She passed away at age 68 in Minneapolis in Feburary 2002. That was half a year after Prince's father died in late 2001. I've read in other threads that Prince was at her bedside when she passed away and that some of her final wishes was for Prince to join the Jehova's Witnesses and also to see him married.

I finished reading Marylou Badeaux's book last night and thought it was interesting when she spoke of Mattie attending a party Prince threw for Marylou in the mid 90s. Prince himself did not attend but many others from PP were there.

ShaggyDog said:

She passed away at age 68 in Minneapolis in Feburary 2002. That was half a year after Prince's father died in late 2001. I've read in other threads that Prince was at her bedside when she passed away and that some of her final wishes was for Prince to join the Jehova's Witnesses and also to see him married.

She did see him married (to Mayte) I thought she was at the wedding. And I think she was in a different denomination.... 7th Day Adventists

MattyJam said:

I feel like I know quite a bit about Prince's father, but very little about his relationship with his mother. Was he close to her during his adult years? I know he was estranged from John L Nelson for a long time in the 90s, but what about Mattie? I assume she isn't still alive, did she pass in Prince's lifetime? [Edited 1/16/18 0:25am]

She was at the Purple Rain premiere with other family members

and sh was a twin

Prince said that she was a singer with his father's band and that she wasn't very good and that she was the wild side of him whereas his father was the quiet side of him. He had issues with both that he at times made public and mostly liked to keep to himself. She also lived with a man, Hayward Baker, who Prince wrote the song Papa according to Morris Hayes. Morris said in a recent interview that Prince said Baker had "asked me for a job" and Prince, remembering when he was a boy and was forced to pick dandelions joked "yeah, see all those dandelions out there?".

how was Marylou's book. I am thinking of buying it but apparently there is not much content for its 28.00 dollars.

partyup77 said:

I finished reading Marylou Badeaux's book last night and thought it was interesting when she spoke of Mattie attending a party Prince threw for Marylou in the mid 90s. Prince himself did not attend but many others from PP were there.

I'm honest, I expected something else from the book, and after reading it, I wouldn't have paid 28 bucks for it, if I knew what I know now. It's not a bad book tho, just not real Prince stories, it's more like stories she starred in while she was working for WB, who happened to have signed Prince.

There are only a few stories that really include Prince.

purplerabbithole said:

how was Marylou's book. I am thinking of buying it but apparently there is not much content for its 28.00 dollars.

partyup77 said:

I finished reading Marylou Badeaux's book last night and thought it was interesting when she spoke of Mattie attending a party Prince threw for Marylou in the mid 90s. Prince himself did not attend but many others from PP were there.

So its about herself..ugh.

ThatWhiteDude said:

I'm honest, I expected something else from the book, and after reading it, I wouldn't have paid 28 bucks for it, if I knew what I know now. It's not a bad book tho, just not real Prince stories, it's more like stories she starred in while she was working for WB, who happened to have signed Prince.

There are only a few stories that really include Prince.

purplerabbithole said:

how was Marylou's book. I am thinking of buying it but apparently there is not much content for its 28.00 dollars.

People have said they saw her at many Paisley Park parties & concerts.

She's dead. That's all you need to know.

Wlcm2thdwn3 said:

She's dead. That's all you need to know.

Wlcm2thdwn3 said:

She's dead. That's all you need to know.

Not really.

Wlcm2thdwn3 said:

She's dead. That's all you need to know.

Are you serious right now?

Prince was close to his Mother, but when she remarried, Prince did not get along too well with his step-father.

.

Mattie Della, age 68, of Golden Valley, passed away peacefully Feb. 15, 2002 at Fairview Southdale Hospital after a long illness. She was a retired social worker with the Mpls. Public School System. She was highly regarded by family and friends and will forever be missed by all. Survived by husband Hayward Baker; children, Alfred Jackson, Prince Roger Nelson, Tyka Nelson, Omarr Baker; twin sister, Edna Mae Collier; grandsons, Sir Nelson, President Nelson; and many loving nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Memorial Service 11am Friday Feb. 22, 2002 ZION BAPTIST CHURCH, 621 Elwood Ave. N., Mpls. Interment Fort Snelling National Cemetery.

.

https://www.findagrave.co...ella-baker

.

