Jessie McLean Holland
March 7, 1916 ~ January 8, 2010
Resided in:
Candler, NC
Jessie McLean Holland, 93, of 163 Moody Avenue, Candler, died Friday, January 8, 2010.
Mrs. Holland was a native of Swain County and was a daughter of the late Zebulon and Frances "Fannie" Bowers McLean. She was preceded in death by her husband, Norman P. Holland, sons, Keith, Lowell and Kenneth Holland, daughter, Normaleen Biggs, and five brothers and sisters.
Mrs. Holland was retired from Hadley's and she was a member of Good News Baptist Church.
She is survived by two daughters, Loraine Jones and Linda Holland of Candler; 13 grandchildren, Gail, Michael, Gina, Greg, Judy, Kathy, Anthony, Kim, Nicki, Ricky, Kyle, Eric and Bryon, 24 great-grandchildren, Sean, Katie, Elisabeth, Jennefer, Matthew, Coleman, Shelby, Bylan, Austin, Ally Grace, Rusty, Caraig, Chris, Lindsey, Kenneth, William, Josh, Holly, Jenny, Tabatha, Aiden, Ayla, Zeb and Deleea; 12 great-great-grandchildren, HAley, Bethany, Cade, Will, Marley, Tyler, Kaylie, Alexis, Micah, Brandon, Emily and Chloe, and a special friend, Sandra Sparks.
Funeral services will be at 2:00 p.m. Monday in the Patton Avenue chapel of Groce Funeral Home with the Rev. Steve Smith officiating. Interment will follow at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.
Her grandsons will be pallbearers and her great-grandson, Zeb Holland, will serve as honorary pallbearer.
The family will receive friends from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday prior to the service.
Memorials may be made to Good News Baptist Church, 828 Smoky Park Highway, Candler, NC 28715.
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I’ll never forget the day that I met Jessie. Sandra had taken me to meet her. There was Jessie sitting on her porch snapping beans. And, could she snap them…and carry on a conversation…and make you feel like you’d known each other all your lives. She wanted to know all there was to tell. And she had plenty of her own stories to share…all the while snapping beans. I am truly honored to have met such a fine, Christian woman. I know that Heaven will be a better place because she’s there. And, there’ll be plenty of beans for everyone!
Karin Klause
She was just like my very own mamaw and it will be so hard without having her! I know shes in heaven planting her garden! My life has truly been changed by knowing her. I love her with all my heart!
Mamaw was family. She is my mamaw. She always took care of me. It will be different not having her.
I love you mamaw!
I’ll see you in heaven
Troy
Loraine & family, know that you are in our prayers during this time. Ma Holland was a special lady with a special family that I have felt a part of for many years. Brenda & I love you and wish we could be there.
loraine so sorry to hear thatAunt Jessie has passed, but we know she is in heaven with her loved ones there.
Sorry I will not be there for the service, I will keep you in my prayers. I loved her very much, and know she will be missed
Love you all
Lois
Jessie was that ‘One in a Million’
So caring and giving. She will be be missed . I hope Jessie and Maggie (my mother) are having a great time in Heaven. I can’t wait to see them both. My prayers to the family.
Loraine, I am so sorry for your loss. You and your family will be in our prayers.
Please know how sorry I am to hear about the loss of the very precious, Mrs. Jessie. I will always remember my conversations with her and the inspiration she gave me. I was honored to be amongst her guests when she celebrated her 90th birthday.
She will be remembered for the way she lived her life to its fullest.
To Linda & Lorraine – Know you are both in my thoughts and prayers.
Debby Burchfield at the
Buncombe Juvenile Detention Center
Dear Family, I just learned tonight about the passing of our dear Ma Holland. My life was so much richer because she was in it. She took care of our precious baby girl when she was just a few months old and I had to go back to work. She had also taken care of our dear son before our daughter was born. Anything that he wanted to eat, Paw Holland would go to the store and get for him. Ma Holland loved Jarred and Mary I do believe as if they were her own grandchildren. I remember both of my children sitting on the porch being rocked by Paw Holland, Jessie and their dear son Lowell.I remember Ma Holland told me one time that before we had met, that she could hear Jarred crying and wondered if she could do anything to help the family that had the baby that had colic! We met her soon after that. We just lived a couple of houses up from her. I know that God put her in our lives. How fond are our memories of her sitting at her kitchen table after she had prepared a feast for us all. She made the best greens that I had ever tasted in my life. She showed me a better way to make cornbread, and introduced me to Luzianne tea! She would can or freeze anything that she could get her hands on. I remember her canning pears from a tree right next to her house. Grapes grew in the back yard, and her garden was always full. You never left her house hungry. Sometimes I would just go by myself to visit her. She would see that I was tired after working all day, and would say ‘come and lay down on the couch and rest and I will fix you something to eat’. I felt like a princess when she would do this for me. We would go grocery shopping some and just hang out.I watched alot of T.V. at Jessie’s house. It wasn’t the programs I was interested in, it was just sitting in her presence. After my family and I moved from West Asheville I would go spend the night with Ma Holland because I missed her so much after we had moved from the neighborhood. What I would give just to hold her one more time and to look into the eyes of the woman that made me feel so special. She had a way of doing that to everyone. My Father was sick for a long time with heart disease and there were many times that I would have to rush to the hospital in the middle of the night to be by his side. My precious children were both snuggled in bed safely by Ma Holland. How may people would get up in the middle of the night to do this kind deed for a friend? Not too many I fear, but she was always there for anything that we ever needed. My heart aches at her passing, but I know that Jessie Holland is with her Lord and her family and friends that have gone on before. Thank you Ma Holland for loving my children and for giving all of us your unconditional love. God broke the mold when he made you my dear friend. Say hello to my Mama and Daddy for me Jessie, and also to my dear mother in law Granny Fran Goforth. They all loved you. Earths’ loss is heavens’ gain. Love and prayers to all your family. I will see you again someday my precious friend. Darlene Goforth
To all family and friends of Maw Holland, I’m so sorry for your loss and you are in my prayers. My mom just told me today that Maw Holland passed away in January. What can I say about such a wonderful sweet woman. There is no doubt she has been in heaven getting to know her way around up there! 🙂 I loved her so much. She used to babysit me when I was young. I don’t remember everything but, I’ll never forget her sweet, loving, and giving spirit; as well as her beautiful smile. I remember her making breakfast every time my mom would drop me off. I remember being nosy and going into her bedroom and smelling her perfumes and sitting on her vanity seat. I remember accidently breaking her towel rack and I was so afraid she would be so mad, but she wasn’t. I don’t remember exactly what she said, but it was something along the lines of ‘it was only an accident.’ I remember pulling out one of my two front teeth with a string tied around it at her house. She was the first to see my goofy smile. haha. I remember how she loved to watch the races. Maw Holland was a woman to look up to and always gave of herself and her time. She will always remain in my heart. She was like another grandma to me. I can’t help but smile now just to think of how wonderful she was! I love you Maw Holland. Keep em’ in line up there!
i miss you maw maw! i know you are up there with justin! i miss the both of you so muvh. keep him in line up there! you are greatly missed!! i love you!