Our Mom, The Glue That Held Us Together

When we think of our mom there are so many memories and thoughts that come to our mind.  It all started on Thursday, July 23, 1942, when our grandparents, Nola and Richard George, Sr. announced the birth of their baby girl, Elizabeth George. 

Mom grew up in Bay City and attended Hillard High School.  When she was 15 years old, she and our dad, Levi Callis, fell in love.  That love grew and lasted for over five decades.  Yes, for 56 years every March 23rd Mom and Dad celebrated their wedding anniversary.

Mom was a housewife who cherished her family.  Dad was a hard worker who provided for us, and Mom made sure things in and around the house were taken care of well.  It was obvious to everyone who came around that Mom and Dad loved each other.  They were not perfect, but they modeled for us a healthy, loving, and caring home.  Mom managed the home and she kept all of us in check.  In other words, Mom didn’t play.  She was the disciplinarian.  If she said move or sit down, she meant it and she didn’t mind following up with actions to ensure that we obeyed.  She didn’t like to raise her voice and if she did…. well, let’s just say, we all got in line quickly!  But Mom did it all out of love.  Even when we got in trouble, we would sometimes laugh at her, because we knew that she wasn’t being mean, but she meant what she said. 

Family is more important to us now because we grew up seeing how important it was to them.  We can remember going to our grandparents house, eating, playing, and having fun.  We are not totally sure when it happened, but it changed to everyone coming to our house, especially for holidays and family get-togethers.  There was always plenty of food, fun, and fellowship.   Speaking of food, Mom was a great cook.  She could cook anything!  Sometimes it was just that… anything.  Mom was a ‘country girl’ at heart and enjoyed eating coon or putting a rabbit on the pit.  We can remember hearing her say, “catch that squirrel and bring it here… I’ll put some gravy on him!”  Most of us kids wouldn’t eat that, but Mom surely did enjoy it.  However, we would tear up her cornbread dressing!  It was wonderful!!!  She loved eating it along with her mustard greens with ‘go-further’ dumplings added or cooking some of her famous salmon croquettes.  Mom could make a mean pound cake and she would send us out to pick wild berries when we were young so she could fix a berry cobbler.  There were great times growing up with her as our mom.

As adults, we noticed how Mom really valued family even more as well as spending time with all of us.  She loved us and it showed.  As a matter of fact, when asked who she liked the best, Mom would say, ‘I love all my family’.  It’s funny to think that we all were grown, but Mom was still running stuff.  As adults, when Mom walked into the room, we all knew what to do and how to act! 

Mom loved the Lord.  She was a praying lady of faith.  She lived out her faith as an active life-time member of Mother Zion Baptist Church where she attended bible study and was a faithful member of the Mission Ministry #2.  She lived her life for Christ and her passion was for others to see Christ through her life.  She spent time listening to the Word of God.  If not in church, then through Christian programming on TV.  It was commonplace to see her reading her bible or hear her quoting I John 4:4b, ‘greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world’.  Mom believed in serving others.  In fact, in her spare time she would find ways to care for and serve others.  When she was not caring for others, she would relax by completing word search puzzles.

Thirteen months ago was one of the hardest times that Mom and us experienced.  We all had to say good-by to Dad on this side.  That was a difficult time for all of us.  But it gave us comfort that Dad was now with our brother, Lawrence Callis, our twenty-three aunts and uncles and our grandparents who had already gone before him.

Simply put, Mom was the glue that held the family together.  She loved family, friends, and the community.  She did what she could to keep the peace and make sure that we all knew that we were family, and we were loved.  On Tuesday, February 22, 2022, (2.22.22) Mom went home to live with The Lord.  Needless to say, she will be missed tremendously but it gives us great joy to know that she reached her main goal in life as a Christian which was to go home with Him.  So many precious memories for us to reflect on - so many great, wonderful, priceless memories!  Wow!  Those who will reflect on these, and other memories of Mom include her children: Sharon Lenzy, Shirylen Callis, Plarie (Harry) Callis-Murphy, all of Bay City, TX, and Larry (Tasha) Callis, Sr. of New Braunfels, TX, siblings: Roosevelt (Nina) George,  James George, Sr., Joseph George, Sr. all of Bay City, TX, Edna Mae George of Dallas, TX, Jean (Jerry) Higgins, and Carolyn Fields each of Brazoria, TX.  No one can count the host of nieces, nephews, family members, loved ones, church members and friends who had the privilege of sharing in her life.  In that great getting up morning, fair ye well, fair ye well. 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Elizabeth Callis, please visit our floral store.