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Obituary

A life of poverty gives way to success, then sorrow

By MARTY CLEAR
Published April 27, 2007

One family member called Everlea Montgomery's early life "humble." Another was more blunt, saying that Mrs. Montgomery had grown up "dirt poor."

She had been one of 11 children. Her family was so busy trying to make ends meet that she couldn't get a ride to her own high school graduation.

She and her husband only received two wedding presents: a quilt stitched by Mrs. Montgomery's mother and an iron given by a friend.

But she was a smart woman, and strong. She graduated with honors from Hillsborough High School. She and her husband, Henry, started two successful businesses and raised a family.

"She could have accomplished anything she set her mind to," said her daughter, Jan Purvis. "She chose to devote herself to serving her family and her God."

She lived for her family, and family tragedies may have contributed to her death April 13 at age 77 after a period of declining health.

Mrs. Montgomery was born in Waycross, Ga., but spent much of her childhood in east Tampa.

She was always devoutly religious, and she met her husband in church. He later became a minister, but worked two jobs to support their growing family.

In the 1960s, she and her husband opened the Montgomery Bargain House, a second-hand store on Broadway and Six Mile Creek Road.

"It was real Sanford and Son stuff," their daughter, Brenda Bathe, said.

The store thrived for many years, but business dwindled when yard sales became more popular.

Her husband had worked as a local truck driver, so their next step was to start their own trucking company. Henry Montgomery Trucking opened in 1974 and operated successfully until last year.

"She was the brains of the operation," Bathe said. "And my father is a real go-getter."

A few years ago, the Montgomerys turned the company over to their son Henry, whom everyone called Bullet. About the same time, Mrs. Montgomery started showing the early signs of dementia.

In November, Bullet Montgomery died when his truck was struck by a train in east Tampa. The news hit Mrs. Montgomery hard, and her health started to decline rapidly.

"She was already on the slope," Purvis said, "but that pushed her over the edge."

Mrs. Montgomery increasingly suffered from forgetfulness and occasional hallucinations. But she still had one more goal. Her daughter, Sharon, was born with Down's syndrome, and Mrs., Montgomery was determined to outlive her.

On Easter Sunday, Sharon died after a bout with pneumonia. Because of Mrs. Montgomery's physical and mental condition, the family never told her of her daughter's death, even though she was in another room in the same house.

"I think she knew, even though we never physically told her that Sharon had died," Purvis said. "That morning, she started screaming. She was saying, 'Please don't take my baby. That's my baby.' "

Sharon Montgomery was buried the next Thursday. The next day, her mother died.

Besides Purvis and Bathe, Mrs. Montgomery is survived by her husband of 56 years, Henry Montgomery; daughter Faye Jones; four sisters; nine grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

[Last modified April 26, 2007, 07:32:08]