Bessie L. Green

Bessie Louise Green, age 98, a vibrant, bright, funny, witty, amazing woman who loved to laugh, was a great storyteller and a beloved mother of five children, twelve grandchildren and nineteen great grandchildren.   Her memorial service will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, June 25, 2022 at St. Peter’s A.M.E. Church at 401 East 41^st Street in Minneapolis, MN.  Pastor Thomas Flint will officiate.  Visitation will be from 10:00 A.M. until 11:00 A.M. at St. Peter’s A.M.E. Church. Arrangements are with Daniel Funeral Home in St. Cloud, MN.

She was born March 2, 1923, in Hot Springs, Arkansas to William Livingston Grissam and Jennie (Key) Grissam but lived most of her life in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  She died of C0VID-19 on October 24, 2021, at the Good Shepherd Assisted Living/Memory Care Cottages in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota.

She lived 70 years in the house that she and her husband, Bob, purchased in 1951 in South Minneapolis only moving to Good Shepherd in January 2021. 

She is preceded in death by her beloved husband and best friend of nearly fifty-two years, Robert (Bob) Furman Green (1921-1992), son Kenneth Charles Green (1951-2009), since Bessie’s death, her daughter-in-law Agnes Copeland-Green (1950-2021) passed away on December 26, 2021; her parents and all of her siblings; Albert, Oscar, Margaret Johnson, Roland and Wilbur.

She is survived by four children:  Barbara Mae Panser (Maynard d. 2010), Leslie Robert Green (Sally), Lois Louise Porter (Ronald), and Lauren Susan Green Nikolis (Theodore).  She is also survived by grandchildren: Mary Green, Robert Green (Lauren), Pablo Posligua (Maria Isabel), Andrew Blaszyk (Megan), Ashley Pettit (Michael), Lisa Wilson (Charles), Britney Green, Ashley Green, Nicole Porter, Andrew Porter (Anne), Allen Porter (Aubray), Veronica Porter and nineteen great grandchildren. 

She lived a full, robust life.  She worked as a teacher’s aide in the Minneapolis School District for several years being an incredible influence on young students who looked to her for encouragement and sometimes discipline.  She worked first at Central High School, then later at Field Elementary School.  She was an amazing seamstress and tailor making beautiful clothes for her children and grandchildren as well as drapes, coats, suits, and gowns.  She was a self-taught barber, earning extra cash cutting hair. She also worked part time in the Post Office during the Christmas rush.

Interests and hobbies included fishing, golfing, dancing, bridge club, bingo, gardening, traveling, reading, Bible study and lively conversations on any topic.  She especially enjoyed going to the casino.  She and her husband were avid bowlers, and she won many trophies in women’s tournaments she participated in all over the county.  She loved music and playing her grand organ late into the evenings and entertained guests often with her renditions of classic jazz tunes. 

She traveled the world with her daughter Lauren, to places such as Amsterdam, London, Spain and Rome… and even met the Crown Prince and the Queen of Spain, as well as the Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI, who she made smile with the biggest grin anyone ever saw him make!  She once told the story of how when she was in her early twenties, she ushered at an appearance in Minneapolis of this new young minister named Billy Graham.  And years later, by providence or Divine will, she sat at his daughter Anne Graham Lotz’s table, for Graham’s 95 birthday celebration in Asheville, NC, and told her the story of how she first saw her dad. 

But most importantly for Bessie, she loved her family more than anything in the world and particularly her children and grandchildren who she was extremely proud of, supporting them in all their pursuits and dreams. 

The family would like to thank all the staff at Good Shepherd for the kind and compassionate care they give to the residents and especially gave to Mom for her last 9 months.