[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 103 (Thursday, June 25, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E984]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     BIOGRAPHY OF MARY BROOM-THOMAS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MAXINE WATERS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 25, 2015

  Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I submit the biography 
of Mary Broom-Thomas, a wife, mother and woman of faith who lived to 
the ripe age of 101 years and who will be missed by many who loved her.

       Mrs. Mary Broom-Thomas was born on January 22, 1914 in 
     Lexington, Mississippi to Alberta Garnett-Broom and Cleveland 
     Broom. She graduated from Saints Industrial High School in 
     Lexington, Mississippi and taught there for 2 years.
       Mary married Leroy Thomas, Sr. in 1937 and the couple moved 
     to Jackson, Mississippi, where they built a home. They had 
     four children, McKinley, Abraham, Earnestine, and Leroy, Jr.
       After Leroy finished military duty in the South Pacific, 
     Mary and Leroy moved the family to Compton, California in 
     1955. Mary practiced her vocation as a seamstress, making her 
     own patterns and designing clothes, including garments for 
     her children and some specialty sales for friends and family. 
     After the children graduated from Centennial and Locke High 
     Schools and were off to college and building careers, Mary 
     took a job at Newberry's Department Store in downtown Los 
     Angeles. She continued sewing clothing, but later added 
     making handbags and light upholstery to her sewing skills 
     portfolio.
       Mrs. Thomas was a member of First A.M.E. Church where 
     Reverend Dr. Cecil Murray was Pastor. They continued to visit 
     at family gatherings after his retirement and by then she 
     became less mobile.
       Up until seven years ago, Mrs. Thomas always had an organic 
     garden. She grew an array of vegetables and fruits. She and 
     her family were healthier for it . . . she lived a great 101 
     years.
       She raised her children to embrace the Golden Rule, ``Do 
     unto others as you would have them do unto you.'' She lived 
     the example. She taught the core values of honesty, respect, 
     humility, courage and the necessity of sometimes standing 
     alone as long as you stand for the right thing.
       She championed education. Some of her most favorite people: 
     The Honorable Maxine Waters, Congresswoman; the Honorable 
     Barack Obama--she was glad to see the first African-American 
     become President of the United States; the late former Mayor 
     Tom Bradley; Malcom X; Dr. Martin Luther King; Mrs. Rosa 
     Parks; Reverend Dr. Cecil L. Chip Murray; Kobe Bryant; and 
     Shaquille O'Neil as she was an avid Laker fan. She attended a 
     personal reception with the team along with her grandson, 
     Demetrius Wilson.
       She has been honored with a published song entitled 
     ``Mary,'' composed, scored and written by her grandson, 
     Endele (Sky) Wilson; and she has been given a tribute by her 
     grandson, Demetrius (Red) Wilson, via a personalized brick on 
     the residential mall at Xavier University, his alma mater, in 
     Cincinnati, Ohio.
       One would often hear her quoting from an old spiritual, 
     ``needless pain we bear . . . all because we do not carry 
     everything to God in prayer.''
       Just a little about a Queen, who never had to declare 
     herself a queen . . . she just was.

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