In Loving Memory of Emma Frances Dixon

Emma Frances Dixon was born in Chicago IL to the union of Roy and Josephine Sledge on March 29, 1925. Frances, an only child, was raised during the turbulent 1920’s and 30’s during the great depression. She was a child prodigy learning to play the piano at 5, performing her first concert at 7, she developed a keen sense of independence at an early age. Her mother, who “passed for white” to get a decent job, often would be downtown with her and Frances later wondered what white folks must have thought about seeing her mom with this little brown child. As a little girl, she would often hop on the streetcar with her grandmother to see a movie for 5 cents. As a teen, she caught the eye of a local photographer and briefly modeled. While in college, she met the love of her life Elmer, who had just returned from fighting in WW ll. They fell in love immediately, married and had five children, Karen, deceased at birth, Joanne, Aaron, Elmer, and Michael. In 1957 the family moved to Seattle, eventually settling in Madrona. She soon became known as one of the neighborhood mothers, affectionately called “mommy by many neighborhood kids. She and Elmer raised their children to respect all people exposing them to people from diverse cultures and listening to all genres of music, jazz, opera, RnB and folk, often dancing with their Swedish friends in the living room. They took their children to march with MLK and made sure they watched the struggles of the civil rights movement unfold on TV. When their sons founded the Seattle Black Panther Party, they were staunch supporters, often cooking food for the BPP community dinners. Mommy was an excellent cook, known for her baked goods and homemade rolls and her church community longed for her famous baked beans at the annual Grace United Methodist family picnics. She hosted the annual Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas Sunday Brunch for her large family every year into her mid-eighties. After retiring from Group Health and Virginia Mason Clinics, she loved to go to the ballet, Broadway musicals and Jazz Alley. She exercised with Jane Fonda videos into her eighties and drove until she was ninety-three, yet still independent, she rode the bus to the movies until 97. She is in two documentaries about the Seattle BPP and the family home is in consideration to be a historic landmark, being the birthplace of the Seattle BPP which will be part of the BPP Interpretive Center as a Legacy Home. Frances was preceded in death by her loving husband, Elmer, her mother and father and grandson Merrill. She leaves to cherish her memory children, Joanne (Felix) Davis, Aaron (Farrah), Elmer (Dee Dee) and Michael (Barbara), 17 grandchildren, 45 great-grandchildren and several great-great grandchildren. Her Celebration of Life service will take place at Grace United Methodist Church on January 18th at 11:00am. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to one of her favorite charities, ASPCA.