Bessie Parker &uot;Mama Jane&uot; Townsend

Funeral services for Bessie Parker &uot;Mama Jane&uot; Townsend who died on Saturday, May 5, 2007, at her residence, will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church with the Rev. E. D. Glover, pastor, and the Rev. A.C. Johnson officiating.

Burial will be in Bethlehem Church Yard Cemetery with George F. Grubbs Funeral Home directing.

Bessie Parker &uot;Mama Jane&uot; Townsend was born on April 18, 1922, to the late Frank and Caroline Jackson Christian. At an early age she joined the Bethlehem Baptist Church, and she was educated at the Tick Heel School in the Needmore Community. She loved to prepare food for her family, friends and neighbors. &uot;Mama Jane&uot; retired after 20 years of service with OCAP Head Start.

She was preceded in death by her father, mother, four sisters, three brothers, one daughter and one great-great-granddaughter.

Mrs. Townsend is survived by 12 children, Jewel (Charles) Clouden, Myrtle Johnson, Willie Townsend, Jessie (Ike) Williams, John (Bernice) Parker, Lula Parker (Smitty), Charlie (Bernice) Parker, Willie (Cynthia) Parker, Nathaniel (Sharon) Parker, Gloria Parker, Rex (Jackie) Parker and Ricky (Priscilla) Parker; two God-children, Callie Alloway and James Christian; a son-In-law, Claude Martin; 27 grandchildren; 15 great-great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews and friends.