Cora L. Triplett

Ms. Cora L. Triplett, lovingly known as Big Momma, the family's matriarch, mentor, teacher, and sometimes, disciplinarian, passed away on Tuesday, September 26, 2023, at 93 years of age. She was born November 26, 1929, in Indianola, MS, to Mr. John Wilkins Sr and Mrs. Charity B. (a.k.a. Sugar) Wilkins, who preceded her in death. She was united in marriage to Mr. Jessie James Triplett who also preceded her in death. She was baptized at an early age in Indianola, MS. Upon moving her family from Chicago to Bay City, MI, she became a member of Evening Star Baptist Church, which later changed its name to Woodside Baptist Church, now Gethsamene Baptist Church, under the leadership of Pastor Benjamin Smith.

Big Momma retired from Bay City Chevrolet in 1986. She loved being surrounded by her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and her one and only great-great-grandson, Nehemiah Reign Robinson. Her home was like a revolving door where the family steadily came in and went out daily. When she purchased her home, the basement foundation walls were dirt walls and a dirt floor. She and her daughter Onie, along with a few others, dug out the dirt floor, bucket by bucket to lower the basement floor and prepare it to have concrete poured on it. They carried a cinder concrete block, one in each hand, into the basement, as they prepared to build the four walls, ensuring a solid foundation. The ceilings in each room of her home have been lowered in every room in her home, she stripped it apart and rebuilt it. Her hands have been blessed and strengthened to get the job done. She was gifted with much wisdom and blessed with knowledge, and understanding. She bought a shack and built it into a castle, which turned it into a home.

She loved growing vegetables in her garden and planting flowers in her outdoor flowerbed and all around her home, including placing flowerpots on her back patio. Since her daughter Ida lived next door to her, Big Momma planted flowers and plants in her backyard and on the side of her home, also.

Big Momma enjoyed watching World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), which comes on four days a week, at 8:00 p.m. Thank you Marcus Trey for making sure her cable was always working. As soon as the Wheel of Fortune game show went off, everyone knew it was time to go. One of her many favorite things that she also enjoyed doing, was to drive around town on her Amigo which she called her, “Cadillac”. She drove her “Amigo Cadillac” as if she was driving a car, fast – putting the petal to the metal.

She loved sitting on her porch, in her favorite chair, and watching “her” squirrels running up and down and in and out of the huge hole that was in the middle of the tree that stood in front of her home. Sadly, the tree, which was on city property, got cut down completely a couple of months ago.

She sat in her favorite chair on her porch watching “her” bunny rabbits hopping along and bouncing around, this would put a smile on her face, every time. She watched the leaves on the ground twirl round and round as the wind blew them down the street and she would say to the leaves as if they heard her, “keep going down the street and get out of my yard.”

She sat on the porch in her favorite chair playing Word Search, sipping on Orange Crush Pop, while every now and then eating a small Milky Way Candy Bar or Orange Slices. Sometimes she would snack on a slice or two of bologna, so it would hold her over until it was time for her next meal. She had a great appetite.

On Tuesday, September 26, 2023, she rose from her morning sleep, got dressed, made her bed, ate a good breakfast, conversed, laughed, and joked with her daughters Ida and Onie. She called her grandson Rico to ask him to edge around her yard. She sat in her favorite chair, took one last look at the view before her, closed her eyes, and went home, up yonder, to be with the Lord.

She leaves to cherish her memory within their hearts: Children: Ida (a.k.a. Belle) Wilkins, Maple (Toney) O’Neal, Jessie (James) Dawkins, Onie (Charles) Taylor, Denise (Anthony) Hicks, Marilyn (James) Frank-Middleton, and Sheldon Liles; Grandchildren: Tina (Shoron) Cooper, Kenard O’Neal, Tonya O’Neal, Lance Dawkins, Jimmy Dawkins, Denisha (Ramon) Deleon, Deandre Hawkins, Mario Bradley, Karli Peterson, Tiffany Tate, Chavis Triplett-Taylor, Chanel Triplett-Taylor, Dylan Triplett-Taylor, Sabina Maldonado; Great-Grandchildren: Marcus Cooper, Miah Cooper, Trinity King, Toney Fuller, Daniel Davis, Taylor Baldwin, Andre Deleon, Victoria Deleon, Jalen Deleon, Aaniyah Hawkins, Mario Bradley II, Alyijah Dawkins, Averie Powell, Rheyleigh Taylor-Triplett, Analeaha Taylor; Great-Great-Grandchild: Nehemiah Reign Robinson; Special Nephews: Jerry Helms, Jr., and David Wilkins; Special Niece: Sylvia Edwards; Special Friends: Jerry Gracie, Levi Jiles, Sue Coop, Eugene Sission, Sarah Andreske; Godson: Quinn Alvarado; Goddaughters: Donna Sullivan, June Askew, Cathy Rogers, and Debbie Rogers; Great-Great-Great-Grand-Dog’s; Bella, Bossman and Kookie; and Great-Great-Grand-Cat: Sawyer; she was proceeded in death by her parents, John and Charity Wilkins; Siblings, Rosie, Cleo, Reuel, John, Albert, Joseph, Charity, Amos, Ora Lee, Oliver, Lamont, John Taylor; Children, Robert Lee Wilkins, and James Willie Triplett. Grandson, Andre Wilkins, Granddaughter, Devon O’Neal. Best friends: Idella White, Eleanor Doering, and Annie Bell Davenport; Special niece, Mary (Tiny) Berry; Goddaughter, Marcia Joy Prince.