- Date Of Birth: March 23, 1922
- Date Of Death: August 16, 2013
- State: California
Ms. Briggs peacefully passed away at her residence. She is the mother of Ernestine Morris.
Clara Virginia Briggs, affectionately known as “Mama” by her family, was born on March 23, 1922 to Albert Briggs, Jr. and Thelma Allen in Shreveport, Louisiana. Clara was raised by her paternal grandmother after the death of her mother. She attended Caddo Paris Elementary School in Shreveport. She later moved to San Diego, California where she resided with her father and completed her education.
Her humble beginnings were bored out in the fact that her first serious relationship was with Walter Morris, who nicknamed her “Rags” because of her limited clothing and monies. However, that did not define her, as she later became known for her ability to dress to the nines and make a dollar stretch. She was a quick learner, taking Walter’s culinary talents and parlaying them into her own sought-after cookery. Family and friends talked endlessly of the flavorful soul food and baked goods, hoping to find her treasure of recipes. Yet, her self-taught savory secrets of scratch cuisine will never be uncovered, just poorly imitated.
At the age of twenty-five, Clara was blessed with her first born. That was just the beginning. She was later beautifully blessed with eight more children and she loved them all unconditionally.
The harsh realities of life were hardly a match for Clara’s enduring spirit. She was a matriarch who taught through action. Her family learned “Cleanliness is next to Godliness” and not an option. In the world of acting, there is the saying “there are no small roles’ just small actors!” Mama showed all, “there are no small jobs, just small people.”
Clara worked several years at North Island Naval Air Station. She later worked as a housekeeper for a prominent, local attorney, Frank Rockwell and his family.
During the early years, Clara united with Logan A.M.E.
She was preceded in death by two sons, Michael and Arthur; her daughter, Janice; two brothers, Bobby Briggs and Lamar Allen and her sister, Eddie Mae Allen-Player.
On Friday, August 16, 2013, Clara Virginia Briggs, a beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully at her residence. She is survived by six loving children, Beverly, Ernestine, Brenda, Gaynor, John and Shedrick; longtime friend and spiritual sister, Geneva Peterson; twenty-six grandchildren; thirty-five great-grandchildren; one great-great grandchild and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends.
