Linnie Pearl Gibson

Mrs. Linnie Pearl Gibson was born on July 11, 1958, in San Francisco, California. She was the beloved daughter of Deaconess Lavada Barnes Dangerfield, and the niece of Deaconess Mamie Ruth Sanders-George, Mother Lottie Mae Sanders, and their brothers Cornelius, Chester, and E.D. Each one proceeded her in death. Linnie Pearl accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior at Olivet Missionary Baptist Church under the spiritual leadership of Rev. L.S. Rubin. She attended Anza Elementary School and graduated from George Washington High School, in 1975. She attended San Francisco State University majoring in Interior Decorating as well as studying African American history, photography, and ceramics.

Linnie Pearl was adventurous in her youth. With her cousins Lynesta Y. Hunter and Chester H. Hunter (her sister and brother in love), she enjoyed their trips to Southern California journeying to Disneyland and Knots Berry Farm. In addition, she loved trips to Lake Tahoe and playing in the snow as well as going to Reno and Las Vegas with her mother and aunties. She was a member of the Girl Scouts and learned how to swim at Hamilton Recreation Center. As she continued to mature, she enjoyed traveling to Ocean Beach in the San Francisco Bay. The love of nature and the arts flowed through her body. Linnie Pearl loved to roller skate, sew, and go to the picture shows downtown. She loved early Hollywood cinema, movies such as It’s A Wonderful Life, A Miracle on 34th Street and The Imitation of Life. When she came into her womanhood in the 1970s, she enjoyed Black Cinema such as Shaft (1971), Black Girl (1972) by j.e. Franklin and directed by Ossie Davis, Cleopatra Jones (1973), Claudine (1974), Foxy Brown (1974), and Mahogany (1975) among others. She was good friends during elementary school with Melvin Van Peebles’ daughter, Megan.1 When Peebles seminal film Sweet Sweetback (1971) debuted, she witnessed Megan missing school because she had to travel to Los Angeles to be in her father’s movie. Cheeringly, one of her cherished movies during the holiday season was A Christmas Story (1983). Ralphy in that bunny suit gave her many laughs.

Linnie Pearl had an anointed rhythm with her hands. God gave her growing hands. She was a hairstylist before she became an official cosmetologist in 1993 when she graduated with her license from Zenzi’s Beauty Academy in San Francisco. Her fashion sense was impeccable. She always knew how to coordinate from head to toe.

She was a sports enthusiast at a very young age. From baseball to tennis to football to basketball to ice skating, she loved all sports. From watching Venus and Serena win their grand slams, joining the San Francisco Giants parade when they won their World Series in 2010, the Golden State Warriors winning back-to-back championships and recently Coco Gauff winning her grand slam singles--she was a FAN. So, it comes as no surprise that when she met a young athlete named James “Early Bee” Gibson when they lived in the Western Addition, half a block from each other, that their union was signed, sealed, and delivered. They had known each other all their lives but started a romantic relationship during their junior year of college at San Francisco State University. Linnie and James married on January 16, 1982, at the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church. Prior to their journey to parenthood, they both played on a co-ed softball team called “The Mighty Fine” at Warehouse Records where James was employed. From 1979-1994, Linnie was employed with Schlage Lock Company.

Mrs. Gibson’s union with James gave birth to three children, Casarae Lavada, Gabriel Thaddeus, and Nicholas James. In 1988 the Gibson Family moved to Fairfield, California, and eventually in 1995, settled in Elk Grove, California. In 2012, Mrs. Gibson joined St. Paul’s Church in Sacramento led by the late Dr. Ephraim Williams. She served in the “greeter’s ministry,” welcoming congregants into the sanctuary.

Linnie leaves a loving family to cherish her memory, husband James, daughter Casarae (Husan-Iddin) of Plainfield, New Jersey, and sons Gabriel and Nicholas. In addition, two grandchildren Husan-Iddin “Prince” and Halima-Imani “Princess,” first cousins in love Chester H. Hunter (Regina), Lynesta Y. Hunter, sisters in love Ernie, Willie, Emma, Tina (Ibraheyma), Theresa, Arnita, and Alice; brothers in love Larry, Jerry “Tyrone,” and a host of nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews from the Hunters, Gibson-Powell’s, Eagles and Evans families. Dear friends Kim Hines and the Floyds, the Loggins, the Myers, and the Lucas’s.

1 Melvin Van Peebles (August 21, 1932-September 21, 2021) and Megan Van Peeples (June 1, 1958-March 13, 2006)

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