lillie mae moncrief phelps “miss kate”
1917-2004
Life Story
Early Life and Family
Lillie Mae Moncrief Phelps, widely known in the community as “Miss Kate,” was born on July 3, 1917, to John Moncrief, Jr. (1870–?) and Rosie Ella Wesley (1871–1950). She was raised in Newton County, Mississippi, within the extended kinship networks that shaped the Saint John community across generations.
Marriage, Children, and Family Responsibilities
Lillie Mae later became known by the surname Phelps, though her life reflects a broader family structure rooted in caregiving and responsibility rather than formal marital records alone.
Her known children and those she reared include:
- Ivory George Wash (1950–2018)
- Alex Lee Wash (1952–2021)
- Zula Mae Wash
- Johnnie M. Lindsay (d. 1972, Indiana)
- Irene Curby
Following the death of her daughter Johnnie M. Lindsay, Lillie Mae assumed the responsibility of rearing her grandchildren, reinforcing her role as a central stabilizing figure within her family.
Church Life and Community Leadership
Lillie Mae was a devoted member of Saint John Missionary Baptist Church, where her leadership extended well beyond regular worship.
She served as President of the Saint John Homemakers Club, an organization affiliated with the county Extension and Home Demonstration movement. In this role, she:
- Presided over regular monthly meetings
- Hosted club gatherings in her home
- Participated in county council meetings in Decatur
- Supported educational programming focused on home economics, clothing, textiles, nutrition, and family life
Newspaper coverage consistently places her alongside other Saint John women—such as Ethel Hill, Catherine Evans, and Johnnie Mae Walker—who shaped civic and educational life for Black women in Newton County during the mid- to late-20th century.
Extension Work and Public Recognition
Lillie Mae’s work through the Homemakers Club placed her squarely within the Mississippi Extension Homemaker framework, where Black women used these organizations to access education, leadership opportunities, and public recognition.
She is documented in newspapers as:
- A club president
- A participant in dress revues and fashion exhibitions
- A contributor to county-level Homemaker programs
One notable highlight includes garments made by Lillie Mae Phelps being modeled in county fashion revues, earning public acknowledgment for craftsmanship and skill.
Documented Encounters with Law Enforcement
Newspaper records also reflect that Lillie Mae Phelps was arrested and charged with possession and sale of whiskey during a late-20th-century undercover operation conducted by local and state authorities. She was released on a recognizance bond, and no extended incarceration is indicated in the available reports.
These records identify her residence as a site of enforcement activity but must be read within the broader historical context of:
- Disproportionate policing of Black households
- Criminalization of informal economies
- Longstanding surveillance of community gathering spaces
Later Years and Death
Lillie Mae Phelps passed away on November 7, 2004. Funeral services were held at Saint John Missionary Baptist Church, the spiritual home that had anchored her adult life.
She was laid to rest in the Saint John M.B. Church graveyard, among generations of family members and fellow congregants.
Interpretive Sidebar: Reading the Record Carefully
The life of Lillie Mae Moncrief Phelps illustrates the layered realities of Black women’s lives in 20th-century rural Mississippi. Newspaper records document her both as a club president and homemaker leader and as a subject of law enforcement action—two narratives that often appear side by side in archival sources.
When viewed together with church records, Extension reports, and family testimony, these sources reveal not contradiction, but complex survival strategies. Women like Lillie Mae balanced faith, leadership, caregiving, and informal economic activity within a social system that offered limited protection and opportunity. Her story reflects resilience, community authority, and adaptability rather than simple labels.
Resting Place
Saint John Missionary Baptist Church Graveyard
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1920 Federal Census
- U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
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