Funeral Service of Alberta Williams

Among my family papers file I have several items about people that I do not know, but who were known by my family members. I am sure many of us have such files too. I was looking through my files this evening and found a funeral program for Alberta LaSaine Williams. Alberta was a member of my grandmother’s church in New York, the First Church of God in Christ. The officiating pastor at her funeral was Bishop F. Clemmons, co-pastor was Ithiel Clemmons. I’ve posted about Ithiel before.

Alberta lived from May 26, 1914 – March 12, 1970.  She was the daughter of Katie Lino and James LaSaine of Georgetown, Georgetown County,  South Carolina.  Alberta moved to New York in 1936 and moved to Winston Salem in 1940 where she married Herbert L. Williams and would have five children. She moved back to New York in 1951 and joined my grandmother’s church in January of 1964.   Alberta is buried at Bethel A.M.E. Cemetery in Georgetown, SC. There is a transcription of the cemetery on the Georgetown SCGenWeb page, but Alberta is not listed. There is an entry on Find-A-Grave with her headstone.

In typical fashion of my grandmother, her funeral program is marked up, but it has valuable information in it!

I then proceeded to do further research and some background on the LaSaine family:

• in 1910, her parents James & Katie are newlyweds, having gotten married about 1909, and they have their first child, James Jr.  They live on Meeting Street.
• in 1920, Alberta is enumerated with her parents in Georgetown, SC, and siblings James Jr., Brock (??), Thaddeus, and Lydia.  Her father’s occupation is as a chauffer to a private family. They lived on  Meeting Street.
• by 1930, father James has passed, and widow Katie and kids (including Alberta) lives with son James Jr., still on Meeting Street

It appears Alberta’s sister may still be alive, so I think I will send this to her (or maybe her family that may be living there) for them in case they would like to have the copy.   And, though this is not a Music Monday post, my grandmother noted on the program that the solo sung during her service was hymn “When They Ring These Golden Belles for You & Me.”  Here is a rendition of the song by James Phelps.

Update: I asked my mother about her and she VERY much remembers Sister Williams. She said the whole projects knew her!