Edith Jamison

Edith Evelyn (Kennedy) Jamison, 88, died peacefully about 7 am on Tuesday, October 2, 2012, at Silverado (Emerus) Hospice in Sugar Land, Texas, after a brief illness. A memorial service is planned for 1:00 pm Thursday, October 11, 2012, at Westbury Baptist Church, 10425 Hillcroft Street, Houston, TX 77096, with Jeff Berger, Pastor, officiating, followed by graveside services and interment at Forest Park Westheimer Cemetery, 12800 Westheimer Rd., Houston, TX 77077. Pallbearers: Terry Delahoussaye, James Devall, Alex McConnell, Samuel McConnell, Allen Stowe, and Carsten Stuckenholz. Evelyn actually was born on July 18, 1924, but her birth certificate says July 17, 1924, as the doctor filled it out before he came, and she wasn't born until after midnight. She was born in the family home on Huckleberry Hill (now called McCullough Road) near McLemoresville, TN, the second of six children, to Hersey Glenn Kennedy and Alice (West) Kennedy. She attended Biggart School, a one-room school, where she was well-known for her art work, and later the Minneapolis Art Institute (Rochester, MN), the Memphis Academy of Arts (Memphis, TN), The Texas Academy of Art (Houston, TX), and the Glassell School of Art (Houston, TX), where her emphasis was commercial (fashion) art. Several times she was told by instructors that her art skills were beyond what was being taught, and she should just go get a commercial art job. She moved to Houston, TX in November 1950. She married Emmitt Elsworth Jamison on July 14, 1951. He preceded her in death on February 3, 1979. She was a wonderful mother, raising not only her own two children, Shirley Evelyn Jamison Star, a violinist and teacher, Ottawa, KS, and Emmitt David Jamison, a pharmacist, Katy, TX, who preceded her in death in May 2004, but also four of her husband's brother's children. Many other people also called her "mom." Evelyn quit a fashion art job when she found out she was expecting her daughter, and she was a stay-at-home mom for many years. Following the death of her husband, she returned to the work force, and since any commercial art jobs would entail a move to Dallas or New York City, she learned how to do photographic retouch, working first at Hagio's Photomurals, then at two other photographic labs, and finally at Houston Photolab, where she worked for four years and became head of Quality Control. She was considered a Charter Member of Westbury Baptist Church, being part of the church since its early beginnings at Parker Elementary School. She also taught Preschool 4-5 year old Sunday School for many years, and was well-loved by many children and their parents. She delivered Meals on Wheels for five years with her friend Dale Davidson. She was a Volunteer in Public Schools for many years. Evelyn liked to make others smile and laugh, and she was witty to the end. She was a talented seamstress, taking many tailoring classes and making her own and her daughter's clothes. She loved to read, travel, and take photographs. She liked to talk to people, and they liked to talk to her. She wrote letters that people kept. She had her daughter's Suzuki violin studio in her home for 19 years. She was a great cook and was famous for her potato salad and her banana pudding. She wrote three (as yet unpublished) children's books. One of her favorite memories was getting to go to Paris on her 82nd birthday, where she climbed the 328 steps of the Eiffel Tower and saw the Mona Lisa at the Louvre. Survivors include her daughter, Shirley Jamison Star, Ottawa, KS; her daughter-in-law, Julie Wright Jamison, Katy, TX; two grandchildren, Parker and Sydney Jamison, Katy, TX; two sisters, Dorothy White, Helena, AR, and Helen Blankenship, Cedar Grove, TN; one brother, Clifton Kennedy and his wife, June, McLemoresville, TN; nieces and nephews: Dona Wooten and her husband, Chuck, Bartlett, TN; Gena Lavery and her husband, Michael (and their daughter, Anna), North Lake, IL; Karen Schultz and her husband, Steve (and their children, Matthew and Jennifer), Arlington, TX; Pam Soto and her husband, Frank (and their children, Frank and Amanda), Franklin Park, IL; Vickie Townsend and her husband, Ed (and their children, Kelly Todd and her husband, Derek, and their daughter, Tristin; and Will Townsend), Cedar Grove, TN; and Sheila Browning and her husband, Mike (and their children, Brent Martin and his wife, Kelly, and their daughter, Kacey; Michael Lee Browning, and Matt Browning), Huntingdon, TN. She also is survived by four great friends who helped her be able to stay in her own home: Jan Morris, Beth Routzon, Dale Davidson, and Diane Thompson, and by many wonderful neighbors, especially Alex and Evelyn McConnell and their children, Samuel, Joseph, and Madelyn, who she considered to be her other grandchildren. In addition, she is survived by her dear friend of many years, Dr. Carsten Stuckenholz, of Pittsburgh, PA. She was preceded in death by her parents, and by her brothers, Eugene Kennedy and his wife, Lucille, and Thomas Kennedy, all of McLemoresville, TN. The family and friends of Evelyn would like to express their tremendous appreciation to the staff of St. Luke's Sugar Land Hospital (and especially to Dr. Quocdai "Ooga" Park, M.D.), HealthSouth Rehab (and especially to Cornelia Coleman), and Silverado Hospice (Emerus), for their kindness and love shown to her in their care. In lieu of flowers Evelyn requested that donations be made to Westbury Baptist Church Benevolence Fund (at the church address, above), to KHCB Christian Radio (2424 South Blvd, Houston, TX 77098, 713-520-5200), or to the Suzuki Association of the Americas Edith Evelyn Jamison Memorial Fund, which will fund a teacher training scholarship in her name (Suzuki Association of the Americas, P.O. Box 17310, Boulder, CO 80308, 1-888-3SUZUKI or 1-888-378-9854; checks should list her name in the memo line, or donations can also be made online-under "giving" at www.suzukiassociation.org).
Evelyn had many, many friends, and she was a big influence in their lives. She will be truly missed.