Rebecca Earnest

Margaret Rebecca Moore Earnest, known as "Becky" to her friends and "Mimi" to her grandchildren, went to be with the Lord on Thursday, September 15, 2022, one week from her 93rd birthday. She joins her beloved husband of 70 years, J.C. Earnest, who himself had passed on July 10th of this year, and her dearly loved brother, E.H. "Buddy" Moore, Jr., who made his transition on July 25th. While she loved her family fiercely and until the last wanted to protect and nurture them, these losses had made for a very hard Summer. Just days before her passing she expressed her readiness for a reunion with all her family and friends who had gone before her. At her end she was at peace, satisfied that her job was done, her race well run. Her passing was indeed peaceful and filled with an outpouring of love, attended by over 20 members of her devoted and adoring family who formed an unbroken circle around her. She was able to speak and show her love until virtually the very moment she left them. Often she had expressed her full assurance and certainty of what lay beyond for her, and was grateful that she had been led to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ some 60 years ago due to the preaching and teaching of the Bible by ministers and professors of what was then known as Southeastern Bible College. She was born in McCalla, Alabama on September 22nd , 1929, the daughter and eldest of two children of E.H. "Hub" Moore, Sr. and Anne Slone Moore, both deceased. She grew up surrounded by her Moore family, on the land they had owned, farmed and raised cattle for the previous century. She attended McAdory Elementary and McAdory High School. Becky graduated from high school in 1947, and attended Auburn University, graduating with a B.A. in Sociology in 1951. She immediately began her working life as a social worker with the former Alabama Department of Public Welfare, assigned to the Dothan, Alabama area. Soon homesick, she sought someone with whom to share rides to Birmingham to visit her family on weekends. One day as she lunched with a friend in a Dothan restaurant, a dark-haired and handsome young man was pointed out to her as a possible ride. She boldly got up and introduced herself to J.C. Earnest, a recent University of Alabama graduate. Though at the moment they did not know, it, that was the beginning of a whirlwind romance that led to a 70-year marriage and a true partnership for the ages. Becky Moore and J.C. Earnest married in 1952 at Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church in McCalla, after which they resided for a short time in Dothan, for which she maintained an affection all her life. They then came to McCalla to establish their roots, building their residence adjacent to the house which had been her family's home since the 19th century. There she bore and the couple raised four sons: John Clay Earnest, Jr. (Carroll), David Moore Earnest (Teresa), Joel Slone Earnest (Cami) and Philip Brown Earnest (Beth). She is survived as well by nine grandchildren: Joshua David Earnest (Jessica), Jessica Earnest Hughes (John), John Clay Earnest, III (Bethany), Sarah Elizabeth Earnest, Daniel Andrew Earnest (Shanna), Carolyn Rebecca Earnest, Joel Slone Earnest, Jr., William Brown Earnest and Matthew James Earnest. She is also survived by seven great-grandchildren: Grayson Thomas Earnest, Anne Presley Earnest, William David Hughes, Henry Slone Earnest, John Clay Earnest, IV, John Thomas Hughes and Harrison Conlee Earnest. She was also particularly close to her nieces and nephews, the children of her brother and wife, E.H. "Buddy" Moore, Jr. and Paddy Hulsey Moore (deceased): Richard Alan Moore, Susan Moore Kirkpatrick, Cary Eugene "Buck" Moore and Melissa Moore Ethridge. Her love extended as well to their ten children, who revered and loved her as the center of their family. She was also very close to her first cousins, of whom Walter "Buck" Cain, Thomas Moore, Charles Moore and Helen Marie Moore Sherron survive. Becky and J.C. established a type of life in McCalla that is passing as well. About the same time as she and J.C. built their house, Buddy and Paddy built a short distance away on the same family property. Some years after that, her parents built a new home between the two, so that it was three family homes in an extended row. It was an active, raucous and sometimes exhausting life which centered on God and family. Surrounded by children, dogs, cats, cattle and flower and vegetable gardens, with running, playing, shouting and general wildness from a tribe of eight near-feral children who were separated by little more than 10 years. It was also a life of unlocked doors, spend-the-nights and welcoming tables at meals both planned and impromptu. And hard, hard work. Becky continued her employment as an ADPW caseworker into the early 60s, with duties in the Bessemer area. In the early 60s she and J.C. became concerned by what they saw as the lowering standards of American