Mayme Edna Curtis - CHARLESTON - Mayme Edna Curtis, age 88, a retired teacher and nursing aid, died of a stroke Saturday, Dec. 30, at Baptist Memorial Hospital. Services are 11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 2, at Church of Christ in Charleston : with burial in Sonedna Memorial Grounds Cemetery. Century Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. Mrs. Curtis was born May 18, 1912 at Itta Bena. She was a member of Church of Christ and was the minister of music for the Baptist Association. She was preceded in death by her husband, Grafton Curtis. Survivors include: daughters, Iris V. Gordon Kankakee, Ill., Gales Curtis Dent of Hinesville, Ga., Veronica Curtis Smith of Dix Hills, N.Y. and Hazel Curtis Hardy of Clarksville, Tenn.; sons, Morgan Freeman of Charleston, Billy R. Freeman of Jackson, Othello Anderson of Chicago and Clifton Curtis of Grenada; and 16 children and 12 great-grandchildren. The Charleston Sun-Sentinel, Charleston, Mississippi, Jan 11, 2001. Transcription by Mary Cummins.

Mother of Actor Morgan Freeman.

SENATE STATE RESOLUTION 57. A RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE LIFE OF MAYME EDNA REVERE CURTIS OF LEFLORE COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI, (MOTHER OF MORGAN FREEMAN), AND EXPRESSING THE SYMPATHY OF THE LEGISLATURE.

WHEREAS, Mayme Edna Revere Curtis was born on March 18, 1912, in Itta Bena, Leflore County, Mississippi. She passed from this life on Saturday, December 30, 2000; and

WHEREAS, the only child of Jacob Isaiah and Lenore Greenlee Revere, Mayme attended and graduated from Mary Holmes Seminary in West Point, Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, Mayme was a pianist and played for many choirs and churches in the surrounding counties. She is a past member of Mt. Olive Baptist Church, and at her passing she was a member of the Church of Christ on Beauclair Street. In Hinesville, Georgia, where she often spent the winter, she was a charter member of Trinity Missionary Baptist Temple; and

WHEREAS, Mayme is the widow of Grafton C. Curtis. Her oldest son, Rudolph Revere Anderson, also precedes her in death; and

WHEREAS, Mayme was affectionately known as "Mama" and "Little Mama" to her children and "Mommy" and "Grandmama" to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, when visiting her children, Mayme was active and involved in her children's interests. She also loved traveling and did so as often as she could until her health failed; and

WHEREAS, Mayme is survived by four sons: Othello Anderson (Mary); Morgan Freeman (Myrna Colley-Lee); Billy Rose Freeman; Clifton Curtis (Mildred); a daughter, Iris Virginia Gordon (Tubby); three stepdaughters; Gale Curtis Dent (Ray); Veronica Curtis Smith (Lionel); and Hazel Curtis Hardy. In addition, she leaves to cherish her memory eighteen grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, one great-great granddaughter and 23 step-grandchildren. She leaves her devoted cousins, Rita Jean and Jay Buxton, Lynn and Hubert Sallis, Catherine Carr Estes, Gloria Greenlee and Aunt Clara J. Sallis, nephew and niece, Albert and Alma Jean Curtis, her faithful companion and housekeeper, Doris Armstead, her personal aides, Ernestine Curry, Julia Williams and Sunyic Adams, and many other relatives and friends:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend the life of Mayme Edna Revere Curtis of Leflore County, Mississippi, as a life full of charitable service and contributions to her community, and express the sympathy of the Legislature on her passing.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Mayme Edna Revere Curtis and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.