Mrs. Jeffalone Rumph Vassal

RUMPH VASSAL, Mrs. Jeffalone - Age 92, passed away Thursday, February 24, 2022 at her residence. Family hour 10:00 AM Tuesday, March 8, 2022 at Bethel United Methodist Church, 1309 N. Ballenger Hwy., with funeral service commencing at 11:00 AM, Pastor James Cagmon, officiating, Rev. Brian Willingham, Eulogist. Interment Sunset Hills Association, G-4413 Flushing Rd. Friends and pallbearers will assemble at the Church, 10:00 AM Tuesday. Mrs. Rumph Vassal will lie in state in the Chapel of Lawrence E. Moon Funeral Home, 906 W. Flint Park Blvd., and may be viewed from 12:00 PM-6:00 PM Monday.Jeffalone, affectionately referred to by her children & grandchildren as “Red”, J.B., Granny, Big Granny, Mama, & Mommy, was the first daughter born of seven children to of Mr. Lindsey & Mrs. Teretha (Brown) Brantley in Eupora, Mississippi. In addition to being born in Eupora, she began her Christian journey at the Liberty United Methodist Church in her hometown. She completed her high school education at Mary Homes, in West Point, Mississippi. While matriculating at Alcorn State University in Alcorn, Mississippi, completing her studies with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Home Economics, Jeffalone Brantley met her beloved Jefferson A. Rumph. After college, the two moved to Tuscaloosa, Alabama where they were united in holy matrimony and joined the First Community Independent Methodist Church under the pastoral leadership at that time her father-in-law, the late Reverend C.J.L. Rumph, Sr. Jeffalone & Jefferson set goals and aspirations for each of their children: Renetha, Roesha, Reid, Damita Jo, Jama, Lord, and Connie to instill their Spiritual morals and values. Mrs. Jeffalone B. Rumph moved to Flint, Michigan from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. In 1964, she and her husband, Jefferson A. Rumph, joined Bethel Methodist Church under the pastoral leadership at that time of Reverend Donald Morris. She was a committed alto to the Senior Choir under the direction of Mrs. Ruth Van Zandt and Mrs. Hattye Guyton, the choir accompanist. She worked faithfully throughout the years in numerous capacities at Bethel United Methodist Church serving under various pastoral leadership ending with Reverend James Cogman and participating in the following: Bethel’s United Methodist Women; a dedicated member of the Gospel Choir, the Bethel Mass Choir, and working as the Church Lay Leader. During this three-year membership tenure serving as Church Lay Leader, Jeffalone served on various committees: Worship, Missions, Family Ministries, Trustees, Pastor Parish Committees, and the Council on Ministries. Currently, she served as the District’s United Methodist Women’s Spiritual Growth Coordinator, and past Social Actions Coordinator, for the local unit, she served as the Social Action Coordinator. One of her most enjoyable times were spent with the Bethel Youth Choir, under the direction of Mrs. Nina Ray Scott. Taking her Easter breaks and summer vacations, she served as a chaperone, traveling to several southern states, such as Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Ohio. Another trip during the summer of 1973 was to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, when the Black Methodist for Church Renewal was attempting to elect our first Black bishop in the Detroit Conference: Bishop Edsel Ammons. Mrs. Jeffalone B. Rumph-Vassal was a community activist along with Mrs. Derenda Collins. The two co-founded the Flint African American Quilters Guild. Her professional career expanded over 33 years of services in education across the states of Alabama, Mississippi and ending in Michigan, retiring from the Flint Community Schools. Mrs. Jeffalone B. Rumph-Vassal worked tirelessly as a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, and cousin. She loved to travel, she went on adventures with her husband, her children, and she especially loved visiting her beloved Alcorn State University. She further enjoyed attending National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc. national conferences. Jeffalone used her travels to visit relatives, spoiling her grandchildren, and great-grandchildren; She enjoyed her 92 years of life. After the death of the beloved Jefferson in 1995, Jeffalone, years later would experience companionship and entered in holy matrimony to the late James Vassal. Preceding her in going home, her beloved Jefferson; her husband James; two God given children, Damita Jo Bradley & Reid Turner; grandson, Trent Tooson; her parents; siblings, Excell Brantley, James Brantley, & Mattie Clyde Parker; nephew, Charles Brantley; nieces, Angie Parker, Pama Philips and Victoria Draine. Cherishing her memories are Renetha, Olangia Roesha (Aubrey), Jama (Arthur, Jr.), Lord (Madeline), and Constantia. Her grandchildren, Shelitria (Jeramis), Gibbon “Joee” (Denisha), Stephanie (Randy), Brett, Arthur, III (Safiya), Ashton (Daniel), Ken, Cameron, Chania, and Channa, Yasmine and Breaunna Michelle; numerous great-grands; siblings, Delma Draine, Bernard Brantley, and Sylvia Brantley; god-children Catherine, Charlotte, Jacklan (Willie), Barbara (Terrence), Georgene, Fred, Jerry, numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, relatives and friends.

Mrs. Jeffalone Rumph Vassal

October 17, 1929 - February 24, 2022