the information she was to provide to each student.

She was never intimidated or fearful. She always had confidence in her ability to succeed. The students loved her there as well, so much that the students who were being bullied, or didn't have any friends would come in the career center on their lunch break to sit and talk with her. Sometimes keeping her from her work, but she didn't mind and enjoyed helping them in any way she could.

Mother had many great qualities. She was so smart. She enjoyed history and math, and she would calculate percentages and other math questions from memory. She had a great sense of humor and loved to laugh until tears rolled down her face. She was so friendly and our friends became her friends too. She was a good sport and willing to try new things. One of her favorite things was being at home on a rainy day. She loved being in bed and listening to the rain as it gently fell on the roof. If she had fallen asleep for a few minutes her eyes would open wide, and she’d smile because she hadn’t missed it. She would also look out of every window to check the ground for rain and would cheerfully tell anyone around her that it was raining. So, the next time it rains, think of our mother knowing that it brought her so much joy.

Our mother loved people and could carry on a conversation with anyone. She was genuinely interested in their well being and showed concern and compassion to everyone. If you needed help she was there for you, and if you didn't, she offered her help whenever the occasion arose. It didn't matter if you needed money, advice, a ride, or just her time, she was always there.

She was never judgmental, but would encourage you to rise up and move forward. Mother may have been small in stature, but she spoke her mind. She was never intimidated by anyone. She was always cordial and respectful to everyone, but don't disrespect her, or her family, because she would let you have it. She was the defender and protector of us all. Even at eighty-eight years old during a brief stay in the hospital, upon her release her doctor stated, "Your mother is a strong and stubborn little lady, but I like it."

She had determination, and whatever she put her mind to, she completed. An example was when she decided to stop smoking cigarettes. She had smoked most of her life, but one day she made a decision to stop not only for herself, but also for her family. She threw away every pack of cigarettes, all the matches, and ashtrays, and forty years later she never looked back.

She had many hobbies in her life that she was so passionate about, and perfected them all. She loved to cook elaborate dishes. She would cook or bake any and everything. She enjoyed watching The Food Network Channel, but never tried their recipes. She knew that her dishes were the best, and she was so right. Mother taught herself how to cook by trial and error.

Everything she cooked or baked was strictly made from scratch. She used measuring cups, but seldom used measuring spoons. It was always based on, "Your taste." We tried to emulate her dishes but it never seemed to have that specific taste like our mother's. She would always say, " make it your own way, and then it will be the right way for you."

Her specialties, Gumbo, Shrimp Creole, Smothered Pork Chops, Pork Roast, Beans and Rice, Hush Puppies, Catfish, Mustard Greens, Potato Salad, Candied Yams, BBQ Ribs, Chicken, made with her famous homemade secret Barbecue Sauce, Buttermilk Pancakes, German Chocolate Cake, Pound Cake, Pineapple Cake, Peach Cobbler, and Homemade Ice Cream were all of our favorites. On Thanksgiving Day she would get up at 4:00 in the morning to begin the preparation of her elaborate dishes for the day. It didn't matter what holiday or day of the week it was, she always had something cooking on the stove just in case someone dropped by. This continued into her later years when she would often walk around the kitchen with her cane still trying to prepare her famous dishes until we suggested to her that it was time for her to hang up her apron. Everyone loved her cooking. It was "D-licious" as she would often say. Once you had a taste of her cooking, you would always come back.

Another passion of hers was her love for interior design. She had a gift for curating her style in her head and then bringing it to life in her home. Each room was color coordinated with her favorite colors: beige, tan, and brown. The furniture in each room was appropriately chosen for the space and design she desired. The curtains, art, lighting, and area rugs all coordinated with her color theme. Her home was immaculate. Everything was in place, yet her presence and love filled each room with joy and happiness. Her end result gave a beautiful appearance that looked as if a professional designer had done it. Everyone who came to visit would always compliment that her home was lovely.

