Blanche Bell Moore's Obituary
Blanche Bell Moore was born to the late Mr. & Mrs. OV and Alvergia Harbour on the 29th of December 1930. She was called to heaven last month on her birthday at 9:50 A.M. that Monday morning at the Rainer Rehabilitation. She and her husband, J.W. Moore, were blessed with 65 years of companionship and devoted love. They were married on February 19, 1949, in Meridian, Mississippi. From their union, Blanche gave birth to a fine boy, James Lewis Moore, who is her only child.
She was the sixth child of eleven siblings. Blanche who believed in family first is survived by her husband, J.W. Moore, her son, James Lewis Moore; daughter-in-law, Conchita Oliver-Moore; three grandchildren: Tonya Moore, Adrienne Rutledge, and Alexia Marie; four great grandchildren: Jonathen Moore, Raja White, Laili Rutledge, and Eleanor Marie; and one great-great-granddaughter, Alexis Moore. She also leaves behind two siblings: Van Harbour and Ruby Simmons; five sisters-in-law: Julia Clayton, Carrie Gordon, Bulah Harbour, Ophelia Harbour, and Beverly Harbour; and a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Blanche grew up in Kemper County Mississippi where her family owned property there. Growing up, she always had her faith and belief that God had kept her alive having survived major illnesses for a purpose, and she devoted herself to His will. Blanche attended Kemper Spring Baptist Church in her youth. She loved listening to church music and attended many song festivals. At one of those events, she met and married her husband J.W. Moore who was singing with the Morning Doves Quartet. After marrying, she wanted to continue to grow and learn as much as she could. Learning is life long; she believed. Therefore, she pursued her desire to become a beautician. She enrolled and graduated from Calmese Beauty School and Salon in Meridian, Mississippi and received her license in cosmetology. She worked there for awhile and later made additions to her home and opened up her own salon, Moore’s Beauty Shop from 1962-1995. She found joy in looking good and making her customers feel beautiful and good about themselves when they left her establishment. Many times if customers could not afford her services, she would give them special treatment and respect so that when they left her beauty shop, they had their pride and dignity and felt like queens.
When Blanche married J.W., she left Kemper Spring Baptist Church and joined Galilee Missionary Baptist Church in Topton, Mississippi. While there, she was a Sunday-School Teacher, President of the Missionary Society, President of the Deaconess, Secretary of the Church, President of the Building Committee, Coordinator of many special events for the church. Whatever needed to be done in the church, she faithfully and gladly did. She was known as the Corner Stone of the church. As a community leader, she was a member of the Eastern Star.
Since leaving Meridian, Mississippi in 1995 and residing in Spanaway, Washington; she found spiritual renewal and her new church home at St. John Baptist Church where she became a member. At St. John Baptist Church, she was the President of the Mission Choir, Senior Mother of the church, a leader of the Mother Board, and a member of the Sunday School.
Throughout Blanche’s life, she believed in helping others (the sick, the elderly, and the people in need) and having fun. She was a dedicated and a faithful servant of God. She was loving, caring, nurturing, strong, and loyal woman and human being. Those, who knew her well, knew she always liked to make people laugh - whatever it took to get a smile or laugher from them, she did.
“There is an open gate at the end of the road through which each must go alone, and there is a light we cannot see: our Father claims His own. Beyond that gate our love ones find happiness and rest, and there is comfort in the thought that a loving God knows best.”
Mother will be sorely missed and forever in the cherished memories and hearts of her loved ones and her community. She is with God.
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