Obituary of Odessa Merriweather
On Tuesday evening, April 29,2024, Odessa Merriweather peacefully passed away at the Roscoe Community Nursing Home where she has resided since 2017. Odessa moved from Harlem, NY to Rock Hill, NY in 2015. She was 95 years old at her passing.
Odessa was born on March 12,1929 in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, the fifth of six children of Lymon and Bessie (Perkins) Burris. Her name at birth was Ilo Odessa Burris. After graduating from college, she dropped the Ilo, which meant light, joyous, sunshine, which seemed to describe her early years. She was known for being smart and a lively person. She was very outgoing and talkative. She will be remembered as a person who is determined to do things her way and an independent thinker. Because of her excellence in High School, her family made sacrifices to send her to college to become a teacher. She attended Tennessee State for 2 years and graduated from North Carolina A&T after two years.
After graduating, she moved to New York City where she met Theodore Merriweather (des. 1990) from Sharon Hill, Pa. They married in 1953. In 1956 their son Kenneth T. was born. Shortly after his birth they were separated and later divorced. Odessa, despite this trauma, determined to raise her son the best she could and give him the best chance at success in life. She taught school part-time for a short time but because of the times, working as a housekeeper and maid paid more and so she never realized her dream of being a teacher. She insisted that Kenneth do well in school and went over his report card with a magnifying glass. No failures would go unnoticed. She worked six days a week with no vacations, saving for his education. But Sunday was time to go to the nearest Methodist church or to the beach. Odessa loved the beach. During the summers if she was able, she would go to Coney Island beach in Brooklyn, NY or Orchard beach in Bronx, NY.
Odessa was a gourmet level cook. She would prepare meals for her clients, which included Mary Travers from the folk group Peter, Paul & Mary, for whom she worked for several years. She will be remembered for her pecan pies. It seemed she could whip up a pecan pie with no effort at all.
Odessa was proceeded in death by her parents, Lymon and Bessie, and all her siblings, John Vincent, David, James, Beaulina Adams, Annie Mae Vass, and Aileen Lewis.
She is survived by her son Kenneth, his wife Joyce of Dover, DE and their children, Kenisha of the Dominican Republic, Kenneth Jr, his wife Emily of Middletown, NY, and Joel, his wife Patricia of Ferndale, NY.
Her family appreciates that she allowed them the freedom to make life’s decisions for themselves. Including those that she did not agree with.
As a family, we would like to express our sincere appreciation for the staff of Roscoe Nursing Home for their kind care for Odessa. Though she was unable to communicate, she could be heard singing gospel songs throughout the day.
We long for the day when the fulfillment of Isaiah 25:8 “He will swallow up death forever” and Revelation 21:4 “And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes and death will be no more” result in our seeing her in good health again when God raises her in the resurrection. (John 5:28,29; Acts 24:15) We find comfort in knowing that the God of the Bible longs to see our loved one alive again. (Job 14:15)
The family would like to thank all who expressed sympathy and well wishes in our time of grief. Kenneth T Merriweather and family.
Cremation was held and private services will be held at the convenience of the family.
Arrangements are under the direction of the VanInwegen-Kenny, Inc. Funeral Home of Monticello. For additional information or to send an online condolence, please visit www.kennyfuneralhome.com
