Mother Verta Mae Davis

Verta Mae Davis was born to Queen Esther Horton and Kater Atkins on April 3, 1931 in Cotton
Plant, Arkansas. She attended public school in Arkansas and when she was 15 years old, the
family moved to St. Louis, MO. She then had to quit school and start working to help support
the family. Due to the declining health of her mother, she had to assist in raising her younger
siblings.
Some of her initial jobs were working in the service industry and in private homes. She
eventually became a nursing assistant at Jewish Hospital and then moved to Cardinal Glennon
Hospital working the neonatal care unit where she retired from faithful service in the medical
field.
Verta accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior at the early age of 19 under the leadership of Elder
James L. Ward, Sr., former pastor of Kossuth Church of God in Christ. She subsequently became
a member of Kossuth COGIC (formally All Saints Gospel Feast Holiness COGIC, formally 507 S.
Jefferson), the church for which her mother was already a member. As a member of Kossuth
for over 70 years, she served faithfully in several ministries, which included the Prison Ministry,
Sunday School Department as an assistant teacher, Youth Department as a Sunshine Band
Leader, senior choir member, hospitality and an usher for a number of years. She was also a
member of the Holy Travelers Gospel Group and the Prayer and Bible Band ministries, who
went home to home praying and singing. She loved Kossuth Church; her pastor, Bishop Robert
D. Strong, Sr.; First Lady, Jaynes Strong, and the entire church family.
She had a servant’s heart, which included picking up church members who did not have
transportation and taking care of sick neighbors and the shut-ins of the church. She was a Bible
scholar, who was chosen by the pastor for several years, as his reader during the sermon. She
was faithful to her church and fulfilled the purpose of God in her life. She walked upright as a
righteous woman.
She made friends everywhere she went. She kept life-time friends while traveling on the train
back and forth to visit her children and grandchildren in Baton Rouge, LA and Dallas, TX. All the
saints at her second church home at St Andrew COGIC in Denton, TX where she had become a
mother and friend to many will miss her.
As the matriarch, Verta had a strong love for her family. Her focus was keeping the immediate
and extended family connected, encouraging all to accept Christ into their lives. She introduced
her grandchildren to the Lord by taking them to Sunday School and church. She was the
beacon of light, and an example of consistency and unwavering faith. Being known as the
prayer warrior she was, even the grandchildren took notice of her prayer life and strived to be
like her.
Verta was strong and independent and raised her children and grandchildren the same in a
God-fearing environment. Her love for her family was only surpassed by the love for her God.

Whether locally or out of town, she made it a point to attend all family events, including family
reunions and graduations of her children and grandchildren from elementary to law school.
Verta was preceded in death by her parents and was the oldest of 10 siblings. Eight siblings
preceded her in death which included Renard, Martha, and Keith, and five did not live to
adulthood. Her husband, Elvin Davis, also preceded her in death.
She leaves to rejoice in her homegoing and to cherish her memories: her brother, Gary; her
daughters, Linda and Sheila; her son, Craig (Arddeenia); grandchildren, Antonio (Santa),

Antwan, Dorothy, Ernest II, Dakarai, Kelsey, Perry Jr. (Angela), Shyla, Sommers; great-
grandchildren, Antonio Jr., Treyvon, LiShayla, LiShira, Brandon, Ernest, and Kailyn; great-great-
grandchildren, Jorden, Eden, Erin, and Ramir; God sons, Eld. Albert Harris and Eld. Kenneth

Williams; her Kossuth Family and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Verta loved the Lord, was a faithful servant and a dedicated and loving sister, mother,
grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother, aunt and friend.

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