Obituary of Earnestine Watkins
January 22, 1942 - September 26, 2019
The late parents, Willie Ethel Dickerson and Norwood Eugene Dickerson created Earnestine Watkins, formerly Earnestine Dickerson, in Oakland, Tennessee. During Earnestine Watkins’ youth, she earned the highest grades obtainable at John Adams High School in Cleveland, Ohio, danced on the majorette teams where she loved to twirl batons and graduated two years in advance above her classmates. Unable to find work, because of her young age, she packed up and moved to Monroe, Michigan – the place where her first, only and then fiancé Ronald found and married her, in a holy matrimony, on Saturday, June 15, 1968. In wedlock, Earnestine birthed four offsprings; Victor Eugene Watkins, Rochelle Lee Murden, previously Rochelle Watkins, who married Carl Murden, Holly Shalee Watkins and Aaron “Adubb” Lance Watkins. Victor begot Brandon, in wedlock to Shawnetta Murry-Watkins, Rochelle begat William and Tyrese, Aaron begot Gianna, and Gianna begat Micheal the III. Her siblings, Betty, Ella and Eugene Dickerson who married Jonna A. Dickerson - actively participated in all of their lives, whether directly or indirectly. When she turned the tender legal age for employment, Earnestine worked as a nurse with Frenchtown Healthcare Center and later labored as a contract worker with Independent Building Maintenance at Detroit Edison (DTE), in Monroe, Michigan, until she reached retirement. Retirement yielded some free time for her to love on her children and other families, even the more, from the Southwest to the Midwest and throughout the East Coast of the United States of America, which she carried out joyously.
Earnestine continued to enjoy her lifestyle. In some of her spare times, Earnestine designed and planned weddings. At weddings, onlookers and attendees marveled and smiled with glee at how she beautifully crafted carnations out of Kleenex - with her clean and pretty hands. She delighted herself in how polished, neat and tidy she kept her house; she, also, was overjoyed that she turned it into a home for her and her family. When someone needed a place to stay - she welcomed them and opened her home as an extended olive branch. Her other charities of love, smiles, hugs, financial contributions, clothes, foods and car rides - etcetera etcetera - reigned supreme with members of Monroe’s various communities as people still raved enthusiastically and remembered glowingly that she shared her good, kind and sweet spirit, and tangible blessings with others.
Earnestine, a born natural giver, loved to improve the lives of those whom graced her presence. She followed the scriptures in the bible, unequivocally and told most individuals about God and the Lord Jesus. She informed and encouraged as many people as she could to link up with God, go with God, love God, do right in life, get right with God, love everyone and live saved by God, unceasingly and often told almost everyone, “Hello Honey, I love you and God bless you.”
Additionally, Earnestine, wholeheartedly, believed in family first, under God, with God and in God. She valued and cherished every nanosecond spent with her children, grandchildren and great grandchild and loved to give, from her heart, to them, as well. Her most fervent and earnest desire was to spend eternity with all of her children and God, together. Another one of her greatest desires was that everybody made it into Heaven and lived there with God forever. Her favorite songs included, “Oh Lord I Want You to Help Me,” (her own version, of course), “Good Good Father,” by Chris Thomlin and “Who You Say I Am,” by Hillsong Worship. She packed her weeks with lots of cool activities. She fished, travelled on greyhound throughout the United States sight-seeing and visiting family members and friends, exercised with gym equipment, planted flower beds and vegetable gardens, picked fruits from different trees and snacked on them, canned and jarred almost every kind of foods she could get her hands on, cooked cuisines and full course meals, visited churches and ministries, attended several bible studies and showed up to her doctors’ appointments. On Monday and Tuesday nights, she watched WWE also known as Worldwide Wrestling Entertainment, Incorporated and nearly the entire town knew about it. On Sundays, she watched church ministries and sang along with gospel choirs on the television. She practiced the Sabbath Day, daily. She served God with all of her Spirit, soul, heart, mind and body and she wanted everyone to know about it all.
- The End.