| Sources |
- [S47] Sevier County, Tennessee and its Heritage, Sevier County Heritage Book Committee, (1994, Don Mills, Inc.), 160.
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 14 Nov 2009.
Mrs. Sarah Emily Dawson Brabson, age 100, of Newport, made her transition from labor to reward on Thursday, November 12, 2009, at Baptist Hospital of Cocke County.
She was born on January 14, 1909 to the late George Murphy Dawson and Dora Mae Carr Dawson.
She was preceded in death by her husband James D. Brabson; sisters Hassie Dawson and Mary Dawson Brown; brothers Nelson, Bill, Nathan, and Charlie Dawson; and foster son Dennis Stewart.
She grew up in the Parrottsville community. She was a very active member of Macedonia Baptist Church until her health began to fail. Her church activities included The Baptist Association, Missionary Association, and church secretary.
She spent much of her life as a domestic worker and was also well-known for her delicious cakes. Even with her advanced age, she prepared dinner for her brother and nephew every Sunday for 15 years.
One of her proudest moments came when she cast her vote for the first African-American President.
She leaves to cherish her memories a brother Luther Dawson of Newport; stepson Jack Allen of Detroit, MI; godchild Elizabeth Nichols of San Diego, CA; sister-in-law Nellie Dawson of Newport; nieces Deloris Dawson Rogers of Durham, NC; Carrie Dawson Caldwell (John) of Morganton, NC; Marva Dawson Harbison of Atlanta, GA; Olivia Dawson Thomas (Bill) of Suitland, MD: Sandra Dawson Nuttall and Cheryl Dawson of Parrottsville; Gwendolyn Allen of Breiningsville, PA; Antoinette (Leslie) Rawls, Brentwood, TN; and Micki (Artis) Williams, Newark, DE; nephews James Dawson of Newport, Nelson Dawson and Ronald Dawson of Parrottsville; and Robert Martin, Sr., of Camden, MS; and a number of great-grand nieces and nephews along with a host of other relatives and friends.
Her special friends include Mrs. Annette Vance, Mrs. Gail Woods, Ms. Gwendolyn Swagerty, Mrs. Doris Teague, Mrs. Beth Runnion, and Ms. Arnette Osborne and family.
Funeral services will be held Wednesday, November 18, 2009, at 2:00 p.m. at Macedonia Baptist Church with Rev. Jesse L. Jones, Jr. officiating. Interment will follow in Resthaven Memorial Gardens. Nephews will serve as pallbearers.
The family will receive friends from 1:00-2:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 18, 2009, at Macedonia Baptist Church prior to the service.
Arrangements by Costner-Maloy.
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 17 Nov 2009.
Sarah Brabson dies at 100
(c) 2009 NPT Photo by Duay O'Neil
Well-known Newport resident Sarah Brabson is shown with two of her great-great-nieces,
Lala Rawls, 2, in front, and Nava Rawls, 4, at a celebration last January in honor of
Brabson's 100th birthday. Mrs. Brabson died Thursday morning at a local hospital.
Author: Duay O'Neil
NEWPORT-One of Cocke County's oldest citizens, Sarah Dawson Brabson, died Thursday at Baptist Hospital of Cocke County at the age of 100.
She was born January 14, 1909 in the Dawson Valley community of Parrottsville, the second oldest of the eight children of Murphy and Dora Mae (Carr) Dawson who lived to maturity.
Only a child herself when her mother died, she was told by her father that she would have to be "mother" to her youngest sister Hessie and the other children.
Married young to Ervin Jackson, she suffered yet another tragic loss when her husband died following a ruptured appendix.
In the mid-1940s, she met a widower James Daughtery Brabson. Both were childless. Their friendship blossomed into love and the two married in 1946.
They moved to a small house on Prospect Street in Newport, next door to her in-laws. Over time, the couple remodeled their home, adding indoor plumbing and more rooms.
In those days, Newport's city limits still encompassed residents who kept livestock. At her 100th birthday party last January, Mrs. Brabson recalled eliminating the pigpens next door when she and her husband purchased that property.
Although the Brabsons remained childless, she became known throughout the community as "Mother Sarah," because of her unbounded love for her nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends, in particular Libby Nichols, now a California resident, and the late Dennis Stewart.
A neighbor and dear friend, Annette Vance, said, "She was just like a mother to me and the entire neighborhood."
She was a devoted member of Macedonia Baptist Church and attended services regularly whenever possible.
Her minister, Rev. Jesse L. Jones, Jr., recalled of his first visit with Mrs. Brabson, "She actually ministered to us, the deacons, and showed herself to be a Genesis mother. She was one who did so much for her community, always giving of herself. She was a gift to Macedonia Baptist Church. We praise God for her."
Although nearly deaf, Mrs. Brabson remained active and mentally alert. She recalled Newport's unpaved streets, women's suffrage, Prohibition, two world wars, the arrival of the first plane in Cocke County, and daily passenger train service from Newport to Knoxville and beyond.
She always kept abreast of current news, enjoying immensely watching the inauguration of America's first African-American President last year.
Funeral arrangements for Mrs. Brabson will be handled by Costner-Maloy Funeral Home.
|
Search | Advanced Search
1909 - 2009 (100 years)
: Address
: Location
: City/Town
: County/Shire
: State/Province
: Country
: Not Set
= Link to Google Maps