Myretha “Marie” Deramus

Myretha “Marie” Deramus passed away quietly on May 30 , 2022, after God granted her wish to be with her family on her 86th birthday, May 29, 2022.  Marie was born to the late James Henry Jones and Lula (nee Richardson) Jones on May 29, 1936 in Florence, Georgia. She was the mother of a son, Karl and a daughter, Renita (who preceded her in death). She was also preceded in death by siblings Brenda, Effie and Thomas.

Marie, as she was known to family and close friends, migrated with her family to Cleveland, Ohio in the 1940s. Following in the path of Lula’s trail blazing brother, Eddie Richardson, James and Lula were among the very first members of their family to migrate north.  Subsequently, they opened their doors as a temporary home for the many relatives that followed them north. Marie was baptized at the family’s church, Gethsemane Baptist Church, in 1954 by Reverend C. T. Colvin

 Marie was educated in the Cleveland Public School System.  She was a basketball enthusiast her entire life. She was a star player on the Goodrich Settlement Girls’ Basketball team when she was a teenager.  The team won the semifinals one year and they were honored at the old Carter Hotel where Marie received the MVP award and a bracelet for her achievements. 

 She became a Licensed Practical Nurse in 1960 and became a Registered Nurse (R.N.) when she graduated from Cuyahoga Community College with an Associate Degree in Nursing in 1971.  She received a letter of certification for the Phase One completion of the Primary Health Practitioner Program, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University in 1973. Her employment experience included Mt. Sinai Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital, and the Glenville Health Association where it was her privilege to work with Dr. Edgar Jackson and Dr. Doris Evans, founding physicians. After serving  many years in the field of nursing, Marie retired in the fall of 1997.

She was an excellent cook and was well known throughout the family for her highly anticipated delicious annual Christmas cookies. 

She leaves to cherish her memory her son, Karl (Valicia), her granddaughters, Krishauna and Karla; her siblings, Harvey and Gonella “Dee”; her aunts, Emma Austin and Macie Davis; nieces, great nieces, nephews and great nephews, cousins and a host of other relatives and friends throughout the United States and Canada.

Due to the unpredictability of Covid 19 and its variants, a private  memorial service will take place on June 18, 2022, 10:30 am at Thomas G. Smith Funeral Home, 14601 St. Clair Avenue 44110.  Face masks required. The service will be livestreamed as well and can be accessed by going to:  Thomas G. Smith Funeral Home in Cleveland Ohio  on Facebook. 

 In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a memorial contribution be made in Myretha’s name to: Straightway Bible Fellowship Church, Benevolent Fund, P.O.Box 21429, South Euclid, OH  44121.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The extended family of Myretha “Marie” Deramus would like to thank those who faithfully called her, sent her cards, sent her messages through her siblings, sent surprise gifts and flowers during her last years as her health declined. The family knows that she would want to give a loving thank you to her niece Stephanie, “Steppie”, as she fondly referred to her, for the love and care she gave her before she became homebound, while in the nursing home and during her stay in hospice. We thank you for the prayers during the difficult days. A special thank you to Pastor Michael Crawford, Pastor Elijah Spann and the Straightway Fellowship Bible congregation for sharing the Word, bringing her communion and coming in person to pray with her when she became housebound. We will always be thankful and grateful to Pastor Crawford for rushing to pray with her in the ICU in those final days. May your hearts be lifted, your sincere desires met, and your souls filled with Light, Joy, Peace and Love. 

Humbly Submitted, The Family