Rilla B. Mattison

Rilla B. Watkins Mattison was born to Curtis and Pearl Watkins on January 12, 1929, in Rogersville, Alabama. She was a “middle child”, born 6th of 11 children. She tells the story of picking cotton at a young age and missing many days of school. Rilla was always persistent and committed to completing what she set her mind to doing. Hence, she would not leave Alabama until she graduated from high school at the age of 21. She and her sisters would be considered in our history books as members of “The Great Migration”, that period in American history when millions of formerly enslaved and sharecropping blacks would leave the South, looking for hope and a new life in the northern states. Rilla and her sisters, Alcerean, Rezelene (Lena), Valerie, Arizona, Iunice, and Ceretha, would begin new lives and families in Dayton, Ohio, in the early 1950s. While sister, Eloise (Ella) settled in Alabama with her husband.

In Dayton, Rilla worked until she suffered an injury. She married George Mattison and had three sons: James “Pepper”, Alphonso “PeeWee”, and Randall “Poss”. She was very creative, which could be seen in how she always made unique decorations for her home and created new words like TSCHUTUM (bathroom).

Rilla was preceded in death by her parents, Curtis and Pearl, her 10 siblings, her sons, James and Alphonso, and her granddaughter, Rolanda. She is survived by her son, Randall, her god-daughter/niece LaShonda, a.k.a. Panne, her grandchildren, Angel (Edward), Darrell (Pearl), Dylon, MeShell (Paul), and Leslie. Her great-grandchildren, LeAndra, Trevon, Darrell Jr., Lamarr, Alexander (Drea), D’Marie, Kalynne, Kameron, Ruben, and Alphonso; her great-great-grand children Alayah, Kashus, Akhil, and a host of nieces and nephews who she loved dearly.

There may never be a building named after Rilla, but there will be a legacy of faith in God, love of people, and wisdom in action that will persist throughout the generations.

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