Evelyn Whittington

Mom, Evelyn L. Woodland was born in Philadelphia, PA (Philly) on May 24, 1925, into a very loving and Christian family, Estelle Julia (Mother) and Edward Wellington Woodland (father) with twin brothers, Edward W. and Author P., an older sister Harriette D. Rector and younger sister Estelle J. Brown (who lovingly cared for her in her weakest hours), she loved and bossed them both. Mom. I’ve been told was a little busy body, always where she shouldn’t have been (example) at strange people’s funeral, crying louder than the family members, or jumping on the public bus back door, riding from West Philly to North Philly free, using money for snacks. Mom’s family moved to Glassboro, NJ where she met and married Woodrow A. Williams Sr. the father of her two children, Woodrow A. Williams Jr. and Faith B. Baxter. Mom, accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as her personal savior at an early age, she would say, “I am a lifelong, died in the wool AME.” Where ever she moved too, New York, Philadelphia, PA, Tacoma, WA and Virginia Beach, she was active in the Senior Choir, Missionary Society and Social Action Committee, Voting Registration, Civil Rights in her later years. She came to St. Mark AME Church and became part of the church, she loved her church family young and old, and she gained their Love and Respect for her Pastor, Rev. Vernon L. Ricks and his family. (They had their personal jokes.) Mom, had an interesting employment history; she was very proud to be one of the first black woman to be employed with NY Telephone of PA and retired after 28 years of service, then she campaigned and worked for U.S. Congressman Floyd H. Flake, her Pastor at Allen AME Church, Jamaica, NY, She tutored literacy in NY and VA, she was an avid reader, Legislative Rep. for AARP in VA, active member of National Congress of Negro Women, NAACP in NY and VA and so many more, she loved her “The Birthday Girls of Virginia Beach, they all were like sisters.” Mom was a world traveler, a news junky, an organizer, and the world’s best “Debater,” a reader of many types of literature, especially “Black History”, a music lover Jazz, Opera, Old time Rock and Roll like Marvin Gaye, The Spinners, Earth Wind and Fire and Hymns like “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” and “His Eye Is On The Sparrow”. Mom’s proudest accomplishment was the receiving of her Bachelor of Arts Degree with an undergraduate study in Education and graduated Cum Laude from City College, University of New York at the age of seventy. She was proud and we were proud of her too. Mom leaves her loving children, Woodrow A. Williams Jr. (Beverly), Faith B. Baxter (Victor S. Sr.); sister, Dr. Estelle J. Brown, grandchildren; Victor S. Baxter III, Tuanunikka Monique Evelyn Keith (Christopher M. Sr.), Lanaya Williams Smith; great grands, Venise Shea, Velece Shantel, Vimani Sharif Baxter, Christopher Michael Jr., Christina Katherine Keith, Madison Beverly, Alston Woodrow Smith; great-great grandson, Ashton Hendrix, many loving nieces and nephews and so many friend worldwide.

Evelyn Whittington

May 25, 1925 - August 21, 2016