Bessie Geneva Simmons

Bessie Geneva Simmons (nèe Johnson) went home to be with the Lord. She was born in Springfield Township, OH July 22, 1945 to Monroe Johnson and Anna Dobson. Her birth father died when she was very young and she was raised by her mother and her stepfather Lloyd Smith. His nickname for her was "Nutmeg" and they were extremely close. Bessie graduated from North Gallia High School and attended Southeastern Business College early in her life. She had a late daughter from Charles Tanner from Jackson, OH named Cheryl Lynn Tanner. She also had 2 sons by her common-law husband Robert Junior Rippey named Mark Wayne Rippey and Robert Allen Rippey before moving to San Antonio, Texas and Jacksonville, Florida with her youngest son Robert. She later found a job as a parking cashier for Central Parking System and in 1990, married Janney "Johnny" Simmons of New York, NY. Bessie, Johnny, and their son Robert moved back to Gallipolis in 1994 to watch her daughter's kids grow up and help to raise them. She stayed in Gallipolis until her death. Bessie was a graduate of Gallipolis Career College with several associates degrees. She also briefly worked for Ames department store in 1995. She retired in 2005 due to a knee surgery. Bessie had an interest in lots of different activities such as sewing, collecting stuffed animals, music and singing in her church choir, reading up and studying The Bible, and spending time with her children and grandchildren that she loved. She was a very kind and nice woman who would help anybody in need. Bessie is preceded in death by her older sister Elizabeth Johnson, her brothers Clibborn Smith and Lloyd Smith, her husband Johnny Simmons, and her daughter Cheryl Tanner. She is survived by her sons Mark Rippey of San Antonio and Robert Rippey of Columbus, her sister Kathy Garnes of Cheshire, her sister in law Mira Smith of Cheshire, her brothers Monroe Johnson of Gallipolis and Chris Smith of Cheshire, her brother in law George Garnes I of Cheshire, her grandchildren Anginette Rippey of Cheshire, Tasha Tanner of Cincinnati, Jerome Tanner of Bidwell, and Rotisha Cochran of San Diego, plus several great grandchildren. She will be missed by the ones that truly loved her.