EDITH MCCALLA MEMORIAL FUND

Edith McCalla was a pioneer of her time; she loved people especially children. She dedicated her whole life caring for her family and her community. Edith was a strong believer in the word of God and she lived by His words daily. She taught her family to honor, trust and rely on Jesus. Edith was a loving, kind, forgiving and loyal woman who worked sacrificially to support her family. Everyone who knew Edith honored and respected her greatly. She believed in family values and did not compromise in any way. Edith believed very strongly in education and always encourage her family and other young people to get an education. She was very industrious and would help others to develop their skills. Edith's better known family would like to honor her legacy by setting up a memorial fund to help young people to realize their goals through education and to be a contributing citizen within their community.

“God saw the road was getting rough the hills were hard to climb he gently closed her weary eyes and whispered peace be mine.”

We are all gathered here today to celebrate the life of a wonderful woman. Mrs. Edith Agatha McCalla.

Edith McCalla most of us more affectionately known her as “Sista Gat,” was born on the glorious day of June 28, 1908 to Jusilla Watts and Henry Douglas in Dry hill St Catherine Jamaica. Edith McCalla was one of five brothers and sisters. Edith had always been a warm, loving and caring woman, she had a love for animals and riding horses was one of her passions. She believed strongly in education, she believed that everyone had a purpose in life, and she made her purpose well known, she was here to be the person in everyone’s life that you could depend on, she made sure that no one went hungry, there was no such thing as strangers in her eyes everyone was welcome as family and she believed strongly in God to carry her from day to day.

Edith Agatha Douglas was married to Neville McCalla the father of her 11 children.  At the age of 20 Edith gave birth to her first child Granville Mccalla, and soon after gave birth to Hazel Mccalla Smith, Bernice Mccalla, Enid McCalla Sealy, Eunice McCalla Patrick, Carmen McCalla, Winston McCalla, Gerlin McCalla Bell, Victor McCalla, Edgar McCalla and Latimore McCalla who passed at the young age of four. Edith McCalla was a wonderful mother, the matriarch of her family, she was blessed with the good fortune to live long enough to watch fifty of her grandchildren grew up and have children of their own. Edith helped to raise many of her grandchildren such as Pam, Eileen, Angie, Annie, Jeff, Sharon, Beverly, Maureen, Michael, Ivorine, Yule, Jacqueline, and Aretha. Edith raised her grandchildren as if they were her own; she instilled the same values in them that she had instilled in her own children. She was a no nonsense woman, she was a strict disciplinarian she had a way in which she would give a child who was misbehaving a single look and a nod of her head and they would know that she meant business. And when it came to religion each child spiritual development was of the utmost importance to her, she made sure that every morning at 6 am the grandchildren would wake up and recite songs and learn verses from the bible. Everyone had a chore to complete before heading off to school and on Sunday mornings everyone attended church where they all actively participated. Edith was a member of the Bellas Gate Anglican Church, where she was very active. Edith sang on the church choir, and was instrumental in raising funds for the church.

Sista Gat spread her love in every way she knew how through her crochet quilts that she spent precious time making; each one had her individual love wrapped inside. We are thankful for every birthday we were blessed to have shared with her. We are not to be sad but to rejoice and be exuberant because she is now in a place of higher glory. Edith McCalla was an angel walking on earth among us and now she has been given her wings and will forever watch over us. 

Although this passing was unexpected and senseless, Edith Agatha McCalla will live on forever in our memories. Our lives were enriched through all our personal encounters with her and she will never be forgotten. Through all tragedies one must gain (find) strength and courage and now is the time we will need them the most.
 
“She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies sashes for the merchants. Strength and honor are her clothing; she shall rejoice in time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness. She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed”
Proverbs 31 24:28.

She was a woman of virtue, strength, honor and integrity our mother and grandmother, Edith.

 

---

 

Fund Administrator:

• Maxine McCalla-Mapp

 

---

 

Donations:

All donations to the Edith McCalla Memorial Fund (a division of CHARITYSMITH) are tax deductible in accordance with federal tax laws. Donations can be made using one of the following secure methods:

• By mail: send your donation check payable to:
  Edith McCalla Memorial Fund
  c/o CHARITYSMITH Nonprofit Foundation
  PO Box 10750, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110


• At Wells Fargo Bank: donations can be deposited directly to the Edith McCalla Memorial Fund. For account information, please contact CHARITYSMITH at 800-276-6546.


• Gift Card: Donate in honor of someone and we will mail a gift card directly to your family, friends, or business associates telling them you’ve made a donation in their honor. Make a Donation

• By phone: donate with a credit card by calling our office at 800-276-6546.
• Online: donate with a credit card or your PayPal/Google Checkout account by clicking one of the links below. Please note: PayPal deducts a small transaction fee from each donation. CHARITYSMITH is a Google grant recipient, and Google Checkout does not deduct a transaction fee.

• Thank you for your tax-deductible donation to CHARITYSMITH's Edith McCalla Memorial Fund.

• You will receive a receipt by mail within one month of your donation.

  This memorial fund is established as a division of CHARITYSMITH Nonprofit Foundation EIN 87-0636433. CHARITYSMITH is dedicated to the creation and governing of memorial endeavors. All donations are tax deductible in accordance with federal tax laws.  If you have any questions regarding this donation or memorial fund, please contact CHARITYSMITH at your convenience.