Headstone of Lula Bell Houston
Item
- Legacies Classification
- Memorial Type
- Memorial Context
- Memorialized Subject
- Title
- Background and Context
- Physical Description
- Memorial Inscription
- Creator/Participating Person(s)
- Date created, installed or dedicated
- Date Modified
- Historical Period
- Funded by
- Campus Location
- Location: Institution, City, State
- Learn More About this Subject
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Memorial Artwork
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Sculptural Memorial
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Houston, Lula Bell
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Headstone of Lula Bell Houston
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On November 24, 2017, retired Davidson College laundress, mother, and beloved community member Lula Bell Houston died. Her friends, family and entire Davidson College community mourned her passing. Her surviving children held her wake and funeral services at Gethsemane Baptist Church where she was longtime member. Pastor Ernest E. Jeffries presided. Special musical tributes were performed in recognition of her gifted musical talents and participation in several choral groups, including the Gethsemane Gospel Singers. W. H. Bryant, A.E. Grier and Sons Funeral tended to the arrangements and burial. Surrounded by friends, family, and former campus colleagues, she was buried in the Christian Aid Society Cemetery.
The headstone was originally erected after the death of her husband Arthur Ervin Houston in 1988. It was modified at the time of her death. Located on Davidson College’s campus, the location of the headstone is symbolic of her lifelong service to the college and its community. Her legacy lives on through her surviving children, grandchildren, and other family. Her everlasting impact on Davidson College will never be forgotten.
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The polished marble headstone measures 4 1/2 feet long and 3 1/2 feet tall. "Houston" is inscribed at the top of the headstone in a scroll-like motif. Below the family name are the inscribed words "In Loving Memory" in a ribbon and floral motif. The left side notes the birth and death of Arthur Houston and the right features the birth and death of Lula Bell Houston. Above her name, another inscription notes how her family and friends knew her - "Mama Lu." Flanking the headstone were two marble flower pots with fresh white and purple flowers in the them.
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Top: Houston
Middle: In Loving Memory and "Mama Lu"
Front Left: Arthur "Bill"
June 12, 1930
July 29, 1988
Front Right: Lula C.
June 15, 1923
Nov. 24, 2017
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1988
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2017
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Rivens, Peggy
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Yolanda Gilliam, "Lula Bell Houston," Davidson College in Memoriam, November 30, 2017.
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Rev. Clement Morris Pastor, "Homecoming Celebration for Mr. Arthur Ervin "Bill" Houston, 3 August 1988, Gethsemane Baptist Church," Houston, Lula Bell STAFF, Archives and Special Collections, Davidson College, Davidson, NC.
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Jane Webster, "Davidson Laundry Worker Cared 'Like a Grandmother' For Generation of Students," Charlotte Observer, December 2, 2017.
Position: 12057 (7 views)