Funeral for Mrs. Celeste Baker, 87 of Memphis, Tennessee will be noon, Friday, August 8, 2014 at Berean Missionary Baptist Church in Memphis with the Reverend Dr. Edward Parker Jr. officiating. The body will lie in repose two hours prior to funeral and visitation will be from 11-12 at the church. Inhumation will be held at 4:00 pm, Saturday at Sterrs Cemetery in Decatur, Alabama.
Mrs. Celeste Leonard Baker was born in Manama, Arkansas on April 23,1927 to the late Quallie Lee and Carrie Beatrice Leonard. Celeste confessed her faith in Christ at Mandell United Methodist Church in Chicago, Illinois and later became a member of Berean Missionary Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. She was an active member of the choir.
Celeste graduated from St. Mary’s High School. She attended many colleges and obtained many degrees. She also attended Academy of Beauty School in 1958. She worked as a beautician, dietician and seamstress.
At the age of 19 she married the late J. C. Bryant and two daughters were born to this union, Patricia Ann Williams and Gloria Dean Weatherly. She also married Willie D. Baker who preceded her in death.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husbands, one sister, Irma Jean Spears, three brothers, Governor, Q, and Leroy Leonard, one grandchild, Rayvone Williams and son-in-law, Ralph Weatherly.
Celeste leaves to mourn: two daughters, Patricia Ann Williams of Holland, MI and Gloria Dean Weatherly of Decatur, AL; one sister, Ollie Birks of Chicago, IL; one brother, Carol D. Leonard (Myrtle) of Rayville,
LA; nine grandchildren; twenty-one great grandchildren; seven great great grandchildren; two aunts, Florence Coakley and Jessie Mae Hines of Chicago, IL; one special life-long friend, Juliette Crumb (Jimmy) of Memphis, TN; nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Flower Attendants and pallbearers will be relatives, friends and church members.
