Jeffress B. Pettiford

JEFFRESS BELINDA PETTIFORD, the third daughter of the late Jeff Pettiford and Beatrice Jeffers Pettiford, was born on February 15, 1949. She departed this life on March 25, 2014 after a lengthy battle with cancer. She was taught of God's love her whole life and knew Him for herself. She attended and was a longtime member of Mount Lebanon Baptist Church. She graduated from Forest Park High School in 1967. She held several jobs throughout her life such as the Post Office, Westinghouse, Nordstroms, African American Fashions, Red Cross and lastly Kernan Hospital. Although these were the places she worked, she had many talents which gave her more job titles. She was a seamstress and made plenty of girls happy to go to prom in a J.P. Original. She was a natural-born artist. She could draw and paint anything. Let's just say her grandkids got a lot of A's on their projects. She was a poet, and her writings made you feel and appreciate what she was trying to express. With all of those things, her favorite job of all where she clocked in early in the morning, worked vigorously all day, stayed late, worked day and night shift, worked weekends, all holidays, took no days off with no pay, was the job of loving her family. Her job description was to love them; and when that was done, love them a little more. Her family was absolutely most important to her. She could not have loved her absolutely, amazingly wonderful beautiful sisters (her words) Jean, Sandra, Portia and brother-in-law Clint anymore. Her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren meant everything to her. Her love for them was expressed in every breath she took. She loved her nieces and nephews like sons and daughters. Family and friends, it's all the same. Her love was real and never changed. She leaves to love her from afar: her children, April Pettiford, Keith Owens, Cora Owens and adopted daughter, Lauren Dudley; her lifelong companion, Edward Dudley; her sisters, Loverta Pettiford, Sandra Silver and Portia Pettiford; brother-in-law, Clinton Silver; her grandchildren, Ashley, Antoin, Jasmine, India, Michael, Toren, Melodie and Kamari and her great-grandchildren, Brayln, Jason, Madison, Zoey, Ardyn Lilly and Logan (who preceded her in death); two very special people in her life, Deloris Cash and Larry Clay; aunt, Georgia P. Mitchell; and host of other relatives and friends.

Tributes

Jeffress B. Pettiford

February 15, 1949 - March 25, 2014