Henrietta Early

Henrietta Early, passed away on January 30, 2019 at St. Luke’s Hospice House in Kansas City, MO. She was born on May 18, 1927 in McGee Arkansas, The daughter of Mattie Abston. Henrietta started her education at home and, by age 13, she was combining schooling with working in the fields of Arkansas, she was a very hard worker and soon became a vibrate young woman eager to explore a broader range of life options. She left Arkansas and traveled to Mississippi, then on to Kansas and settled in Kansas City in the 1950’s. It was in Kansas City where Henrietta met and married James Early, the father of two sons, Eshman Early, and Jesse Early. To their union, Stevie early was born. An energetic and hard worker, Mrs. Early combined marriage and motherhood with labor market work. She held a variety of jobs at the President hotel, packing house and later as a dietician at the University of Missouri Extension center. From that position, she moved on to the Bendix Corporation, where she worked until she retired. Mrs. Early was a loving and generous person, always reaching out to help others, she was a foster mother to many children, she also was active in her church, for more than 50 years a gate keeper and the backbone of the church. Mrs. Early participated in and supported many activities and served as a choir member, usher board, New Era district, Mrs. Early received certificates for volunteer work, for sitting with the elderly as a companion, she made visiting the sick and shut- in a priority in her life and became a caregiver for many elderlies. An important part of reading the KC Call paper for Mrs. Early was to take note of who had passed, attending services, and being of support to the bereaved family. Henrietta was preceded in death by her mother, Mattie Abston, her husband James Early and two brothers, Andrew Abston and Pete Green. Henrietta is survived by her sons Stevie Early Sr (Marilyn), Anthony Graves- Early, Cadario Graves-Early, and Rasheed Graves-Early all of Kansas City, stepson Jesses Early (Doris), Eshman Early both of Detroit Michigan. She leaves to mourn her passing sister Eula Mae Hunter of Kansas City, Kansas, special niece Bernice Jones and a close friend JoAnn Muldrew. Mrs. Early will sorely be missed by her three grandchildren Tiffany Tate- Parker (Daniel) of KCK, Pamela Tate, Stevie Early Jr. both of Kansas City, MO, and 6 great grand, and a host of nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.