In Honor of Mrs. Grace Virginia Richardson Humphrey Cutts

Floor Speech

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Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an inspiring woman, respected community leader, and a transgenerational pillar in Dawson, Georgia--Mrs. Grace Virginia Richardson Humphrey Cutts. Sadly, Mrs. Cutts passed away on Tuesday, November 17, 2020, at the remarkable age of 108. But she leaves behind a legacy of impact upon countless people whose lives she touched. Her funeral service was held on Tuesday, December 1, 2020, at 11 am at the Adoration Temperance Obedience Charity (ATOC) African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Dawson, Georgia.

Mrs. Grace Virginia Richardson Humphrey Cutts was born on March 2, 1912, in Dawson, Georgia, to the union of Walter Revenna Richardson and Clara Louise Cochran Richardson.

Mrs. Cutts was a person who overcame many obstacles to make a difference in the lives of others. She was raised in a time during which African Americans were limited in their opportunities to better themselves. But, Mrs. Cutts was undeterred and set out on a path to overcome all obstacles that would prevent her from carrying out God's calling upon her life.

She graduated from Allen Normal and Industrial High School and enrolled in Georgia Normal and Agricultural College--now Albany State University, graduating in 1949.

She served as a teacher for 45 years, using her gifts to impact the lives of thousands of young people who went on to achieve in no small part because of her influence. Even after she retired, she continued to make a difference in the lives of young people through tutoring and mentoring.

The course and the direction of her life were set by the name she was given at birth--Grace. She was proud of her character and used that character to exhibit grace and compassion to all with whom she came in contact. She kept God as the center of her life and the captain of her ship. She was a member of the ATOC AME Church for an astonishing 102 years. Besides being the Mother of the Church, she served during various times as the church pianist, secretary, and Stewardess.

In addition to being dedicated to her church and her community, she was a wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. Her family was always supportive and through the years, allowed her to give her time and treasure to God and her community. She was married to the late Calvin Homer Humphrey and the late Sammie Lee Cutts; was the loving mother to the late Calvin Walter Humphrey; and she was a doting grandmother and great grandmother.

Former Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm once said that ``If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.'' We are so thankful that Mrs. Grace Cutts always brought a folding chair and used her life's work to make a difference. 1 Peter 4:10 says, ``Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms.'' Mrs. Cutts exemplified that grace because of her faith in God and used God's grace to serve others in a mighty way. To God Be The Glory for the amazing and meaningful life of Mrs. Grace Virginia Richardson Humphrey Cutts.

Madam Speaker, my wife, Vivian and I, along with the more than 730,000 people of the Second Congressional District, and all those who mourn her loss, salute Mrs. Grace Virginia Richardson Humphrey Cutts for her lifetime of service to humankind. I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join us in extending our deepest condolences to Mrs. Cutts' family during this difficult time of bereavement. We pray that they will be consoled and comforted by an abiding faith and the Holy Spirit in the days, weeks, and months ahead.

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