​​Merlice Yvonne McIntosh Henderson

Merlice Yvonne McIntosh Henderson exuded a quiet intellectual elegance and a fierce determination to educate and impact those who met her along her journey.  In Key West, Florida, she was one of 9 children.  With a keen sense of self and desire to travel, she set her sights on becoming a missionary.  The ambition was nothing new to this child of Bahamian immigrants.  As a child she was an athlete, with a special interest in basketball. Along with her sisters, she traveled the state of Florida as the gospel singing group The McInstosh Sisters.  With her ever-present focus to move beyond the island, Merlice was recruited by Mary McLeoud Bethune to study Sociology at Bethune-Cookman College. Always ready to meet the spiritual and physical needs of those she met, she was honored to sing for an ailing Ms. Bethune at her bedside.  Interacting with a woman who also sought to be a missionary, to educate and help others was also very affirming to Merlice.  

When war broke out, Merlice traded in her BS for her MRS and married James Joseph Henderson, Jr. While he was serving in Burma and other parts of Europe, Merlice joined other women to support the war efforts at home.  It was during this time that she also became one of the primary caretakers of her ailing mother.  This passion to help others readily extended to the family and community, as throughout her life, Merlice worked in the school system, was the superintendent of the Sunday School in her beloved Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, and became the go to caretaker of countless grandchildren, grandnieces, grandnephews, godchildren, and community children.  In 1991, Merlice found a lump in her breast.  As she told it, “Spirit woke me up ‘fore day in the morning and told me to get Jimmy (her husband) to check my breast.  He carefully examined me as he did all our children (he was our go-to bush doctor) and discovered a large lump. He called my daughter Orissa and together they decided I needed to go to Miami to see the doctor.”  That would prove monumental as she was discovered to have a malignant tumor the size of a lemon.  She underwent a mastectomy, radiation, and chemotherapy, battled, and won her fight against breast cancer.  She was 70 years old.  With her new “tattoo,” ever the educator, Merlice began what turned out to be her quiet outreach to young women who were concerned about or newly diagnosed with breast cancer.

In 2005, Merlice and Jimmy left Key West for Hampton, Virginia to live with their daughter Gail.  Her move found her once again joining Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, this time in Hampton.  She was able to spend time with her grandchildren, extended family, and her eldest son Salathiel as her home became the hub for frequent gatherings.
In September 2010, two weeks after her husband recovered in the hospital from a stroke, Merlice was taken to the emergency room due to some acute discomfort. After extensive testing and emergency surgery, she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer of the uterus.  There was a pilgrimage to her hospital room by family and friends from all over, holding vigil in her room praying for her breakthrough.  However, two weeks later, on September 30 after arriving home from the hospital the night before, Merlice took her last breath and journeyed on.  Her husband, having lost his partner of 69 years died 13 days later.

Janet Elizabeth Blunt (10/29/1955-9/1/2020)

Janet Elizabeth Fletcher Blunt departed this life on Tuesday September 1, 2020 surrounded by her family. She was born on October 29, 1955 to Jerry and Betty Fletcher in Georgetown, SC. The family later relocated to Vicksburg MS. Janet was a devoted Mother to her two sons, Adrian and Jeremy. She loved them with all that she had and sacrificed so that they would never be in need. She had a special place in her heart for a son of her heart Marlin whom she loved like her very own and was very proud of. She cherished any opportunity to spend time with her sons and would often call just to say “What are you doing?” She was the epitome of a great mother, always with an attentive ear and supportive word.  
The love Janet felt for her children seemed to pale in comparison to the love she bestowed on her three grandchildren Joelle, Aiden and Gabrielle. Her “JoJo”, “Digs” and “Gabby girl” were the apples of her eyes and they in turn doted on their Nana.  From weekend sleepovers, impromptu snack trips to the grocery store, to picking them up from school, Nana was only a phone call away.  During the last months of her life, she was happy to spend time with and love on her new grandson David. 

Janet was the proud big sister to her only sibling Kathy. They shared an amazing relationship where their love for each other knew no bounds and was evident if you ever had the honor of seeing them together or hear them speak of each other. 

Janet was an avid fan of the Phoebus Phantom Football team while her son Jeremy played on the team and became their number one fan when he became Head Coach. Janet could be found in the stands at every game in her Phoebus Blue and Gold paraphernalia cheering at the top of her lungs and voicing her displeasure at the referees even louder. The highlight of her game night would be when she walked onto the field after each game to greet the players and get hugs from, “her boys.” Janet was a compassionate nurse and prided herself on giving her patients the highest quality care she could. She spent most of her nursing career serving our Military personnel at McDonald Army Community Hospital in Fort Eustis Virginia where she began working in 1990. Janet worked in the PACU for 25 years and made many life-long friends who she cherished dearly. 

Janet was a faithful member of Macedonia Baptist Church for over 30 years. She was a member of the Music Ministry, Youth Ministry, Vacation Bible School, and Women’s Ministry. One of her biggest contributions was as a care partner for other members of the congregation who were on the same cancer journey. Janet was always only a phone call away to accompany them to chemo treatments, listen on rough days and offer assistance in any way.