Cornelia R. Montgomery

Cornelia Richardson Montgomery, the ninth of ten children born to Lou O’Lillian and Jefferson Richardson in Satasha, Mississippi, Yazoo County on Sunday, December 13, 1925 passed away Tuesday morning, November 8, 2016.

She was the youngest daughter of the Richardson family and was known to be independent, loved her brothers and sisters and favored being around her older brother Alvin. In the horse and buggy town of Satasha, Cornelia and her brothers and sisters attended a one-room classroom where Zelma (her older sister) was the teacher.

One of Cornelia’s sisters, Theresa Jenkins, replied to a newspaper ad in the 40’s seeking a live-in domestic to help with two small children and housework. After Theresa arrived in Portland and sized up that living conditions were much better in Portland than Mississippi, Zelma, Thelma, Cornelia and Alvin moved to Portland. This period was during the war and women who were left at home worked in the Kaiser Vanport Ship Yards.

Cornelia worked in the shipyards as a welder but her true love was for fabric and clothes. As a teenager she attended and graduated from Girls Polytechnic High School. She married Alex Montgomery, September 1945 in the Washington Park Rose Gardens and soon moved to Chicago, Illinois.

Alex and Cornelia raised four daughters, Gail, Rosalind, Roserria and Patricia. A professional tailor by trade, she valued the knowledge and history of natural, felted, natural and woven fibers. In Chicago she studied and trained as a costume designer and custom furrier under the tutelage of internationally trained designer, Hazel Halliburton. Her customers knew her as direct, to the point and a perfectionist. She took delight in telling people of her professional training, the beautifully designed sequined gowns she helped to create and the costumes and elaborate suits she had sewn. Cornelia knew quality clothing and when new customers brought garments to her shop to be altered or created from scratch she made sure they knew she valued and knew her craft. Cornelia was a special woman who had selected her profession well.

Cornelia returned to Portland in 1967 as a single parent and worked tirelessly to make ends meet often working an 8 to 5 job, returning home at 6pm and working through the night in order to provide for her family. She worked in the Pattern Division of Pendleton Woolen Mills and later as a seamstress at Nordstrom in Downtown Portland and at Millers for Men. She became disgruntled punching a time clock and launched her business as a sole proprietor in 1982 and sewed until 2012.

Cornelia was known to be kind-hearted and always helped people when she could and was known for putting others first. Several teenage females lived with her throughout the years

however she “unofficially adopted” Karen Lowery, Robin Crittendon and their families who she loves as her own.

Cornelia, her sisters Zelma Scarborough and Thelma Irwin were founding members of First A.M.E. Zion Church. In the 1990’s she and Zelma moved their membership and support to the Church of the Good Shepherd where she served as a founding member, active member, Treasurer and member of the Sisters’ Circle. She was a devout Christian who loved the Lord, was eager to learn about views of the bible, religion and was concerned for indigenous people across the world.

Cornelia is preceded in death by parents, Lou O’Lillian and Jefferson Richardson, siblings Zelma Scarborough, Ardean White, Theresa Jenkins, Alvin Richardson, Luther Richardson, Russ Richardson, Aaron Richardson and Thelma Irwin.

Remembering her love, wisdom and advice is her only surviving sibling Osborne Dewitt Richardson and sons Donald (Linda) Foster and Michael Richardson, daughters Kita Gail Montgomery of Portland, Oregon and children Oluwakemi Sosanya (Olamide) and Elon Okulaja of Brooklyn, NY, Tolupe Sosanya of Baltimore, MD, daughter Rosalind (Roy) Montgomery Green of Salem, Oregon, daughter Roserria Roberts of Gresham, Oregon and Rose (Kevin) and Samuel and Gabe Bidney of Damascus, Oregon, daughter Patricia Dixon of Portland, Oregon and sons Brandon Dixon of Portland, Oregon and Taija Dixon of Beaverton, Oregon, Bryant (Ashley) and Averi Dixon of Portland, Oregon and Brent Dixon of Portland, Oregon and Jordan and Jayden Dixon and Zion Boyd-Dixon and Brent Dixon, Jr. of Portland, Oregon, daughter Karen Lowery of Beaverton, Oregon and sons Jason Lowery of Beaverton, Oregon and Caine Lowery of Seattle, Washington, daughter Robin Crittendon of Portland, Oregon, and Washanna Crittendon of Portland, Oregon and a multitude of nieces, nephews, great grandkids, great great grandkids and cousins.

A Celebration of Life will be held for Cornelia Richardson Montgomery at Zeller Chapel of the Roses, 2107 NE Broadway Street, Portland, OR 97232, 503.287-1155 on Friday, November 25th from 10:00 – 11:30 am.

Viewing of the body is scheduled for Wednesday, November 23rd from 2:00-6:00 pm.

The funeral will be held Friday, November 25 from 10:00 – 11:30 pm, with burial at Skyline Memorial Cemetery followed with a repass at The Church of the Good Shepherd.

Contributions can be made to The Church of the Good Shepherd, 4566 NE 87th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97220 in honor of Cornelia Richardson Montgomery. Friends and family wanting to contribute flowers or bouquets can send them to Zeller Chapel of the Roses, 2107 NE Broadway, Portland, Oregon for scheduled delivery on Tuesday, November 22nd or Wednesday, November 23rd.