Pearl M Thompson

Funeral services will be at 1:00 p.m. Thursday, January 9, 2014 at Twelfth Street Baptist Church for Pearl Haas Thompson, 92, of Gadsden, who passed away Monday, January 6, 2014. Dr. Craig Carlisle will officiate. Burial will be at Forrest Hill Cemetery in Birmingham, AL. Collier-Butler Funeral and Cremation Services is directing.

Miss Pearl married the late W.B. “Ben” Thompson in Tupelo, MS, and moved to Gadsden in 1941. She joined Twelfth Street Baptist Church upon her arrival and was an active member for seventy-two years, serving as Nursery Coordinator, W.M.U. Director, food care provider, and teacher. When Mr. Ben was drafted during World War II, Miss Pearl went to work for Goodyear and retired after thirty four years.

Following Mr. Ben’s death, she felt called to help other senior citizens and moved to The Holy Comforter House in 1994, where she resided for eighteen years, ministering to the needs of those around her by providing food, comfort and transportation. She was recognized by The Gadsden Times as Volunteer of the Month and honored by Gadsden Seniors Live ’98 for her extensive community service.

Miss Pearl was preceded in death by her loving husband of fifty-one years, her parents, and seven siblings.

She is survived by her daughter, Mrs. Virginia (Col. Palmer W.) Rowe; three grandsons: Patrick (Sarah) Rowe, of Birmingham, AL, Peter (Jan) Rowe, of Southside, AL, and Phillip (Holley) Rowe, of Calhoun County, AL; and four great-grandchildren: Haley, Holden, Kathryn, and Margaret Rowe.

Miss Pearl was the eighth of eleven children of James Melvin Haas and Gracie Reese Haas, of Tupelo, MS, and is survived by her brother, Wayne Haas, of Tupelo, MS; sister, Dorothy Faye Carson, of Oxford, MS; brother, Rev. Joe Haas, of Goldsboro, NC; and numerous nieces and nephews.

The family owes special debts of gratitude to her longtime friend and beautician, Gail Jenkins; care provider Darlene Bettis, for months of loving care; the members of Miss Pearl’s Sunday school class at Twelfth Street Baptist Church; members of the Thursday night Bible study at The Holy Comforter House; and the staffs of The Meadows , Gadsden Health and Rehab Center, and the eight floor of Gadsden Regional Medical Center.

Pallbearers will be her grandsons: Patrick, Peter, and Phillip; great-grandson Holden; Roger Musick; and Don Young.

Honorary pallbearers will be Cecil Hamiter, and members of Miss Pearl’s Sunday school class.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Twelfth Street Baptist Church Building Fund.

The family will accept friends from 11:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m. at the church Thursday, prior to the service.

Grandmother Pearl was always loving, giving of herself, and patient with others. Her life was a constant testimony to the power of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Her final words were from Matthew 11:28. Jesus says, “Come unto me, all ye who are weary and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.”