schools and a general decline in the moral fiber of American society. Always ready to follow both their religious beliefs and civic principles, she and J.C. took action. First by both becoming intensely involved in what was in 1962 a very onerous and lonely quest: to build what was in that day the nearly non-existent Republican Party in Alabama. Over the next years the couple devoted countless hours to personal contacts with not merely friends and neighbors, but canvassing nearby areas neighborhoods, to spread the word of the very real political choices which the GOP offered. Their efforts were key to the alteration of the political landscape of Jefferson County when a political tidal wave swept the state in the late 70s and 80s, putting and an end to almost 150 years of dominion of the Democrat Party. In later years, her aging parents came to increasingly rely on her until she became their primary care-giver. By the mid 1980s she and J.C. even took over her father's general store and feed business in McCalla for a few years, which was yet another exhausting and onerous task. This was also a time when her life as a grandmother got underway. There were the usual spend-the-nights, but she and "Daddy J" took it farther. Each year as a gift to her sons and daughters-in-law, they would host a week-long stay for the grandchildren who were old enough. Known as "Camp Mimi," it was full of games and activities, songs, rough-housing and rides across the pasture in the bed of the pick-up with Daddy J, swim trips to the YMCA and day-long Mimi-led field trips to places of interest. By late 80s and early 90s the center of the family gradually moved from her parents' home to hers, and she prepared and hosted countless Sunday dinners and holidays for her ever-growing brood. She remained the family hostess for decades, with her final event being Christmas Eve of 2021. Over the years J.C. developed steadily growing memory problems and Becky served not only as chief navigator on their car trips, but general memory-jogger and all-around help-meet. Occasionally she might admit that she found it exhausting at times, but she never uttered true complaint, even when her own health began failing and was in pain. She was the model of a loyal daughter, devoted wife and loving mother. Although she would deny it since she necessarily concentrated on "country food," she was a glorious cook who prepared memorable meals. Her table was always filled with a pack of laughing and engaged family and close friends. The conversation was lively and widely varied, and politics, religion, family business, current events, sports, community news and (sometimes) people, were regularly discussed. Never was there ever a cross or angry word or frozen silence. It was a house of love, laughter and security. She was an accomplished pianist and would often wake the house with hymns. She could just as easily play all the songs from musicals such as My Fair lady. If there was ever any dispute between Becky and J.C. they kept it to themselves. They were a true team who always presented a united front. She was also lived her faith and was a true servant of God. She took the study of the Bible seriously, and was deeply involved in the outreach and missions of McCalla Southern Methodist Church and its successor, McCalla Bible Church, where she was a member almost 60 years. When her children were young she volunteered at Vacation Bible School and Sunday School, and then later she served for over 25 years as the pianist for Sunday services. She raised up not only her children but her grandchildren in the way that they should go. Her life was exemplified by two Bible verses. First is Proverbs 31:10 - Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies. And Proverbs 31:26-27 - She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. The family would wish as well to commend and thank Clara Odom and Cheryl Williams who for the last several years served as caretakers and companions to both Becky and J.C., becoming almost like family. The ladies were most loyal, conscientious and reliable and the family hold them in high respect and regard. This was our mother, our grandmother, our great-grandmother and our aunt. She was the rock of her family, that to which we clung, and we find it a grievous hard thing to let her go. But we know that is mere selfishness on our part. While we mourn our temporary separation, we rejoice in and thank God for her deliverance. For we know she is now surrounded by inconceivable, immeasurable love. And we thank God that we are promised to join her. Please no flowers. Any memorials may be made to McCalla Bible Church or any Christian Church of preference. Funeral services are scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on Monday, September 19th, 2022 at the McCalla Funeral Home, with visitation beginning 1:00 p.m. Graveside service to follow at Moore Cemetery, McCalla.

Rebecca Earnest

September 22, 1929 - September 15, 2022