Mrs. Bessie M. Robinson

Mother Bessie Marie Calvert Robinson was born March 28, 1943, to the late Louis Calvert and Lucille Vickers Shaffer Franks. She was preceded in death by parents, daughter, Chequita Robinson Snipes; grandson, Xavier Snipes; one sister, Mattie Sue Pierece; three brothers, Sammy Franks; Willie Randle; and Willie B. Franks. Bessie received her education in West Point, Mississippi. She spent a year of high school at Central High School in Kansas City, Missouri while assisting her dear cousin, Georgia Powell before returning home to finish high school at Fifth Street Junior/Senior High School in West Point, Mississippi. Bessie would later move back to Kansas City, Missouri where she met and married the love of her life, Johnny Robinson and remained married for 42 years until his demise. She was a devoted wife and mother to their one daughter. Bessie earned her Associate Arts degree from Donelly College, her bachelor's in arts and sciences from University of St. Mary, and a master's in religion at Central Baptist Theological Seminary. She was employed with the Internal Revenue Service for 30 years as Taxpayer Relationship Manager. While employed at the IRS, she also served as a training course instructor at the Presidential Classroom at Georgetown University and at University of Puerto Rico. Bessie accepted the Lord as her personal savior at Chandler Grove MBC as a young child and was later baptized at the Lake Grove MBC in Prairie, Mississippi. Upon moving to Kansas City and marriage with her husband, she united with Mason Temple Church of God in Christ under the late Bishop William H. McDonald. Over time, she joined Tabernacle MBC under the late Pastor Eli Wheeler, now Pastor George Dubose in Kansas City, KS and remained a member until her passing. While at Tabernacle, she has served on the Mother’s Board and served in many auxiliaries including the Mission Ministry, teaching Sunday School, and serving on the Pastor’s Appreciation Committee. Bessie also established the Teenage Mentoring Program after launching a citywide revival to help restore the streets of Kansas City and win young lives to Christ. Through the Mentoring Program, she conducted weekly empowerment and mentorship workshops with teenagers at Eisenhower Middle School. She also hosted weekly radio programming on gospel radio KPRT to further spread teenage mentorship concepts and bible scriptures with the local community. She also coached a middle school boys’ basketball team and served as a Foster Grandparent with the Kansas City Kansas Public Schools. She will be greatly missed by her family and local community. Bessie was certainly a trailblazer in launching innovative programming to encourage teenagers to stay in school and to give their lives to Christ. In her spare time, she enjoyed arts and crafts, enjoyed painting and was a sought-after seamstress and hair stylist. She leaves to cherish her loving memory, her two grandsons, Dwayne Snipes, Brooklyn, NY; Jonathan Snipes, Atlanta, GA; four sisters, Nodenia Love, Hartford, CT; Georgia Raleigh; Shirley Blair; and Elizabeth Frank all of West Point, MS; and Ples Franks Robinson, Fort Worth, TX; and a host of nephews, nieces, great nephews, great nieces, cousins, other relatives, and the Tabernacle Baptist Church family. Visitation Only will be held on Saturday, September 28, 2024, at Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church 1220 Walker Avenue KCKS 66104, from 12:00 P.M. (noon) to 2:00 P.M… Interment: Lake Grove Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery, Prairie, Mississippi. Arrangements entrusted to Lawrence A. Jones & Sons Funeral Chapels. Condolence may be shared on our website lawrenceajones.com. Funeral service held at Lake Grove MBC Prairie, Mississippi, Saturday October, 5, 2024 at 11:00 AM

Mrs. Bessie M. Robinson

March 28, 1943 - September 19, 2024