Obituary for Odessa L. Cousins
Odessa Mae Lee Cousins, loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, passed peacefully to her heavenly home on September 10, 2021. She is best known for her kindness, her tender heart and friendly smile.
Odessa is preceded in death by her mother and father, James B. and Mary J. Lee, her beloved husband Haywood Christopher Cousins, Jr and son-in-laws, K. Lamonte Pleasants and C. Wesley Valentine. She is survived by her daughters, Romonia, Ravenna, and Vanessa; her granddaughters, Michelle, Meaghen, and Angelica; grandson-in-laws Ako (Michelle) and Richard (Angelica) and great grandchildren, Sebastien (Michelle & Ako), Colin (Michelle & Ako) and Harper (Meaghen).
Raised in Dinwiddie and Nottoway, VA, Odessa was the only child of James B. Lee and Mary J. Lee. Although she was raised during the time of the Great Depression, she enjoyed life with her family down at “the house”. She loved her grandma Nonie and grandpa Isham so much, and they spoiled their “Dixie” back with love, special lunches taken to school, a play house and even a pet pig named “Teeny” which she adopted from amongst the pigs at the farm. She attended Nottoway Training School and graduated from Luther H. Foster High School.
While at Foster, she volunteered on the school safety patrol. This is where she was spotted by her future husband, Haywood. He would look for her when the bus went by the bakery where he worked after school. Little did many know, they had actually met when she was 5 years old back in Dinwiddie.
Odessa went on to briefly live in New York, staying with her aunt and cousins and working as a receptionist in an electronics store. She enjoyed her time in New York, but she came back to Blackstone when grandpa got sick. His “Dixie” had come back home. She and Haywood Christopher Cousins, Jr were married and enjoyed a life together with family, raising their three daughters, Romonia, Ravenna and Vanessa. Just as she was spoiled by her grandparents and parents growing up, her husband, Haywood, would spoil her too - stating “What my Peaches wants, my Peaches gets”. She would go on to take that same love and spoil her grandchildren and great grandchildren with love.
Always so proud to share in the hobbies and accomplishments of her grandchildren, over their lifetimes, “Grandma” enjoyed band performances, dance recitals, and track meets. “GG” went to soccer games, too. She volunteered as a room mother, PTA member and chaperone, too. She loved cooking shows, and she even liked kung fu movies, watching those with her grandson-in-law, Ako.
She was a long time member of Spring Hill Baptist Church, and while she was still able, she had been an usher, sponsor of the junior choir and secretary of the Sunday school. She stayed active reading the word and supporting the church. While in NJ, she attended Shiloh Baptist Church in Penns Grove, NJ. And, as her ability to travel became more limited, she enjoyed visiting churches in the Midlothian and Richmond area with her daughter, Vanessa.
As she got older, she enjoyed traveling. She would take planes, trains, buses and cars, anything to get to travel to see her family. Over the years, she had the opportunity to travel with them to Atlanta, GA, Chattanooga, TN, Chicago, IL, Clearwater, FL, Dallas, TX, Destin, FL, Myrtle Beach, SC, New Orleans, LA, Raleigh, NC, and South Padre Island, TX. And even though she loved to travel, she never liked goodbyes. No matter when it was, how short or long the trip, she always cried whether she left or you did. That was her tender heart, loving so much it hurt to say goodbye. So it is fitting that, today, we have a moment to cry to recognize her saying goodbye to us. We will miss you so much.
Funeral Services Thursday, September 16, 2021 at 11:00 AM at Springhill Baptist Church, Blackstone. Interment church cemetery.
W.E. Hawkes & Son Funeral Home of Blackstone in charge of arrangements.
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Odessa is preceded in death by her mother and father, James B. and Mary J. Lee, her beloved husband Haywood Christopher Cousins, Jr and son-in-laws, K. Lamonte Pleasants and C. Wesley Valentine. She is survived by her daughters, Romonia, Ravenna, and Vanessa; her granddaughters, Michelle, Meaghen, and Angelica; grandson-in-laws Ako (Michelle) and Richard (Angelica) and great grandchildren, Sebastien (Michelle & Ako), Colin (Michelle & Ako) and Harper (Meaghen).
Raised in Dinwiddie and Nottoway, VA, Odessa was the only child of James B. Lee and Mary J. Lee. Although she was raised during the time of the Great Depression, she enjoyed life with her family down at “the house”. She loved her grandma Nonie and grandpa Isham so much, and they spoiled their “Dixie” back with love, special lunches taken to school, a play house and even a pet pig named “Teeny” which she adopted from amongst the pigs at the farm. She attended Nottoway Training School and graduated from Luther H. Foster High School.
While at Foster, she volunteered on the school safety patrol. This is where she was spotted by her future husband, Haywood. He would look for her when the bus went by the bakery where he worked after school. Little did many know, they had actually met when she was 5 years old back in Dinwiddie.
Odessa went on to briefly live in New York, staying with her aunt and cousins and working as a receptionist in an electronics store. She enjoyed her time in New York, but she came back to Blackstone when grandpa got sick. His “Dixie” had come back home. She and Haywood Christopher Cousins, Jr were married and enjoyed a life together with family, raising their three daughters, Romonia, Ravenna and Vanessa. Just as she was spoiled by her grandparents and parents growing up, her husband, Haywood, would spoil her too - stating “What my Peaches wants, my Peaches gets”. She would go on to take that same love and spoil her grandchildren and great grandchildren with love.
Always so proud to share in the hobbies and accomplishments of her grandchildren, over their lifetimes, “Grandma” enjoyed band performances, dance recitals, and track meets. “GG” went to soccer games, too. She volunteered as a room mother, PTA member and chaperone, too. She loved cooking shows, and she even liked kung fu movies, watching those with her grandson-in-law, Ako.
She was a long time member of Spring Hill Baptist Church, and while she was still able, she had been an usher, sponsor of the junior choir and secretary of the Sunday school. She stayed active reading the word and supporting the church. While in NJ, she attended Shiloh Baptist Church in Penns Grove, NJ. And, as her ability to travel became more limited, she enjoyed visiting churches in the Midlothian and Richmond area with her daughter, Vanessa.
As she got older, she enjoyed traveling. She would take planes, trains, buses and cars, anything to get to travel to see her family. Over the years, she had the opportunity to travel with them to Atlanta, GA, Chattanooga, TN, Chicago, IL, Clearwater, FL, Dallas, TX, Destin, FL, Myrtle Beach, SC, New Orleans, LA, Raleigh, NC, and South Padre Island, TX. And even though she loved to travel, she never liked goodbyes. No matter when it was, how short or long the trip, she always cried whether she left or you did. That was her tender heart, loving so much it hurt to say goodbye. So it is fitting that, today, we have a moment to cry to recognize her saying goodbye to us. We will miss you so much.
Funeral Services Thursday, September 16, 2021 at 11:00 AM at Springhill Baptist Church, Blackstone. Interment church cemetery.
W.E. Hawkes & Son Funeral Home of Blackstone in charge of arrangements.
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