Mother Mary Ethel Eaddy went home to be with the Lord after many years of faithful service as the Mother of New Light Beulah Baptist Church.
The Women’s Ministry, in conjunction with their 8th Annual Three Day Celebration at the Women’s Conference Brunch on Saturday, September 19, 2015, presented Deaconess Wilean Grant Middleton as New Light Beulah’s succeeding church Mother.
Mother Middleton has always been a woman of strength humbling herself before her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She has always been respected by her family and friends. She was born August 3, 1928 to Deacon Samuel and Marie Hall Grant, Sr. She was the tenth of seventeen children. She attended both Siloam School and Webber High School. While attending Webber in 1939, Mother Middleton accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Lord and Savior and joined Siloam Baptist Church. She went on to do extensive work in the churches of Lower Richland.
Mother Middleton married her high school sweetheart, John Albert Middleton on December 14, 1952 at the home of Deacon Samuel and Marie Grant, her parents. They started a family with the birth of the eldest on January 9, 1954, John Allen Middleton. Five additional children were born before 1962. Those five were Alonzo Ivan, Juliet Ramona, Doris Jean, Stanley Leon and Shirley Ann.
Mother Middleton was very involved in the secular education of her children. She often made uniforms for various activities. She was elected secretary of the Hopkins High School PTA. She was invited by Horrell Hill Elementary to teach students how to plant and care for a garden. Gardening is a hobby and labor of love for this industrious woman.
When her last child entered school, Mother Middleton chose to work outside of the home. She worked in the home of Dr. and Mrs. Lenon Belsar, J&G Foods and finally Square D Company. She proved to be a dedicated employee everywhere she worked.
Mother Middleton transferred her membership to New Light Beulah in 1955. At that time, she accepted the position of Sunday School teacher. Shortly thereafter, she was recruited to become a part of the Jubilee choir and served as President by Mrs. Maggie Hayes during the mid-1980’s. Today she is no longer President, but continues to serve on the Jubilee choir and makes every effort to be supportive whenever possible. Mother Middleton’s Christian service continued as she became a Deaconess at the church on August 31, 1969. She made it her business to be a missionary of Jesus Christ by often visiting nursing homes and leading them in devotional services. Additionally, she has been and continues to be a caregiver for a number of individuals in need of help.
If you know the Lord Jesus Christ, certainly you will recognize that Sister Wilean Grant Middleton is a child of the King that has demonstrated and continues to demonstrate (daily) the character and love of the Lord.