Two sisters — who forged a strong bond together in their lives over seven decades — died less than two weeks apart.
Now, the sisters have been buried next to each other.
On Oct. 31, Dorothy Bryant-Simmons, 74, passed away at Kitty Askins Hospice Center in Goldsboro. Just 13 days later, on Nov. 12, Christine Bryant, 70, died at Vidant Medical Center in Greenville.
The sisters were buried in Kinston’s Mills Cemetery.
Shameka Hodges, the granddaughter of Bryant-Simmons, said she will never forget how close the sisters were and a conversation held between the two.
“One couldn’t live without the other,” Hodges said. “Aunt Christine told Grandma (Bryant-Simmons) at the hospital ‘Don’t you go and leave me here,’ and now they’re together.”
Shavaughn Bryant, Bryant’s granddaughter, said the family has mourned the losses, but are glad the two aren’t suffering anymore.
“Both had serious illnesses, and it’s more comforting that they’re together without suffering,” Bryant said. “Both of them had congestive heart failure, Aunt Dot had asthma and my grandma had diabetes.
“Still, it’s quite a coincidence both passed away so close together.”
Bryant said both women were good with their hands and voices.
“They were both seamstresses and made clothes,” she said. “Both were really heavy into church and gospel singing.”
The sisters sang in separate church groups, traveling across the East Coast throughout the years. They would stay in heavy contact and assist each other.
“Throughout the years, one group would sing on the other’s program and vice versa,” Christine’s son, Stephon Bryant, said. “They would share gifts with each other and would talk on the phone daily.”
While Bryant-Simmons moved to Kinston in the 1970s, her sister didn’t move here until 2010 after spending most of her time in Boston.
With the sisters’ health declining, the two weren’t able to see each other in the past year, spending time in separate hospitals. By fate, the two were in the same one in their final days, although they had trouble seeing each other.
“About three weeks ago, both of them were at LMH in the ICU unit two rooms apart,” Bryant said. “Since they were two rooms apart, we took pictures of each one to give to the other. They were laughing and joking about how close they were, but they couldn’t see each other.”
As time went on, Bryant-Simmons started feeling worse. Gwen Hodges, Bryant-Simmons’ daughter, remembers her final conversation with her mother.
“She kept saying ‘I want to rest,’ ” Hodges said. “She said ‘I want to go to a beautiful place where I can be comfortable without medicine.’
“Those were the last words she said.”
Bryant-Simmons was moved to Kitty Askins Hospice Center in Goldsboro on Oct. 30, where she passed a day later.
“We stayed with her and read her the Bible,” Shameka Hodges said. “We read mainly from the Book of Job, Verse 14, which explains the meaning of death and why we have to go.”
Before moving to Kitty Askins, Bryant-Simmons was able to see her sister as she was being wheeled out of her room. The two waved at each other in their final interaction.
Hodges said the women were great people.
“They never complained and always managed to keep smiles on their faces,” Hodges said. “It’s very hard to find people like Grandma Dot and Aunt Christine. They were great people who adopted children and grandchildren. There was never a dull moment with them. They kept laughing, joking and would say many off-the-wall things.
“To me, these are two Christian women going home with the Lord.”
Markus Norfleet, a family friend who prayed over Bryant-Simmons at her deathbed, had interaction with her throughout the years.
“She was one of the greatest women I’ve known,” Norfleet said. “She was always pleasant, which was one of the qualities everyone liked about her.”
Between the passing of the sisters, a new life was brought to the Bryant family, as Shameka Hodges gave birth to her son, Jeremiah, on Nov. 4.
Shavaughn Bryant said the past few weeks have been full of emotion.
“The service (for my aunt) was on Nov. 7, and Aunt Dot’s granddaughter had her baby Nov. 4,” she said. “Around that time, Vidant was giving a time limit of about two weeks on my grandmother, and five days later, she passed.”
To Leslie Hodges, Christine Bryant’s grandson, he said he knows the sisters are both at peace.
“I loved my grandma and my mom and I always helped her,” Hodges said. “Both Grandma and my aunt loved to sing, and I’m pretty sure they’re singing in the heavenly choir now.”
Junious Smith III can be reached at 252-559-1077 and Junious.Smith@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JuniousSmithIII.