Mamie Rush Townsend

Life ReflectionsMamie Rush Townsend was born on March 12, 1943 in East St. Louis, Illinois. She was the eighth child born tothe loving union of Rabbi Rush and Oberia Owens Rush and Oberia Owens Rush. Mamie was preceded in deathby her parents and her brothers Albert, Willie, Linton, Clinton, John, and her sister Lillie Mae.Mamie was reared in East St. Louis, Illinois, educated in the East St. Louis Public Schools. She graduated asValedictorian from Lincoln Senior High School in 1960 and continued her education at Southern Illinois Universityin Edwardsville, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Education. She was an exceptional student who earned excellentgrades and even participated in a spelling bee broadcast on the local television station. She was a well-respectededucator for over thirty years, serving students in the parochial schools of St. Louis, Missouri and the public schoolsof Charlotte, North Carolina. She could often be found tutoring her grandchildren, finding creative ways to help themsuch as sending her their homework by email, setting up conference calls to work math problems with them and even creating her annual "Granny's Summer Reading Program" in her home over the long summer months.Mamie accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior at an early age at the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church of East St.Louis under the leadership of Rev. L.T. Phinnessee. She was a true child of God and a dedicated member of His kingdom.Mamie lived a life of dedication to her Lord starting each day with prayer and a devotion, her favorites being written byPastor Charles Stanley. Her strong faith was shown in her daily walk with God and she trusted Him in all things and forall things.Mamie met her loving and devoted husband, Moses, In East St. Louis, Illinois. He lived around the corner from her homelocated on Baker Street. One day, she and her father, Rabbi, stopped by to visit Moses and his family. He says he wassmitten...snd so was she. After a five-year courtship and upon his return from service in the Army, they married on April16, 1966. To this union three beautiful daughters were born: Miriam Alice; Mary Magdalene and Maria Nicole. They recentlycelebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and had planned to take a long desired trip to Martha's Vineyard, an anniversary gift from their girls. Her life centered on her husband and her daughters and she loved them dearly. Gospel music was oftenplayed in the home and she could always be found cooking in the kitchen or sitting at the dining room table working her cross-word puzzles. She raised her children to fear the Lord and stressed the importance of education. All three of her daughtersare graduates of the Historically Black College and University, Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, FL and are working in fields that are a direct reflection of the values she deposited in them.They relocated to St. Louis, MO two weeks after getting married and settled in their home in the suburbs of Webster Groves, uniting with the Fifth Baptist Church under the leadership of the Reverend Dr. Clarence J. Duvall. They later joined the West Side MissionaryBaptist Church under the leadership of the Reverend Dr. Ronald L. Bobo where she actively served as a Sunday Morning Bible Studyteacher, using her gifts in teaching in the Children's Division. She was passionate about the Word of God and many children came toknow the Lord because of how creative she was at teaching God's Word.She also served as a dedicated missionary of the Women's Missionary Union at West Side as well as the Berean District. Her passion,however, was cooking meals for the sick and the shut-in and doing whatever else she could to help the poor and needy. Affectionately called "Granny" by her grandchildren, she became "Granny" also to the countless homeless youth she met along the way, offering meals, clothing and toiletries and she always shared with them the Gospel message. The day of her sudden death, she had just delivered a fresh batch of her popular cupcakes to the "In His Image" feeding ministry at her church. She baked weekly and delivered each week, often soliciting the help of her grandchildren who would do the decorating and accompany her to deliver them to the church. Mamie workedselflessly and tirelessly, always putting others needs before her own, and remained responsible and diligent until the end.Mamie was a true blessing to many and will be greatly missed. her silver gray hair is a symbol of the wisdom she departed into the livesof those who confided in her and sought Godly counsel. Mamie's honesty, integrity, intelligence, and kindhearted nature will be eternallyetched in the hearts and minds of those who knew and loved her.On Friday August 12, 2016, in the still hours of the night, our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend answered theMaster's call. Surrounded by her loving family, Mamie went home to be with her Lord. She now dwells in His safety.Mamie leaves a great and lasting legacy that will continue to live on through her loving and faithful husband, Reverend Moses D. Townsend,Jr.; her daughters Miriam M. Townsend of Webster Groves, MO; Reverends Mary M. (Mel) Adou Gbougbo of Manchester, MO and MariaN. (Carlos) Jones of Charlotte, NC; eight grandchildren: Yolanda Nicole, Sydney Nicole, Mary-Katherine Nicole, Lola Maria, Olivia Simone,Noah Yed Townsend, Naomi Meliane Rush and Elisha Esmel Townsend; sister Katherine Greer of Centerville, IL; brothers Raymond (Jackie)Rush of Dayton, OH and Ernest (Regina) Rush of Shiloh, IL; in-laws Lena Rush of Florissant, MO; Margaret Rush of Cahokia, IL; Betty Rushof Dallas, TX; Lenora (Freddie) Townsend of East St. Louis, IL; Pearl Onyemelukwe of St. Louis, MO; Lora Walker of Chicago, IL; Gertrude(Charles) Preyar of Chicago, IL; Jesse Haire of East St. Louis, MO; Bess Lindsay of Chicago, IL; special friends Deacon David and Carolyn Johnson; her godson Roderick Davis of St. Louis, MO; her West Side Missionary Baptist Church Family and a host of nieces, nephews,relatives, colleagues and friends. Interment:J.B. National Cemetery2900 SheridanSt. Louis, MO 63126 . Visitation Thursday, Aug 18, 2016 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM Westside M.B. Church 4675 Page Blvd St. Louis, Missouri 63113 Funeral Service Thursday, Aug 18, 2016 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Westside M.B. Church 4675 Page Blvd. St. Louis, Missouri 63113