Jessie Rebecca Crowe was welcomed into this world by her parents, Isabell and Tom Rucker, on March 21, 1936, in Elberton, GA. She was the youngest of sixteen children born into this union.

She learned the beauty of love and sacrifice at an early age while helping her mother take care of and raise her nephews, Thomas and Reginald Rucker, and her niece, Betsy Buchannon (deceased). Although Jessie was the youngest of the Rucker family, she had one of the biggest hearts.

Jessie graduated from Blackwell Memorial High School, which was the only school African Americans could attend because of segregation. During high school, she participated in the competitive sport of basketball. She loved to learn and continued to educate herself by reading books. Her particular area of interest was in the field of psychiatry.

A few years after graduating, Jessie relocated to Cleveland, OH, to start a new life. She lived with her sister, Charity Mae Fortson (deceased), and her husband until she was able to find a job and get established on her own. By the time she was 20 years old, she gave birth to her first beautiful baby girl, named Delphine Isabell Rucker.

Jessie enjoyed spending time with a host of her relatives who had also relocated from Georgia to Cleveland in search of a better life. Great times were had by all, especially when her brothers Albert Rucker (deceased), George Rucker (deceased), and Melvin Rucker (deceased); her niece, Addie Belle Brown (deceased); and her nephews, Reginald Rucker and Thomas Rucker, all came to the huge Sunday dinner to feast on the food that Charity Mae had cooked for them and their families.

Jessie was a dedicated employee of the Wolf Envelope Company, where she worked as a machinist until the day she retired. She was a woman who gave respect and demanded it in return, even from her employer. Beyond the workplace, Jessie was deeply committed to civic engagement—she was a proud voter who believed strongly in the power of the ballot. In 1964, she marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the March on the Ballot Box in Cleveland, Ohio, advocating for voter registration and equal access to the polls. Her commitment to justice, both on the job and in her community, defined the strength of her character. 

Jessie enjoyed dancing and having a good time with her family and friends—best believe she was the life of the party. She was also an avid bowler and won several trophies for her accomplishments.

At the bowling alley, Jessie met the love of her life, the late Lawrence D. Crowe. They enjoyed each other’s company, along with dancing and bowling, so much so that they decided to get married in the late fall of 1964. Together, they purchased a home in Warrensville Heights, OH, and welcomed the birth of their two beautiful daughters, Joan G. Hill (Bruce) and Celest Crowe Malcolm (James, deceased), into their union.

After 12 years of marriage, they decided to go their separate ways. However, they remained loyal and caring parents to their children and grandchildren and maintained an amicable relationship with each other.

Jessie became a member of The Lee Road Baptist Church, where she attended Sunday services because she realized that God was good to her and her children, and she absolutely knew where her help came from.

As the matriarch of her family, Jessie did what she did best—she loved and sacrificed her own needs to make sure that her children and grandchildren did not go without.

Jessie’s home became the gathering place for her relatives both near and far to come and have a good time—dancing, singing, laughing, and enjoying the music of Aretha Franklin, Al Green, Sam Cooke, and other artists. Their game of choice was Bid Whist. You could hear the thunder of the cards being slapped onto the table as they played from the evening until the wee hours of the next morning.

Jessie was indeed a pioneer, because being a single parent was not as common then as it is today. She was resilient, intelligent, and beautiful—both inside and out! She was very protective of those she loved (her children and relatives), and if she needed to come to their rescue or fight on their behalf, she would—literally! If you needed food, she would feed you. She was a selfless person who would go out of her way to help others, even complete strangers.

Lastly, Jessie’s world came to life when her grandchildren were born: LoLisa Crowe, LaTisha Crowe, Antoinette Taylor, John Pettigrew (Victoria), Anthony Taylor, and Jeanette Pettigrew. Her life was filled with immense joy when she held her first great-grandson in her arms. She believed that his birth brought her family back together again.

Jessie enjoyed her family and friends for 89 years until the day she departed to be with Jesus. She was the lone survivor of her family—the “last woman standing.” She was preceded in death by her aforementioned brothers and sister, as well as brothers Thomas Charles (T.C.) Rucker, J.B. Rucker, James Rucker, Olin Rucker, and Willie Rucker; and sisters Clara Rucker and Sallie Mae Rucker. 

She leaves to cherish her memories her three daughters; Delphine Isabell Rucker,    Joan Gwendolyn Hill (Bruce), and Celest Crowe Malcolm, her six grandchildren; LoLisa Crowe, LaTisha Crowe, John Pettigrew (Victoria); Jeanette Pettigrew, Antoinette Taylor, Anthony Taylor, her 7 Great-Grandchildren and a host of relatives and friends.

In closing, let us practice one of her favorite quotes: “Love ye one another.”