Mildred Hayes Bass

Mildred Hayes Bass August 10, 1918 – August 1, 2019 Mildred Hayes Bass, 100 of Lucama passed away Thursday.  Her funeral services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Monday at Joyner’s Funeral Home, 4100 Raleigh Road Parkway, Wilson.  Interment will follow in Bass Family Cemetery, Lucama.  The Rev. Dr. De Wayne Eakes and Rev. Kelley Smart will officiate. The family will receive friends Monday one hour prior to the service at Joyner’s Funeral Home, Wilson. Mama was the youngest of fifteen children.  She loved to cook, especially chicken pastry, fried chicken and her famous chocolate pies.  She was a member of Little Rock Original Free Will Baptist Church and always took an entire meal to homecoming and it made her so very happy when Pastor Eakes bragged on those chocolate pies!  She would always make amazing treats for all our school class parties.  Mama and daddy both worked hard in the garden and spent a lot of the summer canning and freezing vegetable.  She made a lot of our clothes and taught us how to sew.  In those days we had sewing and cooking classes at school and we thought it was funny that so many of the girls knew nothing about either.  Mama loved flowers and working in the yard.  She also believed in having every square inch of dirt in the yard filled with a flower or bush.  Her baby doll which has been placed beside her is ninety-six years old, her papa gave it to her and told her to take good care of it because she might not ever get another one.  She was five years old and this was her most prized possession.  Every time we gave mama something to wear as a gift, she wouldn’t wear it.  She wanted to “save it”.  We found many boxed gifts under her bed when I moved her to my house from Judy’s.  We guess the great depression was a life changing event for her.  She saved everything and I do mean everything.  But when she dressed to leave the house for church and other special events, she was styl’n and profil’n.  When we were growing up, we were taught beyond any doubt right from wrong.  Mama would cook a big dinner every Sunday and all the family gathered around the table for fellowship and the best food ever.  Now they are gathered around God’s table rejoicing and being the happiest ever.  We are so thankful for that and when we will see them again. Survivors include three daughters, Judy Meeks and husband, Ray, Rebecca Watson and husband, Walt and Jane Evans all of Wilson; five granddaughters, Pamela Cason and husband, Mike of Garner, Amy Wise and husband, Steve of Maple Shade, New Jersey, Jennifer Wade and husband, Russell of Goldsboro, Michele Grigg and husband, Alex of Gainesville, Georgia and Amanda Cropper and husband, Jesse of Clayton and ten great-grandchildren, Blake Carson and wife, Hannah, Tyler Cason, Christian Cason, Mackenzie Wade, Caleb Wade, Benjamin Grigg, Elizabeth Summers and husband, David, Noah Wise, Burgen Robertson and Riley Cropper. She was preceded in death by her husband of sixty-three years, Benjamin Bass that passed away in 2003, parents, Jesse Thomas and Betty Sullivan Hayes and fourteen siblings. Condolences may be directed to Joyner’s Funeral Home at www.joyners.net.