Mrs. Lennie Belle Straham

STRAHAM, Mrs. Lennie - Age 97, passed away Monday, December 11, 2023, at her residence. Family hour 10:00 AM Tuesday, December 19, 2023, at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, G-5443 N. Saginaw St., with funeral service commencing at 11:00 AM. Interment River Rest Cemetery, G-4413 Flushing Rd. Friends and pallbearers will assemble at the Church 10:00 AM Tuesday. Mrs. Straham will lie in state in the Chapel of Lawrence E. Moon Funeral Home, 906 W. Flint Park Blvd., and may be viewed from 12:00 PM-6:00 PM Monday with family present from 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM to receive to friends. Mrs. Lennie Belle Carter Straham was born in Muldrow, Oklahoma on March 4, 1926, to her parents Johnnie and Leona (Starr) Carter Sr. Lennie’s siblings are Lawrel, Ray, Bessie Mae, Johnnie Jr., Flossie Lee, Sadie Aretha, Samuel Houston, and Carl Edward. Lennie took great pride in her heritage her mother was a Cherokee Indian. They were farmers who owned their own land, 160 acres of land in Oklahoma in the “1920’s”. Her family grew and prospered despite the treatment of Black people. The family raised cotton, corn, cattle, and hogs. During Lennie’s childhood she attended school in a one room building that housed the church and the school. Lennie had many fond memories of days spent walking to the Shady Grove school, along with her siblings. Upon accepting Christ early in life, she joined the Shady Grove Baptist Church. As the years passed, Lennie’s childhood friend, Johnnie Straham became her sweetheart. She married Johnnie and they remained lifetime partners (59 years) until Johnnie’s passing in 2000. The couple moved to Flint on June 7th, 1943, where they promptly joined Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church on Hickory St under the leadership of Rev. Ira Watkins. Lennie met lifelong friends Alma Jordan and Tinnie Smith and their treasured friendship spanned many decades. Lennie remained a member until her passing. Lennie was devoted to study of God’s word, she was a faithful member of the Sunday School class#4, and morning Bible Study under Pastor Alfred Harris Sr. She was an active member of the Floral Club, and she began a lifetime of dedication to the beautification of Macedonia. She was known for her “Pulpit” decorating. She made corsages, wedding bouquets and floral arrangements for many special occasions. During the later years, Lennie’s husband joined his wife in church landscaping and decorating. Lennie was strong in her Christian faith. She was a loving, caring, kind, and one of the most generous people who could ever meet. During the war Lennie started her career at AC Sparkplug a division of General Motors, where she started working on the line making sparkplugs for airplanes. During her years at GM, she trained and taught herself how to read blueprints. She retired in 1987 after working at GM for 47 years. She enthusiastically retired as a Special Investigator in the Quality Control Dept a position she was proud to achieve. The Strahams’ were proud members of the Pingree and McAvoy St Block Clubs. Her lifelong passion was her “Yard and Flowers”. Lennie won many awards and accolades for landscaping; her yard was featured in the Flint Journal. Along with her friend and business partner Marva Dukes they were highly regarded for decorating wedding and anniversary parties in specular fashion. Through the years, numerous social events were held in her yard. Lennie and Johnnie hosted ‘4’ weddings and ‘4’ open houses, all featuring her beloved “Gazebo” built by her husband and family friend Dewitt Randall which was a showstopper. They hosted a “neighborhood” block party for their grandson. The turnout from the neighborhood was tremendous. It was the “talk” on the block for years. She loved plants and outdoor life, combine these two great loves with being a natural hostess and you had Lennie Belle. Lennie belonged to the “Red Hat” club and hosted several large parties for the Flint Chapter in her home. Lennie’s love for ‘Hats’, fashion, and style started as child at 6 years old. She always had a sense of style and coordinating her outfits from head to toe. She would say “you’re not completely dressed unless you are wearing a hat, and that went for men and women”. She believed in dressing up always fashionable and gracious. Back in the day she was known for being a “Church Lady” wearing her big hats and looking like a “Million Dollars” always a lady of class, grace, elegance, and love. Lennie’s grandchildren were her pride and joy, they were spoiled and had an enduring, loving bond and relationship. At the holidays she would make a chocolate silk pie for each of them because they refused to share. When her grandson Kyle graduated from medical school from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor following in the footsteps of her brother Dr. Samuel H. Carter, it was truly one of the proudest days of her life. Kyle served as Class President and spoke during graduation ceremony, she made sure that everyone sitting around her knew that was her grandson. And from that day on he was no longer Kyle, he was Dr. Taylor. Mrs. Lennie Belle Straham is survived by: 2 Brothers - Drs. Samuel H. (Barbara) Carter of Las Vegas, NV and Carl Edward (Dorothy) Carter of Los Angeles, CA; sister-in-law, Cassina Carter of Flint; children, Emma (Raymond) Clemons of Swartz Creek, MI, and Anthanette Taylor of Flint; grandchildren, Donyale (Omar) Sims of Grand Blanc, MI, Dayna Clemons of Flint, Dr. Kyle L. Taylor of Madison, WI and Terrance Clemons of Savannah, GA; grand pup, Jazz Bailey Sims of Grand Blanc, MI; and great-granddaughter, Tara (Isaiah) Johnson of Silver Spring, MD; a host of special nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends including special friends, Marva Dukes, Barbara Allmon, Edith Confer, Dee Oliver and Karen Tillage; and god-children, Deacon Arden (Gloria) Relerford and Fannie Barfield. Mrs. Straham was preceded in death by her husband, Johnnie Straham; parents,; Johnnie and Leona (Starr) Carter Sr.; siblings, Lawrel, Ray, Bessie Mae, Johnnie Jr., Flossie Lee and Sadie Aretha; and lifelong friends, Roscoe and Earnestine Parks, Tinnie Smith and Alma Jordan.

Mrs. Lennie Belle Straham

March 4, 1926 - December 11, 2023