Lillie Rose Jester

My family and I want to thank all of you for being here today to celebrate our mom. We always knew what a kind and loving woman she was, and this last week, the outpouring of love and support has proven this to be true.

I honestly don’t know how to adequately describe our mom in words. She lived her life in a very positive manner, and cared deeply for everyone she knew. She was always willing to help out someone in need – she had an incredibly soft spirit and big, gentle heart.

Most of my memories of her go back to when I was a little boy, before I started school. We lived in an apartment in Oak Cliff. I remember Dad was an upholsterer and mom worked as the night cashier at the Continental Bus station in downtown Dallas – that is, when she wasn’t attending church services. I’ve never known anyone so eager to go to church as she was. She absolutely loved it.

Most of you have heard her play the piano. This was the major theme of her life. Everywhere she went she played music. Few people know though, that she was also an accomplished accordion player. She played for the Lord every chance she got. She’s probably up there right now working those keys, dancing with Jesus.

My fondest memory was after my older siblings would leave for school and it would be just me and her at home. She would make me breakfast and then we’d turn on the music. We would literally sing and dance together in the living room all morning long. Those were some precious times, and I will always cherish them.

Mom was born in 1924 and besides growing up poor on a cotton farm with 4 brothers, we don’t know much about her early life. She worked in a bomb factory during WWII, and had 2 brief marriages prior to the one with our father in 1958. She named her first son, Tommy Glenn. He was fatally wounded at the age of 19 in a fire at Ft. Smith, Arkansas. She’s had to wait more than 50 years, but she’ll be laid to rest beside him this afternoon.

During her lifetime our mother suffered some profound losses. And yet, she always pulled through and continued to serve God through her music. Our mom was incredibly resilient.

She loved arts and crafts too, and would sew pillows for anyone who was sick or in the hospital. She also loved to cook, and would make extravagant meals during the holidays. Her specialty was German Chocolate cake, and of course, pancakes. God, I loved her pancakes. She donated money to world charities that fed hungry children. She could barely afford her own bills, but would put $20 in an envelope and send it off whenever she could. She was an incredibly generous person.

Mom loved to garden. She grew tomatoes, squash, radishes, carrots – all sorts of fruits and vegetables. Mom new about hard work. Over the years she struggled to make ends meet, but she did everything she could for her family. When I was a little boy I remember wanting so badly to grow up and get a good paying job, just so I could buy her a big house one day. Today she’s in heaven, the biggest house of all.

Our mom touched the lives of many people, and even though she’s gone, her memory will live on in our hearts. We love you mom, and we’ll always miss you.