Clemmie Points

January 23, 1920 was a very exciting day for Mr. & Mrs. Clem Summers (Kate Jones) of Waverly, Alabama for they were celebrating the birth of their first child, Clemmie Lee Summers. An inquisitive, energetic, and bright little girl had blessed the household of her maternal grandparents and the lives of four aunts. Her paternal grandparents welcomed the addition to the Summers clan. As time progressed, Clem and Kate moved to Birmingham (Enon Ridge) in 1927 and were blessed with the birth of a son, Bernard (BK) and another daughter, Odessa (Dear). Kate joined Sardis Baptist Church and attended Sardis with her three children for many years under the Rev. Alford. Clemmie continued her membership with Old Sardis Baptist Church where she accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior. She faithfully attended and supported Old Sardis until she was unable to attend due to the care of her elderly aunts, her spouse, and ultimately her own illness. During the illness of her spouse, Clemmie routinely worshipped with him and his church family at Enon United Methodist Church. Clemmie completed her education in the Birmingham School system and graduated from Industrial High School (now A.H. Parker) in 1937 at age 16. As the paternal granddaughter of a schoolteacher and the niece of two school teachers, continuing her education beyond high school was not an option. Clemmie enrolled at Miles College and completed their two-year education curriculum in 1947. She enrolled at the Alabama State Teacher's College (Alabama State University) in Montgomery and completed the BS in Elementary Education in 1949. After completing her educational studies, Clemmie was assigned several teaching assignments in Greene, Etowah (Gadsden) and Blount Counties. In 1974 she was the second African American to complete the Masters degree in Education at Samford University with Phi Delta Kappa honors. Recognizing that learning is a life long process, Clemmie would attend summer education courses at Peabody College at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN throughout her professional career. Early in her career while working a teaching assignment in Blount County, Clemmie accepted lodging with a local family. This home had previously housed thirteen children and was a very large structure located on a mountain. The house could easily accommodate lodging for the local school teacher, plus the elderly parents welcomed the young school teacher with opened arms. However, the youngest of the thirteen children returned home during a leave from the military to find that his parents had taken in a boarder; a boarder that he would make his wife. Isaac and Maggie Bell Points always knew that their youngest son, David, was a determined young man who often times managed to achieve any task that he set his mind to achieve. In this case, young David was determined to win the heart of the "school teacher". David continued to pursue Clemmie for his wife even after she returned to Birmingham and he returned to his military assignment in the Air Force as a mechanic for the Tuskegee Airmen. Clemmie and David Cornelius Points, Sr. were married March 7, 1950 after a ten year engagement. To this union was born one child, David C. Points, Jr. After fifty years of marriage, David, Sr. ("Sugar") preceded Clemmie ("Chicken") in death on March 3, 2001. Being a child of God, Clemmie was known for ministering to lost souls through her kind words, delicious food and discrete givings. She considered herself blessed to be "Sugar's" wife, "Little David's" mother, and a "loved" teacher in her community. Clemmie taught at Tuggle Elementary School for forty years. She could often times be seen on school days walking up Enon's Hill from her home with the school children toward Tuggle. On holidays, her students eagerly awaited the "culinary delights" (e.g., chicken salad, cakes, fried chicken) that she so lovingly prepared for their festive holiday parties. She often stated that she (along with several of her colleagues) would "go all out' for these children because this would probably be the only "festivities" that some of the children would be able to experience and she wanted them to enjoy themselves! Although Clemmie served "professionally" as a teacher at Tuggle during the day, she also served as her family's 'personal education guru" during the evenings and summer months. "Tee Dee's" kitchen table in the basement was the "Mecca for Learning". Clemmie was known to "feed your mind with learning and nourish your body with her excellent cooking". However, in 1984 Clemmie decided that it was time to retire from the school system, but not from educating. The birth of her granddaughter (Lucreacia Venita) in 1984 and the birth of her grandson (David III) in 1986 began another phase of educating the children in her family. David, Sr. and Clemmie both insisted that their grandchildren understand and recognize the importance of education. They both welcomed the summer months to host their two grandchildren and to spend time loving and teaching them. Clemmie especially took pride in rendering "strict and auspicious" tutelage for her "grand jewels." "Big Granny" (as she was affectionately called) emphasized math facts, reading and a daily ritual of learning Bible verses. Clemmie was blessed to see her granddaughter graduate from Fisk University in 2006 and to know that her grandson will enter his junior year at Howard University in the fall of 2007. Leaving this earth with a living legacy such as Clemmie's would make any person feel proud. But Clemmie made sure that she always gave the Lord ALL of the Honor and Glory for the wonderful BLESSINGS of family, friends, church, and community. Clemmie transitions this life to greet the LORD and to join her beloved, "Sugar", her parents, brother, aunts, nephews, and other loved ones.

Events

Viewing

August 10, 2007, 2:00 pm
August 10, 2007, 8:00 pm
Poole's Funeral Chapels
1501 7th Avenue, North
Birmingham, AL 35203
Email: wecare@poolefuneralchapel.com
Phone: (205) 322-5574

Family Hour

August 10, 2007, 6:00 pm
August 10, 2007, 7:00 pm
Poole's Funeral Chapels
1501 7th Avenue, North
Birmingham, AL 35203
Email: wecare@poolefuneralchapel.com
Phone: (205) 322-5574

Funeral Service

August 11, 2007, 11:00 am
August 11, 2007, 12:00 am
Old Sardis Baptist Church
1240 Fourth Street, North
Birmingham, AL 35204

Entombment

August 11, 2007, 12:00 am
August 11, 2007, 12:00 am
Zion Memorial Gardens & Mausoleum
201 - 93rd Street, North
Birmingham, AL 35206
Phone: 205-833-0128

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