Obituary of Lula Belle Smith

Lula Belle Hudson (Smith) Born: September 7th, 1936 – Died: June 6th, 2019, 82.

How more profound is a life than one that shapes the lives of others, one that wants nothing for itself, but instead sees the future as a place to be populated by her children? How more profound is a life that chooses to live simply tending gardens, flowers beds, and occasionally enjoying a bowl of Rocky Road ice cream? (She’d smile at that.) Lula Belle.

How do we remember Lula Belle, independent, fierce, thrifty and wise? We remember her best as a mother of six children (John, June, Jeanine, Paul, Bruce and Debra), as someone who hoped against all hope her children, every last one of them would enjoy a life she herself didn’t have.

At times it seemed only her force of will kept our home together because there were many challenges but most of these found her firm in her faith. Many evenings her children would hear her pleading to God our behalf. How much more of a lesson in humility and long suffering did we need? We had the ultimate example in front of us and Lula Belle’s lessons weren’t lost on us.

Lula’s passing remind me of my troubled years as a growing young man. All the signs were there for my failure, the truth is I was on my way to prison before I even knew what it was and how threatening incarceration is to black men. Still, though, she believed and prayed. The world had already judged me and found me to be a useless member, and so my future was clear to them. I was to be part of the invisible expanse of black manhood wasting away in prisons all over America. I would be part of the moral stain of criminal justice.

But then there was Lula Belle with her modicum of faith against a pitiless reality, and such faith proved to be more than enough, because she didn’t just stay on her knees, she walked with her feet to visit me, encourage me, and tell me that life, even as I saw it, was more precious than I could ever imagine. And so from this darkness I rose, and was made strong and resilient from her glorious light.

The rest of the world will never know that Momma ever existed or will care, but there are silent witnesses to take note, towering stars in the heavens, burning with the fury and celestial spectacle. We are the eulogy, we are the pinnacle of Momma’s efforts. If people draw breaths to live, she drew her breath to direct our eyes to the sky to pick a star to believe in.

Graves become overgrown and grave markers fade, but lives go on to be lived and passed onto others. And as long as this is true, Lula Belle will always be among us.

1 Corinthians 15: 34 - 58