Mrs. Wasson was born the sixth child of Mrs. Willie Belle and Mr. John Thomas Hames April 11, 1927. She was named after both of her grandfathers. As the smallest sibling, she had the longest name. However, neither in Rockwall, Texas, where she was born; nor Dallas, Texas where she grew up, was she ever teased about it.
Mrs. Wasson attended H.S. Thompson Elementary School, a few blocks from the house her father built at 2337 Bethurum Street. She attended Lincoln High School, an all Black segregated school during the Jim Crow era. This situational challenge caused Mrs. Wasson's strong focus on social activism; she did not let the Jim Crow tradition hinder her actions.
While she was beautiful enough to be crowned Miss May Queen in eighth grade, she was bold enough to be the only girl in her high school to play saxophone in the Lincoln High School marching band, smart enough to take and master with excellence (grade of A) all courses of math offered: plain and solid geometry, and trigonometry, receiving highest recommendation from her final math teacher! And, Isaac Willie (as she was known growing up), along with her best friend, were politically active: canvassing their neighborhood, gathering signatures to have the sidewalks and streets paved. They succeeded. And Isaac Willie graduated from Lincoln High School two months after her 17th birthday.
Isaac Willie went on to have many other firsts. After graduation from Clary Business College at 18 years old, she was the first African American to work for the Veteran's Administration in Ypsilanti, Michigan. At 19 years old she was the first African American woman to work at Michigan State University.
Though Isaac Willie had her heart set on continuing school to become a lawyer, she met Paul Edwin Wasson; fell in love; married, gave birth to two daughters (Edwina and Jennifer), and unfortunately divorced. Isaac Willie moved to Portland, Oregon. After working for the Welfare Department for a few years, she became Head of Files Department at the Federal Reserve Bank in Portland, reorganizing their records and bringing them into “twentieth century access.” Mrs. Wasson retired from the Federal Reserve Bank at the age of sixty-two.
Throughout her life Mrs. Wasson remained a loving daughter, a dedicated mother to her daughters, and a loyal sibling to her brothers and sister. Mrs. Wasson was involved with and contributed to her church throughout the years. After retirement she made dinners for her church until she turned seventy years old. It was then and thereafter that her grandson, Danny Duncan, toured her in France, Great Britain, Italy, and China. It was then that she reconnected with a friend from over four decades, who treated her to a cruise ship trip of a lifetime to the Virgin Islands.
Mrs. Wasson was predeceased by her parents and all siblings. She leaves her beautiful example of a life well-lived to her beloved daughters: Edwina Wasson and Jennifer Duncan, her treasured and beloved grandson: Danny G. Duncan; her beloved twin great grand babies: Sophie Mae and Annie Rose Duncan, beloved son-in-law, Ronald Taylor; and beloved grand daughter-in-law (mother of twins and wife to Danny): Shannon Marie Duncan. Mrs. Wasson also leaves her love to all family members of cousins, nieces, nephews, and family friends.
Mrs. Wasson was a shining light, blessing our presence by walking with us for a brief moment in time.
Memorial contributions can be made in Mrs. Wasson's name to the scholarship fund for her beloved great grandbabies, Sophie Mae and Annie Rose.
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