Bennie Mae Moses Upshaw

Bennie Mae Upshaw

Funeral services for Mrs. Bennie Mae Moses Upshaw will be held on Tuesday, April 12, 2016, at 11 AM at the Church of Immaculate Conception, 1559 US Highway 441 North, Dublin. Pastor Stevens will be officiating. Interment will follow in the Saint Mark African Methodist Episcopal Church Cemetery, 567 Cotton Street, Lumpkin, Georgia.

Mrs. Bennie Mae Moses-Upshaw was born into the loving family of Ben and Elizabeth Moses on October 10, 1933. Ben and Elizabeth had been blessed with an older daughter who had been taken to our Lord shortly after her birth. Two years later, the young couple (Ben and Elizabeth) was to be blessed again with a set of fraternal twins, a baby boy and a baby girl, however this baby girl too would be taken into the loving arms of Jesus a few days after her birth. Their young son, Willie Moses, grew up to be a strong and healthy young man. In four years, he would become a loving and protective big brother to Bennie Mae.

As a young girl, Bennie Mae's family noticed her compassionate spirit towards her family and friends. Bennie's two favorite pastimes were sewing and playing the game of basketball, While attending school in Cussetta, Georgia, Bennie was the girl's star player, which was great feat for a little girl who stood on five feet and one half inches tall. Years later, Bennie told her daughters her secret to making basket goals, which was that the backboard was slightly tilted, and if you hit the center of the backboard, this would cause the ball to sink into the hoop every time.

Bennie married the love of her life, Rupert Upshaw, Jr. Their union was blessed with three daughters, Sherlan, Renita, and Zenith Marie. Bennie and Rupert moved from Cleveland, Ohio, and then to Portland, Oregon to provide a better life for their three girls. Bennie enjoyed sewing and doing hair. Bennie often joked by saying "God knew that I loved to sew, do hair, and do crafts, that is why God gave me three daughters so that I could make cute outfits for my girls, and teach them my passion for sewing. "Her mother Elizabeth would tell Bennie Mae that her daughters were not little dolls to play dress up with. Bennie would reply "yes mother, but they are my little dolls. Bennie did not only share her love for sewing and crafting, but her love of our Lord to her children. Bennie would read to her children each and every night from the Bible. She shared stories from Adam and Eve, to Jonah and the whale, to the stories of the New Testament of Jesus healing the blind and the sick, raising the dead, to the crucifixion and the resurrection of our Lord. Bennie's favorite verse was Philippians 4:13, I can do all thins through Christ who strengthens me. Bennie's favorite hymn was"Touch the hem of his garment", a song by Sam Cooke

In recent years, Bennie enjoyed teaching, knitting to the women's group, and was learning to make rosaries at Immaculate Heart Church in Portland, Oregon. Bennie along with Rupert, always stressed education to their daughters. Bennie stated "God, family and a good education will carry you all the days of your life. Bennie was excited once her daughters grew up and graduated from college. She was thrilled when she received the call from Sherlan, saying that she was getting married. Bennie knew that grandbabies would not be far behind. Bennie loved her family and could not be more excited when her daughters got married, for she had been praying that the Lord would bless her daughters with good husbands. Good husbands that knew the Lord and would love her daughters. Rupert and Bennie were blessed with six grandchildren, Sherlan,: Sabrina, Tommy Jr., Carlos, LaShunda, Rupert, and Mario.

Then several years later, Renita called saying that she too would be getting married to Willis (Jay) Plummer. This union blessed Bennie with three grandchildren, April, Willis Jr., and Bennie Marie. who is named after her two grandmothers, Bennie Mae, and Marie Plummer, (Jay's mother). Bennie enjoyed sewing for for her grandchildren, making dresses, sweat shirts, and jackets. Bennie often said that her son-in-law, Jay Sr., was like a son she never had. Bennie and Jay Sr., would see which one could make the other laugh more and tell better jokes. Bennie soon became a great grandparent, she enjoyed seeing her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Bennie loved to sing church hyms with her grandson Jordon. Bennie and Rupert also welcomed into their family Zenith Marie's fiance, Robert, who passed away five years ago. Bennie adopted many of her daughters friends as her daughters, their children as her grandchildren. Bennie loved her adopted daughter, Clara Jean Dawson, and her son Walter Dawson, and was looking forward to meeting Walter's finacee', Sarah as well as attending their wedding. Bennie love her adopted daughters as if they were her own, Venetta Alston, Diane Lewis, Judy Noble, and Sue Exely.

Bennie never forgot her Georgia roots, as she would often would speak of the good times that she had with her cousins, Edith Williams-Hawkins, Mattie B. Goode. Bennie would look forward to her visits from her cousings and to family reunions. After Bennie lost her beloved husband Rupert, she continued to live in Portland, Oregon with her daughter, Zenith Marie. Bennie would visit Georgia several times a year to visit her daughters and family. It was during her recent trip that Bennie Mae was called home by our Father in heaven.

Bennie Mae is survived by a host of loving relatives and friends, and will be dearly missed by many.

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Services by Dudley Funeral Home of Dublin