Bessie Mae Burney-Lewis

Services will be at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, at the Greater Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, 646 Lakewood Ave., for Mrs. Bessie Mae Burney-Lewis, 94, who transcended to her heavenly home on Aug. 1, 2018.

Mrs. Lewis was born July 11, 1924, in Youngstown, a daughter of the late Obediah II and Beulah Calhoun Burney.

She was a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School and had attended the Community College. She had been employed by Mahoning County Social Security Office as an intake officer, retiring in 1999. She had also been employed by the Urban League in the Outreach Department. She was a faithful member of the Greater Friendship Missionary Baptist Church where she was a member of the Senior Ushers Ministry for 60 years. She loved cooking and traveling. She was an outgoing person and was passionate for caring for her family and friends.

She leaves to cherish her memories and rejoice in her peace, her children, Marion Claiborne and Cornelius Lewis, both of Youngstown, Beulah Chance of Orlando, Fla., Evangelist Rachel Clark of Liberty, Thomas F. Lewis Jr. of Youngstown, Mary Esther (Arosco) Duboise of Solon, Deborah Ivory of Austintown, Elder Jerome (Juliana) Lewis of Youngstown, Lynn E. Givens of Boardman, with whom she made her home, and Darlene Stanford of Youngstown; 21 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, and church family and friends.

Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas Edward Lewis, who passed away in August of 1971; four sisters, Helen Burney, Irene Ellison, Waneda McQueen and Beatrice Burney; four brothers, twins Eli and Elijah Burney, William R. Burney and Obediah Burney III; grandparents Rev. O.B. and Nancy Burney; and great-grandmother Gertrude Mills.

Friends may call one hour prior to the services, from 10 to 11 a.m. at the church on Tuesday.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Bessie Mae Burney-Lewis, please visit our floral store.