- Date Of Birth: September 15, 1923
- Date Of Death: February 3, 2023
- State: Maryland
Elizabeth’s journey began on September 15, 1923, in the small village of Rossville. She was born the fifth girl and the twelfth child in the family of the late Neval M. and Edmund P. Gibson. The family would eventually have fourteen children. As was common in many families, she was named Elizabeth Pearl after her mother’s eldest sister, who was also known as “Wi Bess”-the matriarch of the Hall branch of the Smith family. To her family and friends, she was affectionately known as “Lizzy’ or “Aunt Liz”, but, to her beloved “Winnie”, she was “Lizbet”.
Reared and nurtured in a strict Christian home, Elizabeth attended Queen’s Chapel M.E.
Music was always a part of her spiritual journey. In 1950, Elizabeth and her sisters, Louise, Neval and Eleanora formed a quartet-the Gibson Family Singers. Later, her brothers Philip, Emory, Edmund and Earl, and cousin Hampton Conway, Sr. would join the quartet. Sister Mary Elizabeth Smith was the pianist, and Phil was the director. The group’s signature song was “We Are Soldiers in the Army”. While Eleanora was the lead for many of their songs, Elizabeth was the lead on the Negro spiritual “Great Day”.
Educated in the segregated schools of Prince George’s County, she attended the Muirkirk School No. 2, housed in the current home of the William F. Smith, American Legion Post #235, named in honor of her uncle. She then attended Lakeland High School in College Park, 1D-one of only two high schools in the county for blacks.
It was at Lakeland that she met her husband, William Jiles Day, Sr., also known as “Winnie”. The couple was married on July 12, 1946, by Rev. Levi Miller. The union was blessed with three children-William Jiles Jr. “Butch”, Brenda Diane, the only girl, whom her father lovingly called “Muff”, and Philip Ralph “Jack”. For a time, the family lived in Muirkirk; then, in 1951, they moved to Bladensburg, MD where much of the Day family lived, including Winnie’s beloved mother, “Big Mama”. Due to the frequent flooding in the Bladensburg area, the family returned to Rossville to share the home of her parents with her sister Neval and her family.
Elizabeth’s career started at the Department of Agriculture where she cleaned glassware in the laboratory. She retired after 30 years of service. Her motto was “I have to keep moving”. So, after retiring, she kept moving by working for District Photo, Capitol Office Park, and Queen’s Chapel United Methodist Church, serving as Sexton with her son-in-law Willie.
Never one to be idle, she volunteered at Queen’s Chapel, assisting the Church Administer first Yvonne Hollis and then Sarita Edwards, who would affectionally call Elizabeth, Veronica Harnsberry aBd Brenda Maxwell the “Thursday Lovelies”. In her twilight years, Elizabeth enjoyed becoming friends with these young ladies.
Even though she was a working mother, she still found time to prepare homemade meals for her family. While Saturday might mean hot dogs and beans, Sunday was fried chicken, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, fresh greens, and homemade desserts. Butch’s favorite was macaroni and cheese mixed with stewed tomatoes.
Following in the footsteps of her friend Rose Harrison, Elizabeth made homemade rolls as well as cinnamon buns for activities at church. Every holiday she took great pride in baking rolls and buns for her family and friends. Her other specialty was “Muirkirk Baked Beans” a must-have at local picnics.
She continued to drive and remained independent at 99. Elizabeth loved to drive herself to the grocery store, Kohl’s, and the nail salon. On any given day, Lizzy and her sidekick, Aunt Sarah, could be seen traveling the local roads. Her favorite hobby was bowling.
Elizabeth loved to travel.
A great deal of her travels was associated with her membership with the Naomi Household of Ruth No. 3769 Grand United Order of Odd Fellows. Elizabeth loved the fellowship and friendship she shared with the sisters of the Lodge.
She cherished your time with her family, having Thanksgiving dinner with Jack, Lilly and the kids was a yearly tradition, however, Christmas was always spent at her home in Muirkirk. Another of her favorites was movie night with Jack and his family. No matter how loud the surround sound was Grandma could always sleep through it.
Elizabeth was a caretaker to many-especially her grandkids. Butch, Brenda and Jack knew that their kids were in good hands as long as they were with Grandma. While Brenda worked the night shift, she prepared meals for Winks, Stephen, and her great nephews Ray, Kenny, Rodney, and Rich.
Every day Elizabeth demonstrated how to live and then, how to die with grace and dignity. She decided to spend her final days in home hospice care surrounded by her loved ones.
During her last communion at home, she wanted Rev. Butler to read the 23rd Psalm, a scripture she read daily. Every day she would say, “I am alright, and I am ready”. On Friday, February 3, 2023, her journey ended where it began, in the home where she was born, and where her parents reared their family in the small village of Rossville, the last of the four teen children. God blessed her with 99+ full years of life and each of us was blessed to have shared them with her.
She was preceded in death by her husband William, Sr. and son William Jr. She leaves to cherish her memory, Brenda Pickett (Willie), Philip Day (Lillian); one and only godson Reginald Gibson, Sr. (Tamaria); one daughter-in-law, Maria Day; nine grandchildren, Michael Day (Rebecca), Victoria Elizabeth Peterson (Vernon) and Rosemary; Giovanni, Shantay and Stephen Pickett (Tameeka); Brent Carroll (Tyra), Tia Deloatch (Joseph) and Vera Day; eighteen great grandchildren; seven great, great grandchildren; special friends, Sara Dodson, Vera Brown, Elizabeth Smith, Alice Wilson, Joyce Love, Gladys Jefferson and Mary Day; and a host of niece, nephews and friends.
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