Dorothy Jeannette Saunders Overton

On October 4, 1911, Dorothy Jeannette Saunders was born in Roanoke, Va., to the late Stacious T. and Neoda Ware Saunders and on Friday, August 15, 2008, she died at the Raleigh Court Health and Rehabilitation Center. She was number one of the 10 Saunders' children. After living in New Jersey/New York for most of her adult life, she returned home for her retirement years. Dorothy was preceded in death by her mother; father; husband, Zion; brothers, Willard, Thurman, Earl, Jerome and Alfred; and sisters, Margaret and Pauline. At the time of her death, she was the second oldest member of Jerusalem Baptist Church where she was a former member of the Usher Board, member of J. Eugene Young Mass Choir, telephone caller for the business of the choir, assistant to the kitchen committee and member of the Rose Butler Brown Missionary Society. In 1995, she was recognized as Mother of the Year by the Jerusalem Baptist Church Missionary Society.
Family and friends were extremely important to her. Although she received and demanded a great deal of attention, she very freely gave attention to others. She loved and was greatly loved. As an outstanding cook, she sent Christmas cookies to her siblings and their friends, made cakes and rolls whenever she thought someone somewhere may desired a piece of cake or a roll. Her holiday dinners were works of art, her spaghetti was outstanding and it was best to get out of her kitchen as she did not want nor need any assistance during the preparation of HER food.
Our beautiful lady is survived by her daughter, Barbara Early Brown; her sisters, Florence Saunders Farley and Ludie Joan Sims; nieces, Angela Wyche, Sandra Roselle, Elaine Green, Cynthia Foucher, Ingrid Dudley, Linda Saunders-Lawson, Monica Pinkney and Stephany Sims; nephews, Madison Lacy, Earl Saunders Jr., Willard Saunders, Sterling Saunders Sr., Donald Saunders, Michael Saunders and Eric Sims; 29 great-nieces and nephews; 45 great great nieces and nephews; one great great great niece and one great great great nephew; first cousins, Arlean W. James and Ellen W. Shovely; and numerous other relatives and friends.
Her transition from life to death to life everlasting was comforting and a miracle to witness. She took center stage at the hospital and despite her "quick smart mouth and agile brain" she became, as her physician, Dr. D. Wiggins called her "the star patient." She made close friends with the nursing staff at Carilion Medical Center and the Raleigh Court Rehabilitation, learned their routine and praised them for the good services she received. She never became disengaged from her daughter and sisters and shared only positive thoughts and emotions with them about the past and present but never spoke of the future. It was as if she was still their protector and she wanted to spare them from the painful aspects of viewing physical suffering.
Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Friday, August 22, 2008, at Jerusalem Baptist Church, 1014 Norfolk Avenue with the Reverend Floyd Gregory officiating. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the services at the church. Friends may call on Thursday afternoon, August 21, 2008, for viewing at Hamlar-Curtis Funeral Home. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.Hamlar-Curtis.com.