[Edited 1/16/18 13:57pm]

On the Album credits to SOTT

Prince thanks "My patient Mother "

I met Mattie at the Celebration in 2000. She was quiet, sweet, but seemed to really be enjoying herself watching all the fans. We talked about Social Work.

She was sitting on a raised dais in the Love4OneAnother room, sitting on a couch. There were steps leading up to the couch and I asked if I could sit on the floor and elevate my leg on the stairs (I've had blood clots in my leg and it would swell if I was on it too much and I would need to elevate it). A body guard came over and was going to ask me to move, but Mattie stopped him and told him she had given me permission to sit there. Eventually, she came down where I was and talked with me some.

jdcxc said:

Master’s Degree... http://www.postbulletin.c...ed958.html

Yeah, it was after talking with her that I started thinking about getting my Master's degree. At the time, I only had a Bachelor's Degree in Public Service with an emphasis in Social Work. I received my Master's Degree in Social Work in 2007 and a few years later took the licensure exam.

[Edited 1/17/18 18:27pm]

benni said:

benni said:

I met Mattie at the Celebration in 2000. She was quiet, sweet, but seemed to really be enjoying herself watching all the fans. We talked about Social Work.

She was sitting on a raised dais in the Love4OneAnother room, sitting on a couch. There were steps leading up to the couch and I asked if I could sit on the floor and elevate my leg on the stairs (I've had blood clots in my leg and it would swell if I was on it too much and I would need to elevate it). A body guard came over and was going to ask me to move, but Mattie stopped him and told him she had given me permission to sit there. Eventually, she came down where I was and talked with me some.

.

She sounds like she was a lovely lady and very kind. Thanks for sharing your memories of her.

She was a Jazz teacher who meet his father when he was playing at a Jazz club one night. I read that she gave permission for Andre Anderson( Cymone) mother took take Prince in at the age of 13. That is all that I know about Prince's mother.

OldFriends4Sale said:

Awwww! Everybody loves their momma. Never saw this before, thanks.

purplefam99 said:

benni said:

I met Mattie at the Celebration in 2000. She was quiet, sweet, but seemed to really be enjoying herself watching all the fans. We talked about Social Work.

She was sitting on a raised dais in the Love4OneAnother room, sitting on a couch. There were steps leading up to the couch and I asked if I could sit on the floor and elevate my leg on the stairs (I've had blood clots in my leg and it would swell if I was on it too much and I would need to elevate it). A body guard came over and was going to ask me to move, but Mattie stopped him and told him she had given me permission to sit there. Eventually, she came down where I was and talked with me some.

Ok for me that did it. There is no ther person I would rather sit next to and talk to than Mattie. Ummm and now you. Wow just wow benni, yes your in the time line for sure. Thx for sharing.

You're welcome. Like I said, when I spoke with her, she seemed really sweet.

cloveringold85 said:

Prince was close to his Mother, but when she remarried, Prince did not get along too well with his step-father.

.

Mattie Della, age 68, of Golden Valley, passed away peacefully Feb. 15, 2002 at Fairview Southdale Hospital after a long illness. She was a retired social worker with the Mpls. Public School System. She was highly regarded by family and friends and will forever be missed by all. Survived by husband Hayward Baker; children, Alfred Jackson, Prince Roger Nelson, Tyka Nelson, Omarr Baker; twin sister, Edna Mae Collier; grandsons, Sir Nelson, President Nelson; and many loving nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Memorial Service 11am Friday Feb. 22, 2002 ZION BAPTIST CHURCH, 621 Elwood Ave. N., Mpls. Interment Fort Snelling National Cemetery.

.

https://www.findagrave.co...ella-baker

.

[Edited 1/16/18 13:57pm]

Just looked at the grave marker from the findagrave site you provided. (I had thought about looking that up, but you already did it for us.) I am probably going to make someone upset, but I have an observation. If they had been close at the time of her death, I think there would have been a more elaborate headstone. (?) I am a person of very modest means, and when my mom passed, I had her grave marker made of a pink shade of granite, with emblems on it that represented her passions in life. Then again, maybe as a Seventh Day adventist, she had wishes for something not fancy, and those wishes were respected. There is just so much we do not know...

some people might think it's worse that prince didn't attend the funeral as jw's don't attend funerals.

Seahorsie said:

cloveringold85 said:

Prince was close to his Mother, but when she remarried, Prince did not get along too well with his step-father.

