Mrs. Sadie Pearl Gaddis

Sadie Pearl Gaddis was born July 21, 1931 to the late Elam and Minnie Pearl Lewis in Lauderdale County, Mississippi. From her parents, she inherited a unique sense of humor, lightheartedness, and a strong work ethic. She did many intriguing and wonderful things over the course of her life. In 1952, she married the late John R. Gaddis, who passed away 20 years ago (this week) on December 26, 1996. She had only one daughter, Carolyn (because in her words, "That was enough!"). In the 1960s, she earned a Bachelors Master's Degree in Elementary Education from Jackson State University, taking an honored place among few African American women in Mississippi who held graduate degrees during that time. She accepted Christ as her savior at an early age and was a member of Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church until her passing. At Pleasant Ridge, she served faithfully as a member of the Women's Missionary Society, a Sunday School Teacher, and as Deaconess. In 2016, she was honored for her missionary service with the "Lest We Forget Award" by the Friendship District. She was a veteran educator, having served 40 years as an elementary school teacher at West Lauderdale Elementary School, Middleton Attendance Center, and other local schools. She was most known for jokingly putting rowdy students in trash cans when they "talked trash" in her class. During her life she received many awards and was recognized for her outstanding classroom service and endless compassion for students. Sadie loved waking up late in the afternoon, watching soap operas and Family Feud with her daughter, talking (about nothing) on the phone for at least 2 hours each day with her cousins Janelle Moore, Hertisene Brown, and Mary Hodge, cooking a full dinner each night, and making desserts ( and subsequently eating all the desserts). Her 15-minute prayers at the dinner table and wonderful sense of humor will be missed the most. In the early hours of Tuesday morning, December 20, after eighty-five years of grand adventure, learning, setbacks, determination, courage, and grace, she peacefully entered into eternal life. In her last moments, she was cradled in both the laughter and tears of her beloved family. Sadie leaves to cherish her memory a loving daughter, Sadie Carolyn (Gaddis) Moore; a son-in-law (whom she treated like a son), Irving Moore, Jr.; one brother, Woodia Lynwood Lewis; two grand-daughters, Crystal Nicole Moore of Boston, MA and Cheryl Lynn (Moore) Blanks of Collinsville, MS; a devoted niece/daughter, Lelia L. Fox of Birmingham, AL, and a host of beloved relatives and friends. The woman who loved life and taught her children and students to “laugh at the days to come"' is now safely in the arms of Jesus and dancing at the wedding feast of the Lamb. She will be missed as a mother, friend and grandmother. Sadie's vision was a world filled with laughter, compassion, and kindness. It was a vision she worked toward in her own life. Continuing that effort in yours would be a very high tribute indeed.

Mrs. Sadie Pearl Gaddis

July 21, 1931 - December 20, 2016