Marietta Kimble

Obituary Marietta Slack Bostic Kimble was born to William C. Slack and Lillie Pearl Porch Slack on December 15, 1928, in Wilmot, Arkansas. She was the second oldest of six children. Marietta attended John Wesley A.M.E. Zion Church where she accepted Christ at an early age. Marietta completed her early education in the Wilmot Public Schools (now named the Slack-LeGrande school) so named after her father, who was a respected and beloved educator. She continued her formal education in Pine Bluff, Arkansas at Corbin High School and, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the A.M. and N. College (later renamed the University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff). A lover of learning, she also attended the La Verne College (now the University of La Verne) in La Verne, CA, as well as Avila College and the University of Missouri, Kansas City, MO, and Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, MO. While attending Pine Bluff A.M. and N., Marietta met and married the late James I. Bostic. To this union three children were born, Lillian Maria, Harriet Yvonne, and Sabrina Ann. Marietta and her family settled in Kansas City, MO. She later married the late James Kimble on December 25, 1967, becoming stepmother to two children; the late Jay Charles Kimble and the late Cheleste Kimble Botts. Marietta’s career path followed that of her father and she began a teaching career that lasted over thirty years. She began her teaching career as a substitute teacher at the Slack-LeGrande school in Wilmot. She also taught at the Edmonton Elementary School in Edmonton, AR, but the majority of her teaching career was in the Kansas City Public Schools where she taught at Phyllis Wheatley ES for several years in addition to teaching Adult Basic Education classes. She was very proud to be a member of the Phi Delta Kappa Teacher’s Sorority and also received various professional awards including the Dedicated Teacher Award, School Advisory Award, and the Great Black American award. Like her parents, she was very civic-minded, being active in numerous school and civic organizations, working, at times, as the leader of her neighborhood’s civic group. Marietta became a devoted member of the Paseo Baptist Church after moving to Kansas City, MO. She loved to sing and contributed her lovely soprano voice to both the Cathedral Choir and the Treble Clef Choir. She worked for several years in the Sunday School program where she taught and later became one of the officers of the program. She supported the youth programs in the church and was also a very involved and active member of the missionary group called the Loving, Caring, and Sharing group which focused on providing help and assistance to those in need. Although Marietta’s professional, church, and civic activities kept her busy, priority was always focused on her children with the love of God and the love of learning. Marietta loved spending time with family and friends. James and Marietta were very active in the VFW. She loved hosting barbeques in the backyard, baking, and even opening her doors to family members who may need a place to temporarily stay for a while. She loved taking pictures and traveling and she loved helping others. Marietta lived in Kansas City until the demise of her husband, James on January 25, 1999. She then moved to Pine Bluff, AR in 2005 where she resided with her daughter, Sabrina, and her family until God called her home on January 16, 2021. Left to cherish her memory are her daughters Lillian Maria Watkins (Rudolph) of Burke, VA; Harriett Yvonne Gordon of Vancouver, WA; Sabrina Threet (Gary) of Pine Bluff, AR; sister Nellie Graves, Detroit, MI; brother, Luther Slack of Madera, CA; ten grandchildren Rudolph A. Watkins III, Charles E. Johnson II, Alyssa R. Watkins-Dove, Kai C. Hawkins, Nichol S. Bostic, Sabrene M. Gregg, Antonio Threadgill, Saleeha Botts, Jennifer Newman (Cinzia), Tevin Threet, 16 Great-grandchildren and 6 great-great grandchildren host of nieces, nephews, and cousins. Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 am on Thursday, January 28th, 2021 at Mount Calvary COGIC, 2422 Van Brunt Boulevard, Kansas City, MO 64127. Visitation 10:00 am. Interment Leavenworth National Cemetery. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Marietta Kimble, please visit our floral store. Read More

Marietta Kimble

December 15, 1928 - January 16, 2021