Bessie Woods

Obituary

July 21, 1935 ~ August 5, 2021 (age 86)

Bessie Mae McKinney Woods was born on July 21, 1935 to the late Henry L. and Emma N. McKinney in Whiteville, TN.  She departed this life, after 86 years, on August 5, 2021 at the Jackson Madison County Hospital in Jackson, TN.

Her funeral service was held on Saturday August 14, 2021 at 11:00 pm at Antioch MB Church -Whiteville with Pastor Jermaine Shaw in charge. Burial was in the Parkway Memorial Garden cemetery and Dixie Funeral Home www.dixiefuneralhome.com was in charge of the professional service.

She started attending public school at Allen White in Whiteville and relocated to Jackson, TN, where she continued her education.  She graduated 4th in her class from Merry High School.  Her senior year, she was selected as Homecoming queen.  Following high school, she moved to Los Angeles, CA to attend Los Angeles City College and graduated from the California State University at Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Home Economics.

Bessie accepted Christ at twelve years old and joined Home Missionary Baptist Church, under the pastorate of the Rev. Timothy Grimes.  While in Los Angeles, she joined the Macedonia Baptist Church under the pastorate of Rev. S. O. Evans, where she was active in various church activities.

In Los Angeles, she met and married the love of her life, Monroe Woods.  To this union, two children were born; a son, Jonathan Bernard and a daughter, Pamela Lynn. Bessie was an avid supporter to her children and volunteered in the schools where they attended.

She was employed by the California State Department of Employment, but she later sacrificed her career and became a domestic family engineer. Soon thereafter, she began a journey that led her from Los Angeles to San Francisco, CA to Boston, MA; to Denver, CO; and Chicago, IL, before returning to the state of Tennessee in the fall of 2000.

While in Chicago, she became very active in Christ Temple Community Baptist Church in Markham, IL, where Pastor P. H. McKinney served.  Bessie was a deaconess and a member of various other activities.

Upon returning to Tennessee, she joined the Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Whiteville, TN where Dr. David L. Boyle pastored.  At Antioch, Bessie was a member of the Seniors Ministry.

She enjoyed various community activities and became a member of the Bolivar Hardeman County Branch of the NAACP.  She was also a founding member and treasurer of the Southwest TN Land Owners Association.

Bessie enjoyed sewing and cooking but loved shopping.  Her family would often say, “If you need something and you can’t find it, you can always find it at the damn Woods store.” Her favorite songs were “Love Lifted Me” and “Jesus, Lover Of My Soul.”

Proceeding her in death are her mother and father; brothers, Bernard McKinney, Lawrence McKinney, Gloston McKinney; sisters, Louella M. Cox, Thelma Patterson, and Florence Davis; one stepdaughter, Laura Jean Townsend.

She leaves to cherish her memory her husband of 58 years, Monroe Woods of Saulsbury, TN; son and daughter, Jonathan Woods and Pamela Woods of Chicago, IL; stepdaughter, Gloria J. Sims of San Diego, CA; two grandsons, Evan Townsend of Orlando, FL and Eric (Jessica) Townsend of Dallas, TX; two great grandsons, Jason and Karson Townsend; one adopted daughter, Bessie Clark of Oakland, CA; two brothers, Murphy (Bessie) McKinney and Chester McKinney, both of Jackson, TN; two sisters, Gladis Thomas of Saulsbury, TN and Bernice McKinney of Jackson, TN; a special niece, Sovone Jones of Jackson, TN; other nephews, nieces, cousins, relatives and friends.