Delma M. White

I, DELMA MAE WHITE, was born December 24, 1924, in Isle of Wight County, Windsor, Virginia to the late George Thomas Newby and Cora Pittman Newby . When I began my education there was no plumbing, and central air or heating in my school. We used manmade systems called a well to pump water, an outhouse for our bathroom, a big pot belly stove for heat, and windows with cardboard tops kept us cool. As I began to move on through the grade levels in elementary school my education arenas shifted. The two-room school building called Bridges School allowed some students to transfer during the relocation to Westside Elementary in Smithfield, Virginia. My years there were changed greatly, and what an exciting change for me it became . I took a gym class that allowed me to join the basketball team. I was good at running the court and playing defense, but I could not make a basket. Shortly after being benched at most of the games, there was another shift in my classes and I sang alto, so I joined the school choir . This is where I found my voice, and my praise. I would sing everywhere I was - school, church, even in the field picking cotton, vegetables and tobacco. My best part in singing was harmonizing with those tenors. They made me feel like singing loud. I sang in the church choir in my family church, The Christian Home Baptist Church in Windsor, Virginia . This is where it all started, and this is where it got good. I would love being at church in the choir loft, and when we began to wear choir robes, I cherished the moment as if I was. the lead singer. I would imagine marching in the sanctuary, and how the robes would flow from side to side. That was the moment for me in the choir. I stayed in the choir all through school and I sang for every church that I attended . I relocated to Baltimore at the age of 18 and I joined the Faith Baptist Church in East Baltimore, where I stayed there over two decades under the late Reverend Meade. I remained in the alto section of the choir, but learned much about serving in ministry and there I found a greater need to serve. I learned how to serve in prison ministry, feeding the needs of others with food, bible studies, and meanwhile developing purpose through loving God . My family embraced me with so much love here in Baltimore and I became “Aunt Delma”. I am Aunt Delma to All who were natural family, church family, or just good conversations, I am Aunt Delma the 10th child of 14 children. John, Eunice, James, Julia, Russell, Ernest, Cora, Agnes, Tybie, Thelma and Leon are all of my late siblings who I have laid to rest, and from each of my late siblings were nieces and nephews with whom I love with all my heart . To my cherished Eric Newby, and Joan Williams, thank you! I will forever be Aunt Delma, to a host of remaining family and friends, near and far. My late Husband, I shared twenty-four years in holy matrimony together with my late husband Eager White, known as “Paul (Uncle Paul). I have loved him for over forty-one years, and I devoted myself to bringing him to Christ, and in 1981 he gave his life to Christ here at Sharon Seventh Day Adventist Church . We worked in this church doing prison ministry, feeding the hungry in the Soup Kitchen. I loved to cook and feed everyone, and most of all my work experiences has been in food service, kitchen management for Reads. Rite Aid and being a homemaker and caregiver to my dearly beloved Paul. Sharon Seventh Day Adventist showed us How, and God grace taught us Why. I leave to cherish my 50 plus members of Sharon (SDA), The choir, Pastoral Care. Elders, Deacons and friends. I love you All! Only, God gets the Glory! For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building. of God and a house not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens. “ 2 Corinthians 5: 1. MISS ME BUT LET ME GO! Aunt Delma!

Tributes

Delma M. White

December 24, 1924 - December 8, 2023