BERTHA CORNELIA DERAMUS GADSON

GADSON, Mrs. BerthaCornelia DeRamus a former resident of Montgomery, AL departed this life Friday, April 29, 2011 inChillicathe, OH. Funeralservices will be held Saturday, May 7, 2011 at 10:00AM from First BaptistChurch, 347 Ripley St.Montgomery, AL with Rev.E. Baxter Morris, officiating.Interment will follow in Lincoln Hill Memorial ParkCemetery, Gadsden, ALwith Ross-Clayton FuneralHome, Inc., directing. Afamily hour will be held Friday, May 6, 2011 at FirstBaptist Church from 7-8 PM.Mrs. Gadson will lie in repose one hour prior to thefuneral service. Bertha began her education at Autauga County TrainingSchool and graduatedfrom Carver Senior HighSchool in 1955 in Gadsden,AL. She matriculated to Alabama State University,where she received theBachelor of Science degree in Business Educationand English, and her Master's degree and her Education Specialist degree inElementary Education. Shefound Christ at an earlyage and joined Mt. ZionAME Church in Autaugaville, Alabama. During herresidency in Montgomeryshe was a member of FirstBaptist Church under Rev.E. Baxter Morris. Bertha wasan active member of thecommunity. She was amember of the NationalEducation Association, Alabama Education Association, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (Gadsden Alumnae charter member) andCARATS, Inc. (MontgomeryChapter charter member).She was a retired elementary school teacher whoserved in leadership positions in the Professional Association of Gadsden Educators, the MontgomeryCounty Education Association, the Montgomery Association of ClassroomTeachers (past-President),the Southeastern RegionalAssociation of ClassroomTeachers (SER-ACT) (past-President), and the Alabama Association of Classroom Teachers (past-President), and was a memberof the Alabama EducationAssociation Board of Directors. A renowned educator,who served with honor anddignity, was loved and revered by students, parents,and administrators. Sheloved life, she loved people, and her life was a reflection of her passion, caring, and commitment toothers. Mrs. Gadson waspreceded in death by herparents, Dock Calvin andLillian Smith DeRamus, Sr.and one sibling, Dock C.DeRamus, II. Bertha leavesto mourn a loving husband, Johnny B. Gadson;two children, Saundra B.Gadson and Jonnetta D.Gadson, Esq.; and twograndchildren, MichalAlexaundra Gadson andAsher Madison Gadson, allof Chillicothe, OH. She alsoleaves to mourn two sisters,Dr. Tyna DeRamus Davis(Warren), Montgomery, AL,and Brenda G. DeRamusColeman, Opelika, AL; onebrother, Ranier Jharrod DeRamus, Montgomery, AL;one special cousin, who islike a brother, AdolphGoodson (Annie Jean),Washington, DC; threebrothers-in-law, RoszellGadson (Delores), WallaceGadson (Zell), and GeorgeW. Gadson, all of Gadsden, AL; one sister-in-law,Josephine Harrold, Gadsden, AL; one aunt, ArileeGibson, Wilmington, DE;one uncle, Willis CoolidgeSmith (June), Cincinnati,OH; three nieces, Dr. Wartyna L. Davis, Bloomfield, NJ,Patrice Gadson Kelly(Ricky), Griffin, GA, andPangela McGee, Gadsden, AL; nine nephews,Cedric J. Gadson (Sidney),Jonesboro, GA, Dr. WarrenL. Davis IV, Albuquerque,NM, Roszell L. Gadson, Jr.,Atlanta, GA, Albert M. Harrold, Jr., Gadsden, AL, Alton M. Harrold, Nashville,TN, Dock C. DeRamus III(Meghan), Derrick C. DeRamus (Sabrina), all of Birmingham, AL, Darius C. DeRamus (Rachel), Gadsden,AL, and Jewel Bryant Coleman III, Opelika, AL.; and ahost of other great-nieces,great-nephews, relativesand friends.