Rosalee Young

ROSALEE BETHEA THORNTON YOUNG
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose Romans 8:28
On October 22, 2025, the angel of mercy came from heaven and spirited our dearly beloved, Mother Rosalee Young home to be with the Lord. Affectionately known as "Mother" to all who loved her, she was the daughter of our late Church Mother, Mother Gertrude Bethea Richardson and Mr. Clement Bethea, born April 3, 1947 in Trenton, New. Jersey.
Rosalee graduated from Trenton Central High School in 1965. She was employed right after high school by the State of New Jersey Department of Motor Vehicle and later by the Department of Pensions. Rosalee met and married Benjamin J. Thornton, and was blessed with four beautiful children, the apples of her eye.
Mother Young was an in-home teacher for children with disabilities from the Eggerts Crossing Community Center along with her sister Pastor Gertrude Leonard. She was also a representative for the City of Trenton Youth, and member of the Parenting Partners Training Center of Princeton New Jersey.
She later went to work and retired from the United States Navy, Naval Air Warfare Center in Ewing, New Jersey starting there as a Clerk-typist and rising in rank to Program Analyst/ Administrative Officer, the youngest African-American Supervisor.
While at the Naval Air Warfare Center, Mother Young continued her education at Mercer County Community College and the Graduate School of the Department of the Navy. She also met and
married the absolute love of her life, Mr. Billie Young, Sr. they were a match truly made in heaven and lived a most romantic love affair. They were blessed to raise their combined families together with so much love until you never knew whose children were not their birth children.
Mother Young was an avid reader, who enjoyed the Word of God and taught the Word, spoke the Word and lived the Word. Mother Young continued the work of her Mother by becoming the Chairperson for the New Holy Cross Church Scholarship Committee, which was founded by the late Mother Gertrude Bethea Richardson after Mother Richardson became ill.
She began her Christian walk by accepting the Lord as her Savior at the age of eighteen, at the Holy Cross Church under the leadership of the late Bishop J.B. Walker, founder and Pastor, during a Revival with Evangelist Daisy Matthews. There she grew in the sincere worship of God, Mother Young the Praise and Worship Songs best of all. Her greatest role models included her mother and sisters who were devout women of God.
As a young woman, she held almost every position in the church, Sunday School Teacher, Sewing Circle, Bible School, Vacation Bible School, Church Clean-up, Youth Department Leader and on Saturday she could be found working in the Holy Cross Church Dinner. She also worked for Upward Bound at Trenton State College (TCNJ). These were never "chores" just work for the Lord. She was an original member of the Holy Cross Church Rainbow Choir, Usher Board and Youth Worker.
As an adult, her love for the Lord matured and she continued to work for the Lord. Her work with the Children's Ministry was a labor of love and for the Bereavement Ministry her "calling". Mother Young was the founder of the New Holy Cross Church Bereavement Ministry after the death of her beloved husband Billie and she was a listening ear to those who were hurting.
Mother Young was called to the Work of Ministry after the seemingly untimely death of her beloved husband Billie. She knew that the hurting and grieving people of the church and community needed her and this was where she was to work. She cried with them and loved on them, until they were able to move forward.
Mother Rosalee Young loved education and the Word of God, in that she attended the United Christian Institute and received her Doctorate of Sacred Theology Degree and continued to teach the Word of God. She was a dynamic speaker, but most of all she was a lover of people. Many children called her "Mom and Auntie."
Mother Young is predeceased by her parents, Gertrude Bethea Richardson and Clement Bethea. Her BELOVED husband, Trustee Billie Young, Sr., the father of her children, Mr. Benjamin J. Thornton, Sr., her sisters: Pastor Gertrude Leonard (John) and Mother Juanita Leonard (Joseph), Sister Magnolia Johnson (Roland) her brothers: William, Clement, James, Frank, Carl, Dennis, and Richard Bethea.
Mother Rosalee Young leaves to cherish her memory, two sons, Billie Young, (Jeanne) of Gulfport, Mississippi and Benjamin J. Thornton II (Michelina) of East Windsor, NJ;
three daughters, Minister Anita Donna Rodgers, of Greenville, South Carolina, Erica Saunders of Chesterfield, Virginia, Jannie Thornton-Franicevich of Trenton, NJ.
Eleven Grandchildren, Dana Marie Thornton of Greenville, South Carolina, Shelby Gibson of Ewing, NJ, Brandon Bethea of Virginia, Jonathan Bethea (Elis) of Trenton, NJ, Ashlie Baker of Ewing, NJ, Amber Franicevich of Skillman, NJ, Christopher Lee of Ewing, NJ, Kether, Isaiah and Kaylah Thornton of East Windsor, NJ and Alicia Young of Gulfport, Mississippi.
Fifteen Great Grandchildren (her little darlings) Deon, Jaylen, Mya, Isabelle, Lukensy D'or Jr., Christopher Lee Jr., Eleanor, London, Faith, Skylar, Jonathan, Carmelo, Lauren, Daelen, and Brandon.
Her sister Mrs. Deanna Adkins (Richard). Her nieces and nephews who became her children and a niece, who was more of a daughter, Minister Zelarie Salaam, her God-daughter Sister Candida Riley and friend Sister Phyllis Walker-Jones. And last but never least, her "Best Friend Forever" (BFF), Her Confidant and Sister In Christ, Sister Rose M. Day; as well as a host of relatives and friends.
Sorrowfully Submitted,
The Family
Funeral services for Rosalee Young of Ewing, NJ, will be held Saturday, November 1, 2025, at New Holy Cross Church of Christ Written In Heaven, 500 East State Street, Trenton. The viewing will begin at 9am, followed by the funeral at 11am.