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May 1, 2008
WIDOWS WITH
WISDOM
Salutes
WIDOWED
MOTHER-OF-THE-YEAR
MRS. ERNESTINE P. STEWART
PLEASE NOTE THAT
ERNESTINE IS QUITE ILL AND HAS TO GO IN FOR SURGERY THIS WEEK SO PLEASE KEEP HER
IN YOUR PRAYERS.
We received many responses to our “New Start in Life”
Widowed Mother’s Day Contest. Three mothers were chosen, in addition to Mrs.
Ernestine P. Stewart.
However,
we received an overflow for Mrs. Stewart. Therefore, we are highlighting her
first. Tributes to the other three widows follow this one. Without a doubt, they
all deserve to be recognized and we are honored to do so. Here are the tributes.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Close your eyes and image the following: a young widowed
mother who lost her husband to a debilitating illness, mounting bills, a
substantial drop in income and three young children to rear.
Do you know such an individual? Could this be your sister,
aunt, sister-in-law, or perhaps your mother? How did she master her fate?
When Rev. Jesse Jackson paid homage to the life of Coretta
Scott King, he stated, “To observe her handle the highs and lows of life with
dignity was a lesson in watching someone master fate with faith.” When I read
this excerpt, I immediately thought of my dear Godmother, Ernestine P. Stewart.
She not only mastered her fate with a strong faith but with what I refer to as a
“crazy” faith. A “crazy” faith is a term I first heard during one of Pastor
Solomon Kinloch’s sermons. It is described as a faith where you continue to
praise and glorify God through your challenges. Whatever they are, you believe
God will work it out and one shouts about what God is going to do in your life.
You do not look like the h-ll you’re going through.
When I first met Mrs. Stewart, she had been a widow for many
years and her children were grown. I can only image the many stumbling blocks
she encountered during her early journey in life. Being the strong Christian
woman that she is, I know she encouraged herself many times by reading the word
of God and/or singing hymns. Perhaps the following came to mind during her low
moments:
“What a Friend We Have in Jesus – hour of
loneliness
“Blessed Assurance” – Searching for hope
“Amaging Grace” – During her weary hours
“I Surrender All” – During times of trouble
“His Eye Is On the Sparrow – Encouragemen
Or
Matthew 7:7-8 – Ask, Seek and Knock
Mark 10:27 – All things are possible with God
Romans 8:28 – All things work together for good
Whatever method Mrs. Stewart decided to use at the moment,
she became encouraged. She has taught me to encourage myself through similar
hymns and scriptures. I believe her “crazy” faith and strong relationship with
God has kept her in God’s favor. God has a purpose for her life and she gladly
continues to allow herself to be used. She has truly has been a blessing to
those who know her.
Submitted by Carol Thomas Ross
________________________________________________________________________________________
WIDOWS WITH WISDOM SALUTE MOTHERS OF THE YEAR: ANDREA
YATOOMA & MONIQUE BAKER
A wife in the morning and a widow in the afternoon.
The sun was shining brightly on the morning of March 11,
1993 when Andrea Yatooma rose from her sleep. However, by the time the sun set,
she was the mother of four young boys who would now be fatherless. Her sunny day
had turned into a nightmare. Andrea was 45 years old and would become the only
parent of her sons: Christopher (11), Greg (13), Jeff (14), and her oldest son
Norman (20), who was away at college at the time.
Andrea’s husband, Manuel Yatooma, was shot in the head twice
when he interrupted a carjacking at a party store on the west side of Detroit.
Not only had the family lost their loved one, but also a man who had provided a
very comfortable lifestyle for his wife and children.
Sixty-three claims were filed against the family’s estate.
What little the creditors and litigants didn’t take was spent on attorney fees.
As a result of this great tragedy, the Yatooma family was now threatened with
foreclosure, bankruptcy and dependency on social security. Overcome with
pressure, Andrea was hospitalized five times for physical ailments in the early
years following her husband’s death.
The family was alone, afraid and broke. But God had a “ram
in the bush,” a backup plan. The Yatooma’s oldest son, Norman, stepped in and
took charge of the family’s critical situation. Through school loans and side
jobs, he managed to provide food for the table. The strength of character that
Manual Yatooma had deposited in his sons and his wife manifested itself and they
were able to survive through those down-trodden years. As critical as they were,
those years set the stage for what the Yatooma family is now doing to help
children who have lost one or both parents.
Recognizing the needs of children experiencing similar
tragedies as the Yatooma family, they launched Yatooma’s Foundation For The Kids
on Father’s Day, 2003.This non-profit organization is dedicated to the memory of
their dear dad, Manuel Yatooma, a man who saw a tragedy and stepped in. Although
it cost him his life, his family continues his legacy by turning tragedy into
triumph for widows and children who have lost a parent.
A good example of this can be seen in the following story.
“In a twinkling of an eye, he was gone.”
Monique Baker (42) was speaking about the tragic shooting
death of her husband, Kelsey, on January 9, 2006. It happened on the west side
of Detroit. The perpetrator has yet to be found. The shooting left three minor
children behind with no father. The Baker boys are Jeremiah (12), Emmanuel (10)
and Malek (6).
The Bakers were married for 12 years prior to the shooting.
