Mrs. Bessie Lee Arthur

December 16, 1934 - November 5, 2021

In Loving Memory Of: Bessie Lee Arthur was born on December 16, 1934 in Magazine Point, (Mobile County) Alabama to Jeannette Rigsby and Clifton Ulrich Best. She has four siblings Ella (predeceased), Robert (predeceased), Freda, and Gregory. Bessie accepted Christ as a young child and was baptized at Hopewell Baptist Church in Plateau, Alabama. Bessie was a 1950 graduate of Mobile County Training School in Plateau. She attended college at Alabama State University in Montgomery, Alabama and graduated from their teacher’s college in 1954. Afterward she returned to Mobile County Training School where she taught high school English. On March 17, 1955 she married her high school sweetheart, Robert Arthur, Jr. Three children were born of this union: Ronald, Kenneth, and Barbara (predeceased). After moving to Detroit, Michigan, Bessie held employment with the State of Michigan Department of Social Services where she worked and retired after 37 years of service. During retirement, Bessie’s greatest joys were spending time with her grandchildren, traveling, reading, playing board games (especially Scrabble), enjoying the fine arts, cooking for her family, and serving as a leader for the women’s missionary group at Springhill Baptist Church. Bessie departed this life peacefully on November 7, 2021. Two grandchildren preceded her in death, Johnny Romeo and Brandon Locke. She leaves to cherish her memory: Ronald (Selina), Kenneth (Sandra) and Victoria Esters (mother of Duawne and DeAndre). Seven grandchildren: Rachel, Aprell, Aaronn, Duawne (Menzaire), DeAndre, Sherice, and Shirley (Nigel). Three great-grandchildren: Braylynn, Elijah, and DeRon. One sister, Freda Didlake (Donald) and one brother, Gregory Bey.