Emma J Hayes

A TIME TO BE BORN

Emma Jean “Jean” Hayes was born on December 20, 1941 in Kansas City, Kansas to Viola Coolidge and James Wilkerson. She was the third oldest of eleven children.

A TIME TO JOURNEY

Although raised by her mother and stepfather John Coolidge Sr., her grandmother and aunts played an intricate part in raising her. She attended schools in the Kansas City, Kansas School District and was a member of Sumner High School, Class of ’59. She worked in the garment industry for Cornell and Fashionbilt Suit & Garment and retired after 42 years in the industry. She was a “Proud” union member and served as a Union Steward for many years. Later, she worked for Tension Envelope and Phelps Tool & Die, where she retired a 2nd time to care for her late husband, Sherman Fisher until his death. Jean was a mother to many, her brothers and sisters and adults and children alike at her church. Throughout her life her biggest joys were family and friends. She loved to dance, go to the movies, at one time she was an avid bowler (with trophies to show for it). She was a great cook and loved to do it for family and friends. She loved to play games, Bid Wiz, Pokeno, Connect Four, Jacks (yes, Jacks) and team games that brought her family together. She didn’t just play them with her children but with her grandchildren and great grandchildren to the very end. She played kick ball, dodge ball and softball with her children and the kids in the neighborhood. As late as this past fall, she played kick ball with her sister, great niece and nephews. After retirement her passion was gardening. As many of you know she suffered with severe pain for over a decade, but she always found a way to plant and press on. She and her husband took pride in their home and their awarding winning lawn. But it must be said that her greatest passion most of her life, especially the last four decades was SHOPPING, she was a certified SHOPAHOLIC! As a young girl her family did not have much but as she would say, “they were always clean”. In her teens, her Aunt Wilma the “fashionista” made sure that she was dressed well. As a mother, she would tell you she dressed the best she could, but it was more important that her children were well dressed, we represented her household. But Oh, once she was doing well, she made up for lost time! She loved clothes, shoes and handbags! She dressed in style and elegance, she knew it and so did we!

A TIME TO LOVE

Jean met Sherman Fisher and fell in love and 1963 were married. In this union he became father of her children and later they added two of their own. After his death, she met Michael Hayes and they were married in 1997. She accepted Christ and was baptized at a very early age and attended the family’s church, Pleasant Green Baptist Church 340 Oakland. As an adult she attended Paradise Missionary Baptist Church, later she moved her membership to Community Fellowship of Jesus Christ 2001, to be with her daughters. She has been a member for more than 18 years. She was an active member of the “Mother’s Board” and took pride in her position as one of the mothers of the church. She truly loved her Church; her Spiritual Children loved her as she loved them! But the “Choir”, Jean “Loved” “her choir” as she called them. If you didn’t know her when you visited the church, she was little lady in the first seat on the second row, standing, clapping, singing and shouting! Her biggest “Joy”, she Loved the Lord!

A TIME TO DEPART

Jean made her transition on April 9, 2019. She was preceded in death by her parents, her eldest son, Terry Eugene Wilkerson, her brother LeRoy Wilkerson, her late husband Sherman Fisher and; mother in-law; Deloris Hayes

Emma Jean Hayes leaves to cherish her memories, her husband Michael Hayes. She leaves behind her legacy, her daughters; Karen M. Gatson, Indianapolis, Indiana, Sabrina Williams, Lee’s Summit, MO, Stacy Williams (Dale), her son Byron Fisher (Yolanda), stepdaughters; Delisa Pledger, Shon Smith (Lew), her Godson Joe Cobbs (Monica). Her Grandchildren, Jamel, Tina, Nicole, Dale, Britany, Eric, Courtney, Tiffany, Tanisha, Taylor, Bria, Sunae, Kendall, Jalen, Langston, ten Great Grandchildren and Baby T due in Sept. 2019. three brothers; Clark Knox Sr., John Coolidge and Glenn Coolidge all of Kansas City, Kansas, Five sisters; Annette Watts, Deborah Persley, Nadine Sublett, all of Kansas City, Kansas, Carmen George, Jonesboro, Georgia and Karen Coolidge of Springfield, Illinois., father in-law; Roosevelt Hayes, one brother in-law, Gary Hayes (Denise) of Kansas City, Missouri, three sister in-laws; Debra McMath (Eric), of Marietta, Georgia, Marsha Lynn McNeil (Charles) of Groveland, Florida, Sharon Hayes of Kansas City, Missouri, and a host of family and friends.