Ethel Newsome

Ethel Nelia Mildred (Smith-Hill) Newsome was born on May 14, 1940, and peacefully and victoriously entered into the presence of the Lord on Friday, November 1, 2024. Ethel was the fourth child born to the late James Belton and Nelia Mildred Smith, in Hartsville, SC.

After the family relocated to Baltimore, Maryland, Ethel was educated in the Baltimore City Public schools. She graduated from Dunbar High School where she met Randolph Hill (affectionately known as Randy), whom she would later join in matrimony on July 19, 1958. To this blessed union, five children were born. Randolph also became a “dad” to Ethel’s first child, Michael Elam. Ethel was a loving and devoted mother and a phenomenal seamstress. She sewed a new dress and hat each Saturday to wear on Sunday. She also sewed robes for the choirs of her church. She was an avid reader, giving her children many books, and continuing the tradition of reading classical literature and Christian books to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Ethel’s favorite book was the Holy Bible which she read completely several times and applied it daily to her life. She also loved music and adopted the Voices of Canaan Baptist Church, Washington, DC, as her own “Singing Peeps”. And they loved and adored her as well.

Ethel was devoted to her Lord, accepting Christ as her Savior as a young woman, and attended Faith Baptist Church with her family. She later joined her husband at United Baptist Church until they moved their membership to First Baptist Church, Back River to support the ministry of Randolph’s brother, Pastor Isaiah Hill. Ethel later returned to her childhood church and remained active with various ministries there until she married James Newsome, and relocated to Burkeville, Virginia in 1979. She enjoyed visiting the sick, and wanted to bring them comfort in whatever way she could, particularly by mailing Our Daily Bread.

Ethel was employed in various positions, but accepted her career position at the Social Security Administration in 1966. She began as a Numerical Registry clerk, and was later selected to participate in the Federal Women’s Program. Under this program her responsibilities included advancing the skills of African Americans and ensuring their names were visible on the “Best Qualified” list of applicants. Her work was recognized, as she ultimately obtained the position of Equal Employment Opportunity Specialist. As an intelligent, industrious and business-minded woman, she was also an entrepreneur, selling various home cleaning products and jewelry. She instilled a disciplined work ethic in each of her children, reminding them that all of their work is as “unto the Lord”. Her work continued, after relocating, as a branch manager and claims representative in the Farmville, Virginia, Social Security Office. She was formally diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a disease that would only increase her faith and trust in God. She claimed II Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me” as her life affirmation. It was with this faith that she continued to work for Social Security until 1988, when she retired for health reasons.

Retirement was not the end of her career! She became a substitute teacher, a reading mentor for children, and assisted adults working on various college-level degrees, assisted with tax preparation, as well as Social Security forms. Always willing to reinvent and improve herself, she took courses in medical transcription and was tireless in her pursuits to be productive with the many gifts God had given her.

As the years progressed, Ethel watched the Lord increase her family, welcoming multiple generations. She doted on her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. The Lord’s goodness continued to be shown as she welcomed great-great grandchildren into her life and heart.

Ethel became a resident of the Amelia Nursing Home in 2018 and participated in many activities and constantly declared her love for the Lord. She became a watch care member of the Branches Runn Baptist Church when the pastor and deacons visited other members and enjoyed the encouragement she received from her church family. As her body declined further, and in spite of how she was feeling, her love for the Lord never wavered and she confidently declared, “All is well with my soul”. And it was.

In the late evening of Friday, November 1, 2024, Ethel slipped quietly home to be with her Lord. She had fought the good fight, finished her course, and kept the faith (II Timothy 4:7). Surely, a crown of righteousness was waiting for her.

Along with her parents, Ethel was preceded in death by her eldest sister, Mary Frances Johnson; her eldest brother, Rev. Reynolds Smith; and James Newsome; son, Randolph M. Hill, Jr.; and sons-in-law, Danny Henderson, I, and Barry Wilson.

She leaves to cherish her memory son, Michael Elam, four daughters, Lisa Henderson, Cheryl Wilson, Kimberly Hill, and Cynthia Dean who with her husband, Richard were devoted to her care for over 30 years; one aunt, Minnie Smith of Philadelphia, PA; four sisters, Edell Carter of Aurora, CO, Theola Moore of Baltimore, MD, Sandra McPherson (Bruce) of Raleigh, NC, and Dr. Bertha Gorham (Alphonso) of Durham, NC; one brother, Paul Smith (Deborah) of Baltimore, MD; eighteen grandchildren, thirty-one great-grandchildren, and three great, great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, family and friends. She also leaves a lifelong friend, Estella Bembry of Valdosta, Ga; one goddaughter, Tiffany Reynolds of Washington, DC, and a multitude of bonus children who were friends of her children throughout the years.