Elese Folley

Elese Folley

"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life:
he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live."

John 11:25


Elese Folley of Buffalo, New York transitioned from her earthly life to eternity on January 21, 2014, shortly after her 87th birthday. Born on January 4, 1927, she was the daughter of the late David Hamilton and Edna Berry of Eufaula, Alabama.

Elese was a young bride - at age 16, she became the wife of Mr. Tommie Lee Folley. Together she and Tommie were blessed with one daughter, Genette. The year following their marriage, Elese and Tommie relocated and made their family home in Buffalo, New York where Elese began her work career. She held positions with the Red Cross and Catholic Charities and retired from Roswell Park Cancer Institute in 1992. Her beloved Tommie preceded her in passing on April 12, 1990.

When she wasn't working outside the home, Elese was a "homebody" whose family was her first love. She helped to raise generations of her family and instilled the love of God in her only granddaughter Angela. Angela recounts how her grandmother Elese would cuddle her close to her warm chest and read her the Bible and explain the gospel message to her. Elese truly loved the Lord - much of her quiet time was spent in devotion. She became a member of Faith Baptist Church under the pastorate of the late Reverend Roscoe Mitchell and actively participated in auxiliaries of the church.

Elese was especially proud of the generations of women in her family - her daughter, granddaughter and great granddaughter. They all lived together in the family home which was the center of everything, including the family discussions that would always take place at the kitchen table. Her deep love and devotion extended to her numerous nieces and nephews as well.

Elese's favorite hobby was shopping and she loved dressing. Church hats, clothes, shoes and jewelry were her passion and she wore them all well.

Elese's treasured memory and the values and life lessons she taught will live on in the hearts of her granddaughter, Angela Carpenter; her great granddaughter Keenya Wilson; son-in-law Bishop Joseph Lee Miller (the late Genette); 9 nieces; 2 nephews; 28 great nieces and nephews; 49 great great nieces and nephews, and 3 great great great nieces. In addition to her parents and her husband, Elese was preceded in passing by her only child, Genette (Folley) Miller; two brothers, Foy Lee Berry and Arthur Jordan, Sr.; son-in-law Rollin Carpenter (Angela), and nephew Foy Lee Berry, Jr.