Her next passion was that she loved working in her garden. She was meticulous about which plant, shrub, cacti, or tree she wanted to use, and where she wanted them placed. She purchased topsoil to prepare the dirt, and miracle gro plant food to help start or maintain its growth until its roots had taken place. She would dig her own holes, and complete each task all on her own. When she was older, her son-in -law, Aubrey, would come over and help her dig holes, plant flowers, and transfer plants from one location to another. Mother would spend an entire day working in her garden. At the end of the day when her planting was completed, she never complained that she was tired. Instead, she would say how much she loved being outdoors. In no time she would soon see the fruits of her labor in the form of a beautifully bloomed plant, or fruit bearing on a lemon, orange, fig, peach, or grapefruit tree of which she would then get her mason jars to make her own fresh fig or peach preserves for their breakfast each morning, also sharing them with whomever wanted a jar.

The love of sports was another passion of our mother. When we were younger our father would always watch some type of game, while our mother wanted to do something else. She quickly learned "If you can't beat them, join them." So she started watching and learning the game of football, basketball, tennis, and golf. By the end of each season of each sport she knew each player and the rules of each game. Whether it was Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, or LeBron James, she would cheer them on, or yell, "get them out of there," if they were messing up.

She was a loyal fan to local teams, and would call you a traitor if you supported a team other than California. She loved watching tennis, both men and women, and especially loved to watch Venus and Serena Williams. You could often hear her shout out "Come on!", if they won a point. She also loved golf and knew its terminology such as hole in one, birdie, or par. She knew all the other golfers and whether or not they were good. Of course her favorite golfer was Tiger Woods. By the time our mother perfected each sport, my father would ask her for updates.

Mother was always busy. She enjoyed extracurricular activities as well. One activity was becoming a member of her women's club Ebony Crest that was a group of her friends. They sold tickets to various events, and also participated in fashion shows.

She also enjoyed going to Las Vegas. Her favorite game to play was the dollar slot machines. She was always successful and won hundreds of dollars at a time. Sometimes she would bring her winnings home, and other times she played it all back. She was always a good sport and enjoyed having a good time. We could go on about the awesome life our mother lived, and the beautiful person she was. She lived life to the fullest. With no regrets. If we mistakenly left out an event just know that whatever she did, it was just as spectacular as she was.

Our mother was a wonderful person. Her mission in life was honoring God, giving back to everyone who was in need, and spreading joy and happiness to all. And most of all, our mother was dedicated to loving her husband, children, grandchildren, and family with all her heart.

She was the sweetest, most thoughtful, kindest person on this earth, and we will miss her presence, her deep laughter, sense of humor, and loving spirit. She leaves to cherish her memory: Her loving husband Chester Frank, Five daughters: Sandra Jordan (Alex), Wendy Washington (Brian), JoAnn Greenhouse (Aubrey), Patricia McCaughey (Stephen), and Sharon Washington (BFF Kevin), Grandchildren and great grandchildren: Lorrie (Bryan), Brandon, Rodney (Samantha), Alicia, Serenity, Cheyenne, Jordan, Erryn, Mark (Aja), Onjelle, Eric, Anthony, Monae, Kalyna, Kingston, Paul (Erica), Bryce, Lanie, Christopher (Rebecca), Randy, April, Angel, Breanna, Leslie, Savannah, Logan, Taylor (Jacob), Kevin, and Joseph, Two Brothers, Two Sisters, A host of Brother and Sister-in –Laws, Nephews, and Nieces, family and friends.

Daddy, you are a wonderful man. You loved our mother with all of your heart. She would often say, “Your daddy married me to take care of me”. You accomplished that and much more. You provided for her every need and desire, and made sure she lived a good life. When she became ill, you tirelessly did everything in your power to make sure she was well taken care of. Always sleeping as closely as possible so you could feel her touching you if she needed you. Thank you for loving and protecting our mother and filling her life with so much joy. We love you dearly.

Mother, you are one of a kind. You loved your husband and daughters immensely, and unconditionally. It was not just words, but your actions showed it daily. We were not ready or prepared for you to leave us, and we don't know what we're going to do without you. Life will never be the same. You were and will always be the best wife and mother in the world, and we are so grateful to God that he blessed us with you for eighty-eight wonderful years.

We miss you and will love you forever.

Until we meet again,

Rest in heaven mother.