Odessa 'Dessa', 'Sammie' G. Samuel Obituary (1925

A TIME TO BE BORN: Odessa Dessa, Sammie was born on June 18, 1925 to the late Deacon Burney Samuel, Sr. & late Corrie Bell Thorn Samuel in Liberty Hill, SC. A TIME TO GET: Odessa was educated in the Public Schools of Kershaw County, SC. She was a faithful member of the St. John Baptist Church in Camden, SC until she moved to Connecticut. After relocating to Bridgeport in the 1940s, she united with the Mount Aery Baptist Church under the guidance and leadership of Pastor A.C. Bass. The training of her youth continued: worshipping, ushering, and loving the Lord. Her journey continued with the late Pastors David Small and Pastor Shearon Dudley through the founding and chartering of the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, Inc. Until her death, she served under the Pastorship of Pastor David O. Miller. Her occupation always seemed to evolve around caretaking, whether domestically, babysitting her great-nieces, or with Dinan Memorial Center as a Nurses Aide until her retirement in 1990. Dessas hobbies consisted of traveling, having pilgrimaged to the Holy Land in Jerusalem 8 times and to Mount Carmel Camp Meeting in South Carolina almost every year. A TIME TO LOVE: On a cold, but warm day in December 1948, she was blessed with her son Martin. As with many close-nit families of the south, it was not uncommon for 2 sisters to marry 2 brothers. In 1957, she was united with the late Johnny Gaither. A TIME TO WEEP: Odessa was predeceased by her parents, Burney and Corrie; son Martin; sisters Mattie R. Samuel and Annie S. Gaither; brothers Moses Samuel and Rev. Aaron B. Samuel; nephew Reuben Cunningham; and brother-in-laws James A. Gaither and Clifford Cunningham. A TIME TO DIE: Dessas promise of 3 score and 10 years, including the additional 10 years by reason of strength, was fulfilled by Gods grace and mercy. God saw her pain ~ the hills she could no longer climb. On the eve of Wednesday, August 11th, she beckoned, God, come on. He stretched out His hand to hers and said, Your struggle is over. I have heard your prayer for mercy. A TIME TO MOURN: Left to cherish memories are sisters Rev. Sallie S. Cunningham of West Haven; sister Corrie B. Samuel of Bridgeport; brother Burney Samuel, Jr. of Bridgeport; 3 special adopted children Kathy Weiss of Westport, Richard Herstein of Ridgefield, and James Gray of New Hampshire; Goddaughter Nina Clark of St. Antonio, Texas; 9 nieces; 7 nephews; 16 great-nieces and nephews; cherished sister-in-law E. Ruth Samuel of Brookfield; sister-in-law Julie Samuel of Bridgeport; a host of sisterly and brotherly cousins; special caretaker and friend Terry Moore; friends and loved ones. Funeral Service will be held Friday, August 20, 2010 at 11:00 A.M. at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, 1100 Park Avenue, Bridgeport. Viewing will take place from 9:00 A.M. until the time of service. Interment at Lakeview Cemetery.