Evelyn Christine (Wiggins) Blake

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CELEBRATION OF LIFE 

January 7, 1929, at 6:30a.m. in Leeds, Alabama, a baby girl (and only child) was born to parents William E. Wiggins and JennieWee (Goodgame) Wiggins. They named her Evelyn Christine Wiggins. JennieWee pasted away when Evelyn was an infant and it was decided that she would be raised by JennieWee’s family and more specifically, her Aunt Julia and Uncle Sill McComb a.k.a. Mom and Dad. Two years later the family increased with son Sill Jr. and four years later Clara. 

Evelyn loved music! She loved to sing and took piano lessons, as a youth. In no time she was playing the piano at church, Mt. Calvary Baptist, Leeds, Alabama and was able to accompany choirs and local music groups in Alabama like the Melody Chorus.  She attended Leeds Elementary & Junior High School and graduated from Rosedale High School in Birmingham, Alabama. After that she went off to Nashville Business College and graduated. She enjoyed traveling (road trips) with her friends one of her favorite trips was to Niagara Falls.        

In Leeds, Evelyn and Thomas A. Blake knew each other growing up and later married. They moved to Cleveland, Ohio and began their life as a family. To this union three children were born: LaGreta, Thomas A. Jr. (deceased) and Vivian L. 

Music was a major part of her life. Mom shared her love for music with her children, she taught us songs as a group and individually at home. She was a pianist and choir director at several churches and Gospel groups in the Cleveland area like ‘The Choraliers’, ‘Jordanaires’ and ‘Jordanaire Jrs.’.  Evelyn was a member of Mt. Calvary Baptist, Leeds, Alabama, Corinthian Baptist Church, East 55th Street, Cleveland, Ohio, was affiliated with Sacred Trinity Missionary Baptist Church, Reverend Kelvin Blake, Pastor. Along the way, she studied (2Timothy 2:15), she attended the National Baptist Convention of Christian Education. Evelyn earned a Certificate of Completion from the Evangelistic Outreach Ministries, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.  At the time of her passing her church of record is First Community Baptist Church, Reverend Timothy H. Blake Jr., Pastor.  

Evelyn, for a short time, worked for Cleveland’s City Hospital (now known as Metro Hospital) and then for Cuyahoga County Dept. of Family Services, as a Home Maker and later promoted to the position of Home Maker Supervisor. After more than 25 years of service she retired and devoted her time to First Community Baptist. She was very instrumental in getting the new church built. She served as Mother of the church, Minister of Music, Superintendent of Sunday School, teaching Bible Study, Mission Board, Musician for the Senior Choir. Evelyn liked working word search puzzles, loved playing Domino, she loved sports her favorite was basketball, the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James. She loved the color RED - red anything - when her children were young, she made some of their clothes, home decor and made the best homemade biscuits and Chicken & Dumplings. 

On the morning of August 6, 2022, at 9:25am Evelyn Christine Blake drew her last earthly breath and bid good-bye to pain and suffering. 

Evelyn was preceded in death by her husband Thomas A. Blake Sr., son Thomas A. Blake, Jr., Parents and grandson Stephen J. Blake. 

Left to remember are daughters LaGreta Blake-Smith, Detroit, MI, Vivian L. Lemons (Larry D.), Solon, Ohio, sister, Clara Rose, Cleveland, OH, cousins Ella Mae Anderson, Pomona, California and Dorothy Nolan, Chicago, Illinois.

Grands: Dr. Ramsey L. Smith (Madelina), Washington D.C, Larry K. Lemons, Solon, Ohio, Elie Baldwin Cleveland, Ohio, Evelyn Williams, Cleveland, Ohio.

Great Grands: Alexandria M., Genevieve D., Austin P., Jashaud, Kylon, Leighton.

Two Brother-In-Laws: Timothy Blake Sr. Leeds, Alabama, Wilbert E. Blake (Corine) Cleveland, Ohio, and Sister-in-Law Alice Blake, Cleveland, Ohio.

Also left to remember are a host of nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, devoted Daughter-in-law Joette Wade, Loyal family friend Heather Mamood, her church family, friends. Special friends: Sis. P. Brown, Sis. Williams, Sis. N. Bickerstaff, Sis. McCoo, Goddaughter Brittany T. Brown-Terrell.

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