Elma Phyllis Bolds Sterling

Elma Phyllis Bolds Sterling, a long-time resident of Fresno and co-founder with her late husband, Feltus LeRoy Sterling Sr., of the Sterling Funeral Home, passed away on July 4, 2007 in Paso Robles, CA. She was 92. Elma was born on November 22, 1914 to Alphonse Joseph Bolds and Alice Elizabeth Arnold Bolds in New Orleans, LA, along with her twin sister, Irma. She attended Sisters of the Holy Family Convent School in New Orleans through high school, graduated Cum Laude in 1937 from Xavier University, also of New Orleans, with a BS in chemistry, and then taught school in Donaldsonville, LA. In 1944, Elma moved to Oakland, CA and worked at the Naval Supply Station in Alameda. She and Feltus married in November 1947 in Oakland, and the couple had five children. In 1947 the Sterlings moved to Fresno, and established the Sterling Funeral Home in 1949. At the funeral home Elma served as co-manager, secretary, and Lady Attendant in the Louisiana tradition. They operated the business until Feltus passed away in 1998. Always dedicated to social and community values and politics, she was a strong supporter of the Fresno community, the national political process, and the Civil Rights movement. She marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, Alabama in 1963, and she worked at Fresno-area voting polls every election. In February 1969 she was appointed to the Fresno City Council, becoming the first African American to hold that position. Elma was a member or officer of multiple organizations, clubs, social groups, and professional associations, and was a life-member of the NAACP. She was a faithful member of St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, and also attended Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church and St John's Cathedral, all of Fresno. She relocated to Paso Robles in 2004 and lived in the loving care of her daughter and son-in-law Consuelo and Charles Meux until she passed. She is preceded in death by her husband, Feltus, and a daughter. She is survived by: four children, Cynthia Ann Sterling, Fresno City Council, District 3; Consuelo Sterling Meux, PhD, of Paso Robles; Feltus LeRoy Sterling Jr., Assistant Program Manager, Mortuary Affairs, US Navy, Waukegan, Ill.; Alphonse Christopher Sterling, PhD, NASA, currently residing in Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan; Son-in-law Charles E. Meux, daughter-in-law, Mercedes Sterling; grandsons, Felix Sterling-Hawkins, Galen Sterling-Smith, and Stephen Naylor; her twin sister and brother-in-law, Irma Elise Bolds Evans and Timothy Evans of Oakland; multiple grandchildren, and a host of relatives and friends. Remembrances may be made to Palm Memorial Funeral Chapel, Fresno, California. Financial contributions will be shared with Elma's favorite charities and may be forwarded to the Feltus and Elma Sterling Fund, Premier Valley Bank, 8355 North Fresno Street, Fresno, CA. 93720. KUEHL-NICOLAY FUNERAL HOME Paso Robles, Ca. (805)238-4383