Obituary for Elthea Harmon Fletcher-Waters
God in his infinite wisdom called our Matriarch to her heavenly resting place on March 10, 2022 after a brief illness at Christiana Care Wilmington Hospital in Wilmington, Delaware.
Elthea Harmon Fletcher-Waters was born on May 23, 1925 in New Church, Virginia to the late Thomas and Ethel Harmon. She was educated in the public schools of Accomack County and was a graduate of Mary N. Smith High School. She then entered Cosmetology school, where she became a licensed beautician.
Elthea entered the workforce at Bird’s Eye Foods in Pocomoke, Maryland, where she retired after twenty years of service. In 1965, she gained employment with the Accomack County Schools and dedicated forty years of faithful service. Elthea was committed to her jobs. She would work during the day for Accomack County Schools and still do hair til the late hours of the night. She did this up until her retirement in 2005.
At an early age, feeling and believing that there was a missing link in her life, she joined Friendship United Methodist Church, now New Beginnings United Methodist Church, where she worked faithfully in several different capacities as a committed servant to Jesus Christ. Homecoming was her favorite time of the year, where she was able to reconnect with family and friends from Philadelphia and the “Back Home Club.” It was her responsibility as homecoming chairperson to make sure that the service was perfect. She will also be remembered today as the oldest member of the church. As a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, she served as their treasurer. She was also a member of the Civic & Charity Club and a Hospice of the Eastern Shore volunteer.
On January 25, 1950, she married her sweetheart, Sewell S. Fletcher. This union was blessed with a son and a daughter.
She loved to spend time with family, especially her grandchildren, traveling, planning bus trips, crocheting, doing word puzzles, and 2000 pieces jigsaw puzzles. Her 3-layer chocolate cakes were not only something her family looked forward to, but anyone who tasted a slice would always call her to see if she could make them one. Her family would also sit around and wait for the homemade ice cream to finish churning so they could dig in. Her favorite past time was spent beautifying her house and yard and she started making preparations for that time of year as soon as the weather started to get warm. If she could not go and get her supplies herself, anyone that came by ended up with a list to bring her porch and patio area alive with color. She would just sit and wait for anyone to show up so that she could display her handiwork in creating her own “Fletcherteague” as she affectionately named it.
She would always greet you with her “infectious smile” followed by a “how are you doing?” You never left her presence without feeling better than you did before you met.
Her kitchen was a classroom and the table was your desk. Her wisdom, knowledge, courage, strength, and encouragement were the tools she used to guide her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and anyone else that would come in, take a seat, and be willing to learn from her. Many lessons on life were taught and learned sitting there over a cup of coffee and cheese toast. No matter what the subject was for the day-the lesson she wanted you to learn was that “Things had to be done the right way because that’s what the Bible taught.” For her that was the bottom line for everything and nothing else mattered!
She was preceded in death by her husband of twenty-eight years, Sewell Fletcher; her husband of one year, Rev. Welton Waters; and her eleven siblings.
She leaves to cherish precious and lasting memories: two children, Elridge M. (Robbin) Fletcher and Adonica K. (Frank) Wilson; seven grandchildren, Elridge A. (Shekia) Fletcher, Eronn (Jennifer) Fletcher, LasShonda (Tim) Brown, Chesney (Richie) West, Shawn (Chassity) Wilson, Myles (Dashanna) Hudson, and Cameron (Anea) Wilson; twenty great-grandchildren, Alicia, Shane, Arianna, Amari, Amaya, Trinity, Vonte’, Tylah, Addison, Aden, Bryan, Akira, Zariyah, Ryan, Braylon, Shawn, Jr. “SJ,” Adrian, Julian “JuJu,” Arielle “Ari,” and Grace Angel Rose; one great, great-grandchild, Haisleigh Marie; special niece, Benita Miller; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives, and friends.
Elthea Harmon Fletcher-Waters was born on May 23, 1925 in New Church, Virginia to the late Thomas and Ethel Harmon. She was educated in the public schools of Accomack County and was a graduate of Mary N. Smith High School. She then entered Cosmetology school, where she became a licensed beautician.
Elthea entered the workforce at Bird’s Eye Foods in Pocomoke, Maryland, where she retired after twenty years of service. In 1965, she gained employment with the Accomack County Schools and dedicated forty years of faithful service. Elthea was committed to her jobs. She would work during the day for Accomack County Schools and still do hair til the late hours of the night. She did this up until her retirement in 2005.
At an early age, feeling and believing that there was a missing link in her life, she joined Friendship United Methodist Church, now New Beginnings United Methodist Church, where she worked faithfully in several different capacities as a committed servant to Jesus Christ. Homecoming was her favorite time of the year, where she was able to reconnect with family and friends from Philadelphia and the “Back Home Club.” It was her responsibility as homecoming chairperson to make sure that the service was perfect. She will also be remembered today as the oldest member of the church. As a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, she served as their treasurer. She was also a member of the Civic & Charity Club and a Hospice of the Eastern Shore volunteer.
On January 25, 1950, she married her sweetheart, Sewell S. Fletcher. This union was blessed with a son and a daughter.
She loved to spend time with family, especially her grandchildren, traveling, planning bus trips, crocheting, doing word puzzles, and 2000 pieces jigsaw puzzles. Her 3-layer chocolate cakes were not only something her family looked forward to, but anyone who tasted a slice would always call her to see if she could make them one. Her family would also sit around and wait for the homemade ice cream to finish churning so they could dig in. Her favorite past time was spent beautifying her house and yard and she started making preparations for that time of year as soon as the weather started to get warm. If she could not go and get her supplies herself, anyone that came by ended up with a list to bring her porch and patio area alive with color. She would just sit and wait for anyone to show up so that she could display her handiwork in creating her own “Fletcherteague” as she affectionately named it.
She would always greet you with her “infectious smile” followed by a “how are you doing?” You never left her presence without feeling better than you did before you met.
Her kitchen was a classroom and the table was your desk. Her wisdom, knowledge, courage, strength, and encouragement were the tools she used to guide her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and anyone else that would come in, take a seat, and be willing to learn from her. Many lessons on life were taught and learned sitting there over a cup of coffee and cheese toast. No matter what the subject was for the day-the lesson she wanted you to learn was that “Things had to be done the right way because that’s what the Bible taught.” For her that was the bottom line for everything and nothing else mattered!
She was preceded in death by her husband of twenty-eight years, Sewell Fletcher; her husband of one year, Rev. Welton Waters; and her eleven siblings.
She leaves to cherish precious and lasting memories: two children, Elridge M. (Robbin) Fletcher and Adonica K. (Frank) Wilson; seven grandchildren, Elridge A. (Shekia) Fletcher, Eronn (Jennifer) Fletcher, LasShonda (Tim) Brown, Chesney (Richie) West, Shawn (Chassity) Wilson, Myles (Dashanna) Hudson, and Cameron (Anea) Wilson; twenty great-grandchildren, Alicia, Shane, Arianna, Amari, Amaya, Trinity, Vonte’, Tylah, Addison, Aden, Bryan, Akira, Zariyah, Ryan, Braylon, Shawn, Jr. “SJ,” Adrian, Julian “JuJu,” Arielle “Ari,” and Grace Angel Rose; one great, great-grandchild, Haisleigh Marie; special niece, Benita Miller; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives, and friends.