Mrs Verna White

On August 22, 2022, in Shelton, Washington, Verna Meador White, aged 89, received the answer to her prayers when she finally met Jesus face to face. Verna was born July 25, 1933, in Memphis, Tennessee, the daughter of Homer Bratton and Margaret Booker Meador.

Mom was born the youngest of 10 children, 8 who survived childhood. Her family lived a simple life without many of the conveniences we take for granted today. Mom was 18 years old before living in a home with running water and a bathroom. She spent her childhood working alongside her parents and siblings as they raised livestock, gardened, and canned their food for the winter. Being the youngest child didn’t get her out of work as she was given tasks that were appropriate for her age. The one task she often mentioned was pumping water from the well. It didn’t matter the weather; it was her job to bring in the water, which wasn’t always done with the best attitude. She told the story of one winter day of her slamming the pump handle down and breaking it. She “innocently” went into the house and told her dad that somehow the handle broke. It wasn’t long before the pump handle was repaired, and mom was back pumping water. While her family spent much of their time working to provide for their basic needs, mom’s life was filled with love. Her older siblings were like parents to her; rewarding her with treats or discipling her if needed. She had an enormous amount of love and respect for her parents and siblings and the personal difficulties each endured. Mom’s childhood was difficult by today’s standards, but it helped develop her strong sense of family, willingness to sacrifice, and the value of hard work.

Mom did well in school and would say how important it was to have the right kind of friends who would encourage her to excel. But, hands down her favorite part of school was sports, especially basketball. Mom was considered a “tomboy” and loved to out play the boys in the neighborhood or at school. Her chief complaint about school sports in her day was that girls had to play half-court basketball. That really offended her! As kids growing up, mom would play baseball with us and the neighborhood kids. It’s really something to have the neighborhood kids knock on the door and ask if mom could come out and play with them! Mom continued to play softball into her 50’s until dad asked her to stop after a particularly rough game. Mom might not have played on a team anymore, but she was known to play baseball with her grandchildren and even great-grandchildren!

A side of mom many of you never knew was her love for shoes and matching purses. When mom worked in downtown Memphis, her bus stop was right in front of a shoe store. On payday she frequently came home with new shoes and a purse to which her mother would ask, “Where do you plan to put those?” Mom’s answer was always, “Don’t worry mama, I’ll find a place!” So, while you may see mom in pictures wearing the same dress, most likely she had on a different pair of shoes! Giving up fancy shoes and matching purses was a sacrifice that mom made as she married and started her family.

With the help of a family member, mom met our dad, Jim, in Memphis, and they married in September 1953. Dad joined the Army, and they spent time in Hawaii before returning to Memphis to care for her mother. Mom spent several years caring for her mother, and we (Jamie and Donna) reminded her of this when she worried about being a burden to us as we took care of her. We told her she only had herself to blame as we were following the example she set.

Over the next 15 years, mom and dad had six children—Jamie, Donna, Raymond, Richard, Daniel, and Jonathan. In the following years, sons and daughters-in-law were added to the family. In short order, 11 grandchildren were added to the clan, followed in later years by 15 great-grandchildren, with two more on the way. She loved her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren with her whole being. Mom loved babies and it didn’t matter who they belonged to! She would play with them in the grocery store, doctor’s office, church, wherever they could be found!

With six children to feed, mom spent a lot of time in the kitchen, and she was a good cook! Many of you have been privileged to eat at her table and enjoy her food. It wasn’t gourmet food—just good Southern food for your soul and stomach made with lots of love! When mom and dad were first married, dad decided he wanted cornbread. Mom had never made it, so dad got busy in the kitchen. Once it was done, mom decided “if he can do it, I’m sure I can do it better,” so she preceded to teach herself how to make cornbread better than dad. I can’t even begin to guess how many batches of cornbread she made over her life. I’m confident that she made at least one batch a week just to keep dad happy. We all had our favorites from mom’s kitchen, a few of which were fried green tomatoes, lasagna, fried okra (but only straight out of the frying pan), chicken and rice, Ortega chicken, cornbread, homemade ice cream, and any cake frosted with 7-Minute Frosting, especially the fresh coconut cake she and dad made at Christmas. I understand that many of you are particularly fond of “The Cake,” which seemed to be a required dish at church potlucks. You’ll all get a chance to enjoy a piece later at the reception.

Raising six children was a full-time job, but over the years mom also worked as a secretary for a business in Memphis as well as a church secretary in Citrus Heights. She and dad also worked as private contractors for FHA. Mom spent countless hours volunteering in the church nursery caring for children, women’s ministries, attending Bible studies, and helping her neighbors in whatever way was needed. She lived a life of service to her family, her church, and her God. As your children, mom, we thank you for your love and the many sacrifices you made on our behalf, many we’ll never know about. You made trips by train, bus, and car to help new mamas with their babies and spent hours babysitting each of our children. We’d like to think the best parts of you, and maybe some of the not so best parts, live on in us and our families.

