Harrison Ross Mortuary

Message From Family

The family of Catherine Bumpers would like to thank you for the many acts of loving kindness shown to us during our bereavement. Your thoughtfulness is deeply appreciated and will always be remembered.

Contribute To Services Send Flowers

Catherine Bumpers was born on January 13, 1919, in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Raised on a farm, she was the seventh of eight children from the union of Percy and Mineola Jackson. Educated in a one-room school house in Louisiana, mom only completed the eighth grade; high school was not common in those days. After the eighth grade, her parents took the kids from plantation to plantation to work and instead of buying food, they grew it. Baptized in the Louisiana River, mom gave her life to Christ at an early age.

In 1936, mom married dad, and three children were born; her beloved daughter Hattie L. Silar and infant son Jessie V. Creswell preceded her in death. By the early 1940\'s, mom moved us to Winnfield, Louisiana, after being forced to rear two small girls singlehandedly. From 1945-1954, we moved to Monroe, Louisiana, and my sister and I were happy to be there. However, mom needed a fresh start and by 1954, we relocated to Detroit, MI. It was there mom worked as a live-in housekeeper and nanny. She cooked and cleaned during the week; coming home on weekends. Mom was great at sewing clothes and always kept her girls looking stylish and age appropriate. Many would often compliment mom on how pretty she kept our hair and clothes.

Seeking better employment opportunities, mom made the tough decision to move to Compton, California in August 1956, leaving her young adult daughters in God\'s hands. It was there she landed a position at Big General Hospital as an Industrial Helper; assisting those that needed help. From there, mom was hired at Martin Luther King Hospital and was promoted to Nurse Lieutenant Two (known today as a nurse\'s assistant); in 1976, she retired after 30 years. Although mom was not an RN, her colleagues relied heavily on her knowledge and experience in patient care. Longing to find a church home, mom and a hand full of congregants founded Zion Baptist Evangelistic Temple in 1956, where she faithfully served on the Senior Usher Board until her health would no longer permit. She also mentored younger ushers on how to properly serve.

On October 7, 1976, mom married her travel companion and best friend Eddie Bumpers, who preceded her in death after 35 years of marriage. Mom was very active in the Los Angeles community and 1990; she was recognized by the Good Neighbor Council for her work in increasing voter registration and for being voted Outstanding Community Mother. Three resolutions were filed on behalf of then Senator Bill Green, Mayor Tom Bradley, and the Honorable Maxine Waters. Mom beamed with pride to live long enough to see a black President get elected twice!

In her earlier years, mom and dad loved to travel by van to visit family and friends; she enjoyed reading, sewing and solving puzzles. As time went on, dining out, talking on the telephone and watching television became her favorite past times. In the summers you would hear her cheering for the LA Dodgers and in the fall, the LA Lakers. She also enjoyed watching Steve Harvey\'s Family Feud, jokingly referring to him as â��crazy manâ��.

More than anything in the world, mom truly loved and enjoyed spending time with her family. No matter what mistakes any of us made, she loved us anyway; never passing judgment. Mom made all feel equally loved; mom was the wind beneath our wings.

Which is why although she was 97, our hearts were broken on the night of August 8, 2016, when God called his humble servant home. Mom can now join all those who have gone on before her including her siblings: Syrinthia Walker, Lillie Mae Jackson, Rosie Mae Jackson, K. C. Jackson, Frank Jackson, Sr., Leola Jackson and Eula Jackson Lawrence.

Her memory and legacy lives on through her beloved daughter and care-giver, Hazel Rhone, thirteen grandchildren, Gregory (Shonda) Creswell, Ronald Creswell, Katherine (David) Conner, Robert(Glenda) Creswell, Lolita (Ronald) Houston, Marjorie Creswell, Quincy Silar, Carmenita Silar, Tamiko Creswell, Jarvis (Kimberly) Silar, all of Detroit, MI; Rachel Jenkins, Beverly McGee, and Sharon (Douglas) Azueta, all of Fort Worth, TX, twenty-six great-grandchildren, eight great-great-grandchildren, one sister-in-law, Maggie Stover, a host of nieces, nephews and other relatives, and a dear friend, Gatha Mae Graham of Wilmington, CA.