nicey mae bobbett forrest
1925-2001
Life Story
From Loss to Legacy: A Life Spanning Mississippi, Chicago, and Florida
Early Life in Lawrence, Mississippi
Nicey Mae Bobbett was born on October 6, 1925, in Lawrence, Newton County, Mississippi—a community deeply rooted in kinship, land, and survival.
Her earliest days were marked by hardship. Family records indicate that her biological mother, Addie Moore Bobbett, died shortly after her birth, leaving Nicey to be raised within an extended family network that became her foundation.
By 1930 and 1940, she was living in the household of her grandparents, William and Hattie Bobbett, where she was raised alongside siblings and cousins in a multigenerational home shaped by both necessity and care.
Her father, Chester Bobbett, later married Luella Green, who became the maternal figure recognized in later records and in her obituary.
Growing Up in the Jim Crow South
Nicey’s childhood unfolded during the height of segregation in Mississippi. Like many Black children of her generation, she balanced schooling with the realities of rural life.
She completed her education through approximately the sixth grade—typical for children in farming communities where labor demands often outweighed educational opportunity.
Despite these limitations, her upbringing instilled resilience, adaptability, and a deep reliance on family networks—qualities that would define her life.
The Move to Chicago
As a young adult, Nicey joined the Great Migration, leaving Mississippi for Chicago, Illinois.
In Chicago, she built her adult life and raised her children:
- Addie Mae Brown
- Lorene Flemings
- Donnell Forrest
For decades, she lived on Chicago’s West Side, becoming part of a generation of Southern migrants who reshaped Black urban life in the North while maintaining strong ties to their Southern roots.
During these years, records show variations in the spelling of her surname—from Forest to Forrest—a common occurrence in official documentation as families transitioned across regions and record systems.
A New Beginning in Florida
Around 1991, Nicey entered a new chapter of life.
At the age of 65, she married Paulet Forrest in Polk County, Florida, and relocated from Chicago to the small community of Waverly.
There, she embraced a quieter life centered on home, faith, and family. She became a devoted member of Macedonia Baptist Church, continuing the spiritual traditions that had shaped her since childhood.
Her later years were marked by the presence of a large and growing family—children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who represented the continuation of a life that had begun under difficult circumstances.
Family and Legacy
At the time of her passing, Nicey’s family stretched across multiple states, reflecting the broad migration patterns of her generation:
- Husband: Paulet Forrest
- Children:
- Addie Mae Brown — Chicago, IL
- Lorene Flemings — Waverly, FL
- Donnell Forrest — Waverly, FL
- Brothers:
- Ervin Green — Chicago, IL
- Booker T. Green — Chicago, IL
- Wendell Green — Michigan
- Loomis Jackson — Michigan
- Mother (as recorded): Luella Bobbett — Lawrence, MS
- Descendants:
- 14 grandchildren
- 29 great-grandchildren
Death and Final Rest
Nicey Mae Forrest passed away on June 6, 2001, at Tandem Health Care in Winter Haven, Florida, after a battle with cancer.
Her funeral services were held at Macedonia Baptist Church in Waverly, the community she had come to call home in her later years.
Interpretive Note: Motherhood, Memory, and Reconstruction of Identity
Nicey Mae Forrest’s life highlights a common but complex genealogical reality:
- Her obituary names Luella Bobbett as her mother
- Earlier evidence suggests Addie Moore Bobbett as her biological mother
This reflects a broader historical pattern in Black families where:
- Children were often raised by stepmothers, grandmothers, or extended kin
- The woman who raised the child was remembered as “mother” in later life
Rather than contradiction, this represents continuity of care across generations of women.
Interpretive Note: A Three-Stage Migration Story
Nicey’s life traces a powerful geographic arc:
Mississippi → Chicago → Florida
- Mississippi: Birth, loss, and early survival
- Chicago: Family-building and stability
- Florida: Renewal, marriage, and later-life peace
Her story reflects not just migration, but adaptation across three distinct worlds.
Resting Place
Waverly, Polk Florida
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1930 Federal Census
- 1940 Federal Census
- Florida, U.S., Marriage Indexes, 1822-1875 and 1927-2001
- U.S. Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 1
- U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
- U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
- Web: Obituary Daily Times Index, 1995-2016
- The Ledger, Nicey Mae Bobbett Forrest Obituary, Tue, Jun 12, 2001 ·Page 16
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