.

Mattie Della, age 68, of Golden Valley, passed away peacefully Feb. 15, 2002 at Fairview Southdale Hospital after a long illness. She was a retired social worker with the Mpls. Public School System. She was highly regarded by family and friends and will forever be missed by all. Survived by husband Hayward Baker; children, Alfred Jackson, Prince Roger Nelson, Tyka Nelson, Omarr Baker; twin sister, Edna Mae Collier; grandsons, Sir Nelson, President Nelson; and many loving nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Memorial Service 11am Friday Feb. 22, 2002 ZION BAPTIST CHURCH, 621 Elwood Ave. N., Mpls. Interment Fort Snelling National Cemetery.

.

https://www.findagrave.co...ella-baker

.

[Edited 1/16/18 13:57pm]

Just looked at the grave marker from the findagrave site you provided. (I had thought about looking that up, but you already did it for us.) I am probably going to make someone upset, but I have an observation. If they had been close at the time of her death, I think there would have been a more elaborate headstone. (?) I am a person of very modest means, and when my mom passed, I had her grave marker made of a pink shade of granite, with emblems on it that represented her passions in life. Then again, maybe as a Seventh Day adventist, she had wishes for something not fancy, and those wishes were respected. There is just so much we do not know...

benni said:

I met Mattie at the Celebration in 2000. She was quiet, sweet, but seemed to really be enjoying herself watching all the fans. We talked about Social Work.

She was sitting on a raised dais in the Love4OneAnother room, sitting on a couch. There were steps leading up to the couch and I asked if I could sit on the floor and elevate my leg on the stairs (I've had blood clots in my leg and it would swell if I was on it too much and I would need to elevate it). A body guard came over and was going to ask me to move, but Mattie stopped him and told him she had given me permission to sit there. Eventually, she came down where I was and talked with me some.

Benni, you are so lucky to have that memory tucked away.

Seahorsie said:

cloveringold85 said:

Prince was close to his Mother, but when she remarried, Prince did not get along too well with his step-father.

.

Mattie Della, age 68, of Golden Valley, passed away peacefully Feb. 15, 2002 at Fairview Southdale Hospital after a long illness. She was a retired social worker with the Mpls. Public School System. She was highly regarded by family and friends and will forever be missed by all. Survived by husband Hayward Baker; children, Alfred Jackson, Prince Roger Nelson, Tyka Nelson, Omarr Baker; twin sister, Edna Mae Collier; grandsons, Sir Nelson, President Nelson; and many loving nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Memorial Service 11am Friday Feb. 22, 2002 ZION BAPTIST CHURCH, 621 Elwood Ave. N., Mpls. Interment Fort Snelling National Cemetery.

.

https://www.findagrave.co...ella-baker

.

[Edited 1/16/18 13:57pm]

Just looked at the grave marker from the findagrave site you provided. (I had thought about looking that up, but you already did it for us.) I am probably going to make someone upset, but I have an observation. If they had been close at the time of her death, I think there would have been a more elaborate headstone. (?) I am a person of very modest means, and when my mom passed, I had her grave marker made of a pink shade of granite, with emblems on it that represented her passions in life. Then again, maybe as a Seventh Day adventist, she had wishes for something not fancy, and those wishes were respected. There is just so much we do not know...

If you look at the other gravesites there, they are all the same type, so it is probably what is required by that particular cemetary.

benni said:

Seahorsie said:

Just looked at the grave marker from the findagrave site you provided. (I had thought about looking that up, but you already did it for us.) I am probably going to make someone upset, but I have an observation. If they had been close at the time of her death, I think there would have been a more elaborate headstone. (?) I am a person of very modest means, and when my mom passed, I had her grave marker made of a pink shade of granite, with emblems on it that represented her passions in life. Then again, maybe as a Seventh Day adventist, she had wishes for something not fancy, and those wishes were respected. There is just so much we do not know...

If you look at the other gravesites there, they are all the same type, so it is probably what is required by that particular cemetary.

Yeah, you are probably correct. I guess in my head I was just expecting something more elaborate. You know it was PRINCES'S mom. For what she gave the world, I guess I wanted marble doves, a mauseleum, stuff like you see at St Peter's Bacilica in Rome. The whole enchilada!!