First Evelyn (Posey) White

WHITE, First Lady Evelyn (Posey) - Age 80, passed away Sunday, April 20, 2008 at Avalon Hospice. Family hour 6PM-8PM Sunday, April 27, 2008 at New Heaven Missionary Baptist Church, G-3184 Pierson Rd. Homegoing service 11AM Monday, April 28, 2008 at New Heaven Missionary Baptist Church, Dr. Leroy Shelton officiating, Dr. Fred S. White, Pastor. Interment Gracelawn Community Cemetery, G-5710 N. Saginaw St. Friends and pallbearers will assemble at the church 11AM Monday. First Lady White will lie in state in the Chapel of Lawrence E. Moon Funeral Home, and may be viewed from 9AM-3PM Sunday, afterwhich First Lady White will be taken to New Heaven Missionary Baptist Church for the family hour from 6PM-8PM. First Lady Evelyn (Posey) White was born January 1, 1928 in New Orleans, Louisiana, to the late Ivory Webb Posey and William Posey, as the only girl among five children. She moved to Memphis, TN as a young child of five, and there, she graduated from Booker T. Washington High School. During those early years, she spent the summers with her grandmother, Fanny Anderson Webb, at the family farm in Crawfordsville, AR. Evelyn Posey married Fred S. White on March 4, 1953 in Memphis, TN, a union that lasted over 55 years until her death. As a young couple, they moved to Flint, where they resided as active members of the Flint community. She had accepted Christ at an early age, and in 1973, worked with her husband to organize and build the New Heaven Missionary Baptist Church, where she served in all of the church ministries and various programs. Prior to the founding of New Heaven, she and her husband were members of the Christ Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church. First Lady White was the first black IBM operator/sales clerk, office clerk manager and retail credit evaluator in Flint. She worked for the Flint Community Schools in a variety of roles, including that as a Home School Counselor; she retired after 26 years of service. She had attended and studied at Mott community College and Michigan State University. First Lady Evelyn White enjoyed reading, sharing God's Word, and attending church. She particularly had a heart and a passion for children. Other interests included entertaining friends, cooking, gardening, creative decorating, and most notably, traveling. One of her life's goals was to travel to every continent. In pursuit of this goal, she traveled throughout North America, and to the Alaskan Yukon, South America (Buenos Aires, Argentina; Cataratas de Iguacu Falls and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil); Northern Africa (Cairo, Egypt; Jerusalem, Israel); Melbourne and Sidney, Australia; Seoul, Korea; China, Greece, Hong Kong, Italy, and Japan. Her mission was to carry God's Word, so she carried Daily Bread devotional books to give away. She was blessed to have been re-baptized in the Jordan River in the Holy Land, and to have climbed to the top of Corcovado Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, to see the famed statue of Christ the Redeemer's outstretched arms. First Lady White unselfishly gave her love and support to her church, the Flint community, world mission, and Church Women United. She participated in many organizations and causes over the years, including: Genesee County School Retirees Association, Stepping Stones, Old Newsboys, and Toys for Tots. She was the First Lady of the Great Lakes District Congress of Christian Education and the Fashion Share Coordinator for Church Women United. She was a member of, or was affiliated with the following organizations: the Great Lakes District Congress of Christian Education, the Minister's Wives, the District, State, and National levels of the National Baptist Convention, the National Church Media Libraries, the Wolverine Baptist Convention, and the World Baptist Congress (with whom she traveled frequently). In 2003, she was selected to be the denominational representative for Church Women United in Michigan, and was honored for her service to the organization. Preceding First Lady White in death were her parents; brothers, Calvin, Webb, James Walker and William Posey; and niece, Angela Posey. First Lady Evelyn (Posey) White leaves to cherish her memory, her loving and devoted husband of 55 years, Pastor Fred S. White; first cousins, Mildred Senter and Tauheeda (Saleem) Madyun of Memphis, TN; nieces, Celeste Day (Richton Park IL), Kim (Shawn) Watts (Hammond, IN), Joan Elizabeth Walker, Lori Walker, and Guinever Walker; nephews, Calvin Walker (Chicago, IL), Julian Walker (Chicago, IL), Kevin Walker (AL), Webb Adam Walker, and Webb Jeffrey Walker; great nephews, Antwan Posey (Flint, MI) and Devonta Posey (Chesapeake, VA)goddaughters, Twinet Jenkins and Stephanie Marion (Flint, MI); cousin, Vera Harris (Flint, MI); the children of her beloved cousin, the late Eugene Anderson, Sr. , Eugene (Grace) Anderson, Jr. (Kansas City, MO); Jacqueline Anderson (Flint), Patricia (Rudi) Brown (Capitol Heights, MD), and Ivy Anderson (Chicago, IL); brothers-in-law, Dr. James S. White (Mary), Johnny C. White (Delois); sister-in-law, Lorene McCollins; other relatives, the Webb families of St. Louis, MO; the Harris families of TN and IL; as well as many other friends and relatives, and members of the New Heaven Missionary Baptist Church family, the Flint community, and her sisters and brothers in Christ throughout the world. The family wishes to give special thanks to Dr. Peddireddy, the nurses of McLaren Hospital, the staff of Avalon Hospice, Sis. Stephanie Marion and Sis. Twinet Jenkins, who were with her as she made her transition from this life.

First Evelyn (Posey) White

January 1, 1928 - April 20, 2008