Bertha Trigg-Coleman

Bertha Mae Trigg-Coleman was born on May 1, 1941, in Homer, Louisiana. She was the second child of four born to Rev. Jonah E. Mills, Sr. and Eddie Mae (Martin) Mills. She moved to Compton, CA as a young child with her family. She graduated from Centennial High School in 1959. After graduation she met RC Trigg. They married on March 13, 1960, and from their union came 8 children: Eileen, Lawrence, Leonard, Alberta, Clara, Jason, and twins, Tyrone and Paulette. In 1965, they moved her young family to Suisun City in Northern California. A few years later, they bought their first house in Fairfield. She was employed by Sunny Acres Convalescent Home as a certified nurse’s aide in Fairfield. Her work as a nurse’s aide took her to different cities, including Vacaville and St. Helena. Years after her divorce in 1985, she met Nathaniel Coleman, who we all know as JoJo. They dated for a few years and married in April 1992. He took care of and loved her for many years. They were the model of love to each other regardless of their circumstances. Self-sacrificing, attentive affection, love without conditions, and fiercely devoted to each other’s well-being for over thirty years. They attend St. Stephen CME Church in Fairfield. She loved her church family and other members and friends that she met when they visited other churches when JoJo was a guest singer. She loved to hear him say, “All right now!!” and was known to say it quite often herself. She enjoyed singing in the choir, listening to music, and having her husband sing to her! Two of her favorite songs were “Second Time Around” and “Somewhere Around God’s Throne”. They celebrated their 29 th wedding anniversary in April 2021. Bertha enjoyed a variety of social activities throughout her lifetime. When she was a kid, she enjoyed twirling the baton and was a cadet. We believe that’s where her love for dancing began. In her late 40’s, she used to go dancing on the weekends at the Elk Club. She was elegant and smooth on the dance floor. She had a cute two-step move and a shimmy twist down that would grab your attention. She loved to do the electric slide. She would add her own spin to the dance to make it more fabulous like she was! A little known Bertha history fact: She used to teach her twins her dance moves! Bertha was proud of her children and would brag about each one of them to whoever would listen! She enjoyed spending time with her children. She would often take them to the park to enjoy the slides. When she was able to splurge, she would buy them lunch to enjoy at the park. She also loved to talk with her children. She would spend hours on the phone just chit chatting. Bertha also enjoyed doing a variety of things at home. She enjoyed playing gin rummy. And surprisingly, she was really good at winning – so she would say. We believed that she was just very, very lucky. She enjoyed watching television, especially court tv, movies and most of all, western movies. She also enjoyed cleaning, cooking, rearranging furniture, crocheting blankets, and winning the casino’s money on her tablet game. With her husband, she loved to just get in the car and ride. They would explore all kinds of places. They loved to eat at the “all you can eat” buffets whenever possible. At Dover Woods, where she lived, they would sit out on the bench and enjoy each other’s company, while greeting and talking to whoever passed by. Bertha loved to talk to everyone! She would greet all people, strangers included. She would wave and talk to them as if she knew them all her life. That’s just how friendly and happy she was. Everyone that met her loved her! She was very kind, sweet, and extremely humble and had the most beautiful smile and loving demeanor that you’ve ever encountered. She was an exceptionally beautiful mother and wife inside and out. Her spirit-filled presence and godly character was evident to all who knew her and witnessed her lifestyle. She lived a life similar to the biblical mother Hannah, who promised her newborn child Samuel, to the Lord. Bertha committed all of her children to the Lord and consistently prayed for them. Bertha was one courageous, valiant and dynamic woman. She overcame a major illness as a young child that kept her out of school and on Independent study until the 5 th grade. When she worked graveyard shift, she made sure we kids were fed and ready for school. In the summer, she took us to work at 6:00am in the morning to cut fruit at Piazza Brothers. Bertha had two knee replacement surgeries and the doctors and therapist were so proud, impressed, and amazed at her speedy recovery and resilience. Her cancer doctors and recovery team presented her with a certification for her courageous battle and recovery when she beat breast cancer at age 74!!! She entered into her eternal rest on Sunday, October, 24, 2021, in Fairfield, CA. She was 80 years old. She was preceded in death by her parents, her older sister Marlene Thomas, her brother Jonah E. Mills Jr., her brother-in-law, Byrne Reynolds, her sister-in-law Flora Bell Shaw, nephews Bernard Thomas and Randy Trigg, and son-in-law, Edward Turner Jr. She is survived by her husband Nathaniel Coleman; her sister Jessie Reynolds; sister-in-laws, Joyce Register, Joanne Alexander, Vera Durojaiye, Patricia Mills and Precious Trigg; brother-in-laws, John Hill, Jr, Stephen Hill, David Thomas and Neil Shaw; her children, Eileen Trigg-Turner, Lawrence Trigg and his wife, Tracey; Leonard Trigg; Alberta Barnhard and her husband, Travis; Clara Parker and her husband Erick; Jason Trigg; twins Tyrone Trigg and Paulette Trigg Owens and her husband Verna; daughter-in- laws Karen Trigg and Kim Blackmon; her 14 grandchildren; Keith Trigg, Aaron Trigg, Justin Trigg, twins Eddie Turner and Desranae Turner, Kayla Parker, Angelic Trigg, Jasmine Turner, Kendra Milbury, Simonne Trigg, Audrey Parker, Breah Trigg, Kyra Barnhard, Alden Barnhard; her 8 great grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended family and friends who all cherish her dearly.

Tributes

Bertha Trigg-Coleman

May 1, 1941 - October 24, 2021