Elouise Stephens

Elouise Stephens was born on June 22, 1939, to the late Jessie and Pearl Lee Kirby. After a long battle, she succumbed to her illness and left this world, to be with her Lord. Elouise was known by a lot of her friends as “Steve” and “Wizy”, but truthfully, just call her for dinner because she loved to cook and eat good food. Elouise was born in Lee County, North Carolina and grew up in South Carolina with her grandmother, Beatrice McLeod, until school age and moved to Baltimore, Maryland with her mom, Pearl Lee Kirby and made that her home. She attended Baltimore City schools and graduated from Douglass High, then later attended Sojourner Douglass College and other certified programs like nursing assistant and phlebotomy. After high school, she went to work at Sheppard Pratt Hospital, where she met Palmer V. Stephens, Sr. They later married in 1960 and had three beautiful children, Anita, Pamela, and the late Palmer Jr. In 1965, as a single mother, Elouise worked at Maryland General Hospital. During that time she saved up and bought her home on Gwynn Oak Avenue, where she would live out most of her life for 50 years. (Elouise and her mother, Pearl Lee, shared the large home until her mother bought the house next door.) Elouise started with home health care at “Steve Webber Nursing Exchange” and worked there until she retired, due to her illness. She had a passion when it came to taking care of people. All of her patients loved her and some became very close friends with her like Ms. Cindy. As a single mom, Elouise struggles to make sure her three children had the best of everything and she always succeeded, even when it meant she had to work 23-hour shifts that week. Her mother, Pearl Lee, would step in during those times to help with the kids. She would have one Sunday a month when she would dress up the kids and take them out to dinner to teach them proper dining edicts. How Elouise loved to have fun with her children. She would dance, sing and roll all over the ground in leaves with them. She would have cookouts at the park and home just to get together with family for fun. Elouise was there for the birth of almost all of her grandchildren’s but one little boy snuck in on her (Amir). She spoiled her grands and great-grands as much as she spoiled her children. They all were the light of her life. In the late 80’s Elouise gave her life to Christ and never looked back. She took part in her church activities and one of the clubs “Full Life” with two of her best friends Mona and Jackie. Elouise was a faithful member of Mount Olive under the direction of Bishop Rayner C. Wharton which later turned into Connextion Point Church. She attended church until her health failed her, which made her unable to make it to church and sit for service. She recently started going to church because of convents with her daughter Pam but became very fawn of Pastor Jean Campbell. In the 90’s Elouise took in her cousin Edith Jones’ daughter and raised her as her own daughter. Elouise was preceded in death by her only son, Palmer Stephens, Jr. and one son-in-law to be, Antionio Alford (Tony). Elouise Stephens a loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother and dear friend leaves to mourn: two daughters, Anita Mayfield (Derrick Mayfield, Sr.) and Pamela Stephens; seven grands, Shanell Stephens, Tavon Gourdine, Sr., Travis, and Trentin Alford, Derica Mayfield Jackson (Derek Jackson) and Amier Lee; three great grands, Tavon Gourdine, Jr., Eden Marie and Ella Grace Jackson; also a cousin like a daughter, Shawnita Jones and Juacinta Wilson who is like a granddaughter-in-law; and a host of other family and friends.

Tributes

Elouise Stephens

June 22, 1939 - February 8, 2020