Throughout her life mom enjoyed gardening, reading, and working jigsaw puzzles. Mom’s love of reading was passed down to her children. She read a book series by Eugenia Price and then passed along the books to us girls. The stories took place in areas of the South, particularly the state of Georgia. Mom, Jamie, and Donna were able to take a trip to the area and see many of the locations and landmarks mentioned in the books.

Mom and dad always had vegetable gardens. Some years they had gardens all around the area wherever someone had an empty lot available. Each Summer there were beans, tomatoes, and fruit to can, pickles to make, corn and peas to shuck and freeze. All that work didn’t just stay in their pantry or freezer at home, as many a jar of the finished projects made its way to Southern California, Washington, or across the street. Many of you were recipients of the produce from their garden even if you didn’t like zucchini! When mom could no longer work in the garden or flowerbeds, she enjoyed being pushed in her wheelchair to examine each flower and leaf.

Another one of mom and dad’s adventures was fishing. They spent many mornings at Folsom Lake fishing before dad had to go to work. Often on these morning fishing trips, they would take the preschool-aged children. On one such trip, the fishing had been so-so, but mom managed to land a good-sized fish. On returning home, a neighbor asked how the fishing went. Dad shrugged, but Ricky got very excited and told her, with hand gestures, “Daddy caught a little fish, but Mama caught a B-I-G fish!” On another trip, this time to Bodega Bay for several days of fishing and camping, a group of kids from several families went to the dock to fish for sunfish. Danny was the youngest and got upset because no one would give him any bait for his hook. He went back to camp with his hurt feelings and when questioned why he was back, he told mom he had no bait, and no one would share with him. Mom, ever resourceful, took out a package of bologna and cut it into worm-sized pieces and gave them to Danny. He went back to the dock and began catching fish, and then catching even more fish with those bologna worms. The big kids wanted him to share his “worms,” but he stood firm and refused. The best part of this fishing tale is Danny was the only one to catch any fish that day!

The last two months of mom’s life were not easy. It began with a fall that resulted in a broken hip, days in the hospital and in rehab, and the last few weeks in Hospice care. But through it all, she rarely complained. One day while still in rehab, she told me (Donna) she wasn’t sure all the work was worth it, and she asked me (Donna) to pray her to Jesus. While it was a difficult request to hear, how could we not do as she asked even when we weren’t ready to let her go? While in Hospice care, mom told one of her caregivers that “she needed to get her daughters in here to pray her to Jesus” because we apparently weren’t praying hard enough!

Please see your program for the long list of mom’s family members. While you aren’t listed as official family members, Pastor John, Janet, Johanna, and Jacqueline Kane, you were family to her. We’re so thankful you were able to visit with her while she was still able to enjoy her time with you. She was so excited about your visit. You were faithful in your ministry to mom, and she loved you all dearly.

There are many of you we’d like to thank for your commitment to mom, especially over the last four years after she moved from California. While we hesitate to list names for fear of missing someone, we’d like to thank June Roy, the Kane family, Nadine DeSmet, former neighbors, and the members of Christ Fellowship Church. Your faithful friendship to mom meant so much to her and our family.

Verna is survived by her daughter Jamie Timmins and her husband Craig of Columbia, Tennessee; her daughter Donna Hanson and her husband Rick of Shelton, Washington; her son Richard White and his wife Jacquelyne of Dayton, Nevada; her son Daniel and his fiancée Laura Jenkins of Carmichael, California. Grandma White is also survived by 11 grandchildren: Jim Timmins; Katie (Timmins) Ohlsen and her husband Mikael; Derek Hanson and his wife Alyssa; Brad Hanson and his wife Elizabeth; Jared Hanson and his wife Veronica; Dustin White and his wife Jessica; Ryan White and his wife Taylor; Chad White; Cody White and his wife Katie; Danielle (White) Bowden and her husband Joshua; and Rhad White. Verna's Great grandchildren include: Jimmy and Julia Timmins; Aidan (Wicab), Uzziah and Mikey Ohlsen; Laila, Landon, and Lydia Hanson; Tyson, Bella and Evie Hanson, Ava and Eli Hanson; Elliot White; Dean Bowden; in addition to two great daughters due in the coming months.

Verna was preceded in death by her husband, James, sons Raymond and Jonathan, her father Homer, her mother Margaret, and her siblings: Elise, James, Roy, Max, Margie, Hayden and Doris.

As we close, our family would like to thank each of you for attending today. Please join us in the Fellowship Hall after the service for a reception in mom’s honor as we continue to celebrate a life well lived. With that, we can’t think of a better ending than to say, “we prayed her to Jesus” and He answered her prayers.

Memorials may be sent to Gideon's International or The Alzheimer's As