Mr. Calvin Jefferson Witherspoon Sr.

Calvin Jefferson Witherspoon, Sr. was born in Ralph, Alabama. His parents were Jefferson Witherspoon and Amanda Sealy. He confessed his life to Christ under the Methodist church of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He moved to Tuscaloosa, Alabama as a young man. Calvin graduated from Industrial High in 1944. During this time his parents were forward thinkers. They dressed him in the best. He was to be educated, then he was to go to work. Baseball was his favorite sport. He played for the Negro Baseball League and just as the team was preparing to leave town, the love of his life caught his eye. He married her right away some 69 years ago. Calvin, in 1960 along with his older sons, built our family home from the ground up. His family gifted him the land and he built his family a home. He sold this property to the University of Alabama. This land was and still is a part of this University and each year the family is taken back to this area to remember where we are from. In 1967, Mr. Witherspoon moved everyone to Detroit for better job opportunities. He worked for Ford Motor Co. for over 30 years. In moving to Detroit, he bought a two-family flat; downstairs was to be for rental property. But, as you can imagine, his home was always just for his family. You see, he had to count each head. The question was where is this person or the other. Calvin retired from Ford Motor Co. as an Inspector. After retirement, each morning he would get up, put on his khaki pants and Polo shirt and do what he did best - plant that yearly garden and all those flowers in the front and backyards. Each one of our homes had to have an elephant ear that he just came over and planted. And if we did not get the flowers planted in a timely manner, he would plant those flowers. His wife got fresh cut flowers on a weekly basis. We knew the day's work in and around the house was over when you would hear BB King down home blues playing in the backyard and he was holding court with the boys (sons and sons-in-law). His girls were not allowed. We were to be educated and well-dressed at all times. Calvin knew that if we knew God, knew how to set a table, be educated, always dressed our best, loved each other no matter what, plant flowers and plant a garden each year ... God had provided all our needs. Dad's garden grew and grew and grew. Eight children and a host of grand, great and great-great-grandchildren. On May 25, 2014 Calvin departed from this life peacefully.

Mr. Calvin Jefferson Witherspoon Sr.

February 28, 1926 - May 25, 2014