Obituary for Evelyn L. Saunderson
Evelyn Louise Saunderson-Agidi was born to Catherine and Robert Owen Fowlkes in Crewe, Virginia on January 2, 1945. She was their oldest child. Evelyn was raised in Crewe Virginia by her grandparents, Gertrude and Robert Fowlkes and later joined her mother, Catherine in New York City where she spent most of her adult life. Filled with the Holy Spirit she joined New Bethel Baptist Church at an early age and accepted God in her life.  A loving and devoted mother, grandmother, sister and aunt. Evelyn answered the Lord's call on Tuesday, December 16, 2008 while visiting with her daughter in Charlotte North Carolina.  Evelyn attended elementary school in Virginia and public school in New York, where she graduated from George W. Wingate High School in 1963. She worked part-time for Metropolitan Life Insurance Company while attending high school.  She joined Chase Manhattan Bank after graduating high school and spent over 25 years with the company, working in various data processing functions. During her career at Chase, she received various recognitions for outstanding work and worked her way up to a supervisory position.  Evelyn had two sons, Curtis and Clifton Hilliard from her first marriage to Willie Hilliard. She loved and cherished her sons and deeply mourned the death of her younger son, Clifton who preceded her in death. Evelyn later married James Saunderson in Brooklyn, New York and they later relocated to Freeport, New York. From this blessed union she had the daughter she always wanted, Joy Saunderson. Joy was born just before Thanksgiving Day and Evelyn called Joy her "precious gift" from God.  Evelyn and her family relocated to Greensboro, North Carolina in 1991 after her retirement from Chase. In Greensboro she became a real estate investor and business owner and this kept her very busy. She owns various properties and shared her entrepreneurial skills with her daughter Joy and niece Kim, who followed in her foot steps. She had planned to be the first "Donald Trump" of the family.   Evelyn loved her family and enjoyed spending time with with her grandchildren whom she adored. She also cherished memories and often laughed about a Caribbean cruise she and her family took together with her sister, Alice and her family. The joke was that her husband, Jim had a broken foot and her nephew, Troy, a broken arm and all eyes was on the family as they boarded the cruise ship hopping on a crutch and an arm in a cast. She had such fun and enjoyed that vacation.  Evelyn had a heart of gold, helping everyone she could. She touched many with her kindness, deeds and compassion. She freely gave of herself to others in need. After the passing of her sister Elaine Scott in 1997 she took on the role as a second mother to her niece, Kimberly Scott.  She also adopted a family while in Greensboro and became mother and grandmother to Sharon Kerr and her children, Sharese, Nadia and Dennis.  She was the comedian in the family because she always made you laugh. She had a passion for "shopping for rare, one of a kind items" that included clothing, jewelry, books, dolls etc. She enjoyed seeking out and discovering new items. She became known as the "flea market queen" because she lived in the stores. She later turned this passion into her own business and opened a clothing store in North Carolina which she ran for over 10 years.  As a result of Evelyn's love for people, later in her life she decided to pursue the medical care field and opened an Adult Care Faculty business, "Caring Hands of America". She spent a great deal of time and effort establishing this faculty. She later remarried and together with her husband, Daniel Agidi she actively participated in this business until she became ill.  Evelyn and her family attended various churches in Greensboro. God was the center of her life.  Those she leaves to celebrate and smile over happy memories are: her husband, Daniel Agidi, Greensboro NC; son, Curtis Hilliard, Brooklyn, NY; daughter, Joy Saunderson, Charlotte NC; brothers, William O. Fowlkes, Jamestown, NC and Timothy Berry, Blackstone, VA; sisters Alice Barnes, Brooklyn, NY and Gwendolyn "Tinee"  Richiez, Winston Salem, NC; , grandchildren, Kurtis Hilliard, Christopher Hilliard, Deshawn, Hilliard, Jazmine Hilliard, all of Brooklyn, NY; nieces, Michelle Dunkley and Kim Scott; nephews, Michaell Fowlkes, William O. Fowlkes Jr., Andre Barnes, Kenneth Scott, Xavier Barnes, Troy Barnes; daughter in law, Kisha Hillard; brother in law, James Barnes; grand nieces, Pia Barnes, Dana Fowlkes, Shena Fowlkes, Cherise Fowlkes, Jasmine Dunkley, Jada Dunkley; grand nephews: Michael Fowlkes, Justin Fowlkes, William Jr. Fowlkes, Fabian Dunkley and a host of other relatives and friends.Â
Family will receive friends Friday, December 26, 2008 at the funeral home from 6 until 7 pm.
Funeral service Saturday, December 27, 2008 at 11:00 am at New Bethel Baptist Church, Crewe with interment in the New Prospect Baptist Church Cemetery, Blackstone.
W.E. Hawkes & Son Funeral Home of Blackstone in charge of the arrangements.
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Family will receive friends Friday, December 26, 2008 at the funeral home from 6 until 7 pm.
Funeral service Saturday, December 27, 2008 at 11:00 am at New Bethel Baptist Church, Crewe with interment in the New Prospect Baptist Church Cemetery, Blackstone.
W.E. Hawkes & Son Funeral Home of Blackstone in charge of the arrangements.
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