This sudden death left Mrs. Baker fearful, grief stricken, and financially
unprepared. There was no place and no one to turn to but God. And it’s a good
thing she did!
In answer to her prayers, God sent a rescurer in the person
of Rev. Bill Milligan, a former pastor and a Detroit gospel singer. Rev.
Milligan had a good friend, Attorney Norman Yatooma of The Norman Yatooma
Foundation For the Kids. After sitting down with the Baker family, the
organization knew this devastated family needed their help. And help they did.
Their kindness was demonstrated by immediately initiating home repairs,
providing necessary clothing for the children, as well as gifts for the boys.
Equally important to the family are the regular follow up
phone calls from the Foundation to inquire about the family’s well being and if
they needed anything. But most important of all is the friendship and
understanding Monique receives from Andrea Yatooma, also a widow and one of the
dedicated staff members of the Foundation.
In my interview with Monique Baker, it was easy to see that
she is still grieving the loss of her husband. However, this mom who served in
both the Navy and the Army is quite a fighter. She hasn’t allowed widowhood to
sidetrack her from her destiny and purpose in life. At the present time, she is
attending Davenport University. Upon completion of one more class, she will have
her degree in marketing and plans to seek a career in this field.
In spite of the differences in their cultural backgrounds, I
wasn’t surprised to see the similarities these women experienced on their
widowhood journeys. They both lost their spouses in a tragedy. They both had
young sons at the time they became a single parent. And they both had to pick up
the pieces of their lives and start over again.
Although it was an uphill battle for both Andrea Yatooma and
Monique Baker, they knew they couldn’t give up. Their trust in God and their own
determination motivated them to push pass their pain and keep their families
intact. In the words of Andrea’s son, successful attorney, Norman Yatooma, “She
is a woman with an undying, unfettered commitment to her God and her sons like
none I have ever known.” If you ask Andrea Yatooma the key to her success, she
is quick to say, “I raised my sons on my knees.” Mrs. Yatooma dedicates three
days each week to serving For The Kids Foundation. When you ask Monique Baker
what advice she would give other widows when the bottom seems to fall out from
underneath them, Monique Baker says, “Be sure you are rooted and grounded in the
word of God.”
There are over 13 million widows in the United States alone.
This is just two of their stories.
YATOOMA’S FOUNDATION FOR THE KIDS
MISSION STATEMENT
To bring tenderness to tragedy and turn tragedy into
triumph for the families of kids who have lost a parent, by providing
practical, professional and personal assistance at each stage of the
grieving and recovery process.
For more information about how you can get involved with the
For The Kids Foundation,
Check out their website:
www.forthekidsfoundation.org
or call
888.987.KIDS(5437)________________________________________________________________________________________
WIDOWS WITH WISDOM SALUTES MRS. OSRENE FERGUSON
I would like to nominate Mrs. Osrene Ferguson for this
contest because of her faith in God and for having the will power that can only
come from God to continue on in spite of the loss of her beloved husband. God
led these two people together in 1992. She stands a mere five feet tall and
wears a real size five shoe! She stands tall in my eyes. A nurse by profession,
however, her beloved wanted her to be a full-time wife. So she left her career.
Her husband was a pastor and had five adult children when he
married Ms. Osrene Brummell. She was in her 40’s when they met and fell in love.
When he became ill, she stood strong, never leaving the hospital. He had won the
batter with bone marrow cancer, but lost the one when his kidneys felled. God
called her husband into his reward in 2004. There were many sleepless nights
because her husband was truly her best friend. Although she had the support of
his children and their grandchildren, something still was missing in her life.
They had been married thirteen years.
One day, Mrs. Ferguson received a phone call that she was
needed to help take care of a family member’s crack addicted baby, and she
stepped up to the plate. She would often have to take the infant out of the
services at church because of the constant crying.
Eventually, the Lord put it upon her heart to legally adopt
the child. Today she is a foster care mother, taking in those children who need
a place to stay while they wait for a permanent home. Not only does she take
care of these children, she is the Godmother of three girls whose parents are
also addicted to crack cocaine. These three little girls have been coming to
church with Mrs Ferguson since they were small children. Now they are
pre-teenagers. Two of them are twins and the other is the youngest. They love
being at her home and she enjoys having them there.
You will often see Mrs. Ferguson with her three girls, plus
her own adopted one, in church and at various other functions. These children
truly love her as she sacrifices by making sure they have the proper clothing
for school and church, as well as for everyday.
The foster children have so many emotional needs, but Mrs.
Ferguson has a lot of love to give. I don’t believe that she regrets one day of
having to take in her family member’s child. The children needed her and she
needed them.
Now Mrs. Ferguson has a project in mind to take care of a
home-bound patient as well. She let’s nothing stop her and is like the energized
bunny…she keeps right on going!
We pray along with eight other women five days a week at
6:00 a.m. in intercessory prayer. Mrs. Ferguson gets the ball rolling for prayer
and reading God’s word when we spend at least one hour sharing how Good God Is!
Submitted by Evangelist Denise Porchia
To contact Minister Mary Edwards and her support group for
widows, click on their website:
www.widowswithwisdom.
or call 313-341-4487.
