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Disclaimer:
This tree was drawn in the 1970's based on oral history.
There are a few known discrepancies. Family members are welcome
to submit updates or corrections for our growing family tree.
This tree drawing is a family memento.
 O'Kelley Crest |
August
24, 1957
Chicago, IL
Morgan
Park Seventh Day Adventist Church
Transcript
from “THIS IS YOUR LIFE” Celebration for Evelina O’Kelley Bush from her
pastor Kenneth Jackson
Sr.
Bush, I know you made those remarks on behalf of the church and I want
to thank them for their kind thoughts, but I want to thank you especially
for the time when I first came to Morgan Park.
You have been one of the best supporters of any program which I
have been behind. And since
I have been with the MV department you have been more active than ever.
Therefore, in appreciation for your good works, today: THIS IS YOUR LIFE.
Here to share it with you are many of the family as we could gather
together.
[Enter
family; record music “Jesus, Joy of Man’s Desiring; Family is seated]
I
understand that you have wanted to have a family reunion.
What better time and place to have a reunion than on the Sabbath
in God’s house.
Yes,
Evelina O’Kelley-Bush, presently active as a Deaconess
and Missionary Leader in the Morgan Park SDA (Seventh Day Adventist) Church.
Born near Natchez, Mississippi, November 7, 1887, the first of
ten children born to Dan and Rosy O’Kelley.
Your mother and father are gone now but you can look forward to
seeing your dear parents again -for back many years ago you were instrumental
in bringing them into the truth. Perhaps, all of you can sing together at Jesus’ feet, “Jesus,
Joy of Man’s Desiring.
You
were raised in a town called Magenta near Greenfield Mississippi and what
good times you did have there. Your
joy was working in the field and in the garden although sometimes you
had to work long hours in the field.
[Voice
of (her sister)Helen Pickens] …When we did work long hours Mama would
bring our meals out to us. [Enter
Helen Pickens and also Teresa O’Neil]
Oh,
the good old days of youth! But
youth is a time for school and so you spent several years in school at
Magenta. Ah, but youth also
is a time for love. Naturally,
there was a battle between love and school but love won out and you and
Thomas Carter went off to Louisiana and got married.
Back
in Magenta, you and Thomas carter were very devoted to one another.
You were blessed with two children and life smiled happily at all
four of you. You were moved
from Magenta to Hollondale, MS and from there to Greenville.
Tragedy
struck and your husband contracted tuberculosis and succumbed this dreadful
disease.
Things
just weren’t the same though and you packed your things and moved north
to Chicago and settled on Lake Street. By then, you had married again
to Edward Thomas. Robbins,
Illinois appealed to you and you purchased out there.
Hence, in 1924, religion played a bigger and bigger part in your
life and you became a member of the Baptist Triumph Church of God.
Despite this, you and Edward couldn’t see eye to eye.
You were divorced and again you were without a husband.
[Record
playing : “At Times Life This you Need a Saviour”
The
place you would expect to go to find peace and strength at a time like
this would be the church. But
what happened?…the Baptist Triumph Church
disbanded and you had to search for another place to worship.
Along came a Mrs. Chaver, who convinced you that Saturday was the
right day to worship. So
you joined the Mission Church of God in Christ.
Mr. Chavers was the Bishop and Mrs. Chavers was the Paster and
you were the assistant pastor.
Tragedy
returned in a consuming fire which
destroyed the Chaver’s home. Because of the huge loss, they were compelled
to return to Carymill, IL- their home.
For four to five years your carried on as best as you could, clinging
to the little light you had.
No,
in the Baptist Triumph Church , on the Mission Church of God in Christ
you didn’t find a Savior but God must have been leading, for you did find
Harry Bush, a man who would later on was to play a very important part
in your life. For in 1928,
wedding bells again rang and you were entered into Holy Matrimony a third
time.
You
still had your two children with you by your first marriage and the task
of raising them. Every resource
was used to bring them up correctly.
[Voice
of Nancy Reeves: Mama do you remember the job you had of breaking me of
sucking my thumb? (Nancy Reeves enters)- Evelina Bush:
Oh yes. Mother’s wit
won out]
Finally,
in 1938 Brother Robert White started holding tent meetings in Robbins,
IL. He too was a Sabbath
keeper and the message he preached intrigued you.
The difference in his message was he preached concerning the Second
coming Christ whereas Mrs Chavens had taught that Jesus had already come.
You accepted this message and your life of service really began.
Swayed
by the example of your life and a sincere inquiry on his own part, Harry
finally became an Adventist. Your
joy for him knew no bounds.
Though
you now had much smoother sailings in your own life, your children had
their problems. Beatrice
had married and looked forward to the birth of their first child.
[Voice
of Beatrice Thomas: We looked forward to the birth of our first child,
but to our sorrow he was born with spastic paralysis. (Enter Mrs. Thomas)]
I
understand that there was a family reunion in 1945. What a time , What
a time. You all sat down
to dinner but for some reason or another all of you got sick except your
fist cousin Mary O’Kelley. So
it became her job to get medicine to all the ill.
We
spoke a little of the services that you have performed for your fellow
man and we want to list a few more:
In
1950-52 your brother John O’Kelley became ill and you took the best of
care of him during his illness.
Three years ago your neice, Mrs. Williams, was ill for 9 months
and you took complete charge of the two children and ran yours and her
households efficiently.
At
one of the address in which you have lived in Chicago, there was a lady
on the fist floor who was blind and you made it your practice to go down
and clean for her. Another
lady lived in the front who was partially blind and an alcoholic on top
of this, and you tried to straighten our her life because she was a tale-bearer
and made up all sorts of accusations against you.
You
have shown that you believe in letting our light shine before men because
your brought your sister into the Adventist truth by giving her Bible
studies. I understand also
that on your recent visit to St. Louis, you also gave your sisters there
Bible studies. Now that was
a hard job- to give Bible studies to your own family.
Members
of your family who couldn’t be here wanted to share in this tribute to
you and I want to read their letters to you:
“….Sr.
Bush,
No
words nor money could express the appreciation which your family has for
the unstinted service you have given them; the appreciation which others
have and the appreciation which the Morgan Park Church has for the services
you have rendered. All we are able to do is offer you this permanent record
of the program today which we all know you will cherish.
And since gardening has been one of your favorite pastimes, we
give you some of the choice fruits of the garden….”
[Enter
Lonetta Reeves]
Mrs
Evelina O’Kelley Bush, This is Your Life!
[Record plays: Onward Christain Solders]
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(seated)
Evelina
O’Kelley Bush-L and her sister Hellen O'Kelley Pickens-R