Lucille Baker Hart

Lucille Baker Hart was born July 31, 1934, in Egypt, Mississippi, to the late Peter Poe, Sr. and Obera Rowe Poe. Lucille wanted to live with her grandfather, Quincy Rowe, so she moved to Arkansas. She attended White County Training.

She accepted Christ at an early age and attended St. John Baptist Church until her health failed. There, you could find her singing, which was a passion of hers. She always made a statement with her attire. Her head would be adorned with the most beautiful hats, a bag in tow, and matching heels. She loved to sing and worship and look flawless while doing so.

She was married to Donald Baker, Sr., and from this union came 7 children. She later married Ocletus “Buh” Pettis, Sr. Both preceded her in death. In 2015, she married Rev. James Hart.

She was a kind and loving woman who loved everyone, especially her family. Her children and grandchildren were her life. With that love came discipline. Lucille was the original Law and Order. Don’t believe me? Ask LaToya what happened when she didn’t complete her chores. I’ll just tell you! Lucille made Margaret catch up with the bus that LaToya was on headed to a ballgame. Lucille honked the horn until the bus driver, Archie, stopped the bus. She made LaToya get off the bus and go home to do her chores!

We all know Cierra has an attitude. That time she closed the door (knowing Cierra, she slammed the door) to her room…Lucille was not having that! No doors were going to be closed in her house! The discipline wasn’t limited to the grandchildren, the adults got it too. She told Margaret to fry some chicken. Margaret told her that she didn’t feel like it. Margaret retired to her room and fell asleep due to exhaustion. Lucille woke her up and said, “I told you to fry that chicken!” Needless to say, Margaret got up and fried the chicken and almost fried everyone in the house because she fell asleep while the chicken was cooking! Lorraine and Machell missed curfew one night and attempted to sneak in around 6:00 in the morning expecting to retire to bed. Lucille was waiting in the living room in the dark and made them stay awake and clean.

In conjunction to loving her family, she loved cooking. Her signature dishes were peach cobbler, homemade biscuits, and cabbage. She had a zeal for decorating and having garage sales. She’d launder all of the clothes and iron them prior to selling them. Her clothes were ready to be worn off the rack. One of her most favorite pastimes was having sleepovers with her sister-in-love, Lillian. They would spend days laughing, talking, and splurging on KFC wings and Yarnell’s ice cream.

Lucille is preceded in death by her parents; one son:  Rickie Scott Baker; one daughter: Nicole Baker; one stepson: James Hart, Jr.; one grandson: Marvin Brewer; one great-great grandson: Malcolm Beach; five sisters-in-law: Annis Brown, Bertha White, Bettye Bedford, Lillian Bowman, and Clarice Baker; four brothers-in-law:  Kenneth Baker, Foster Baker, Archie Baker, and James Baker.

She is survived by her husband: James Hart, Sr.; one brother: Peter (Esther) Poe; three brothers-in-law: Marshall (Adelle) Baker, Mark (Altamese) Baker, and Vincent (Allyson) Baker; five sisters-in-law: Emma McClendon, Phyllis Baker, Velta Baker, Virginia Hurtt, and Mattie B.;  five children: Obera (Harry) Norman, Margaret Rycraw, Donald Baker, Jr., Lorraine Oyemaja, Zina (Robert) Eustache; two step-children: Loretha and Aywon Hart; 18 grandchildren: Ben Brewer, Jr., LaDonna (Robin) Walls, LaToya Banks, Michael Cooper, Bobby Chatman, Jr., Jeffery Cooper, Natasha (Henry) Barber, Triston Chatman, Cierra Rycraw, Tiffany (Matthew) Chatman, Iesha Chatman, Tashi Johnson, Rickie Baker, Trea Dedmon, Mikyia Dedmon, Zinyia Dedmon, Renetta Hinton, and Donald Baker; 25 great grandchildren; 8 great-great grandchildren; 2 special sons: Orlando Neely and Anthony Smith; 2 special grandchildren: LaShawn and Yolanda Pettis; and a host of nieces and nephews.

Visitation is 10-11:00 a.m. Saturday July 23, 2022 at Sullivan Funeral Care with funeral services at 11:00. Burial will follow in Crow Cemetery

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