EDELLE BYRD MARCUS was born May 22, 1929 in Timmonsville, South Carolina. She was the youngest of 15 children born to the late Ernest Byrd, Sr. and the late Dessie McClain Byrd. She entered eternal rest on Saturday, October 21,2017 at Good Samaritan Hospital after a brief illness.

Edelle was educated in the Darlington County (SC) Public Schools. In 1948, she was united in holy matrimony to the late James Marcus, Jr. and moved to Baltimore the very same year. From this union, they were blessed with two daughters: Shirley and Lorraine.

Edelle worked for many years at the former Kernan Hospital for Crippled Children, now part of the University of Maryland Medical System. After receiving a Practical Nursing Certificate from the Community College of Baltimore, she worked in several nursing homes throughout Baltimore City. She began to enjoy the administrative side of nursing and worked for many years helping patients and their families work through the bureaucratic maze of applying for medical assistance.

In 1959, she visited the John Wesley United Methodist Church and felt the spirit of the Lord. She and her family joined the Church, and she remained an active member for over 58 years. Over her 58 year membership, Edelle was a class leader in Sunday School and was actively involved in many church ministries including: Health and Welfare Council, Senior Ushers, Bereavement Ministry, Nurses Unit, Trustee Committee, Church Council, Finance Committee, and the Pastor Parish Relations Committee.

Of all her areas of service, Edelle cherished her involvement with the Senior Usher Board the most. She felt strongly that ushers played one of the most important roles in the church, and she took her role very seriously. For many years she worked in a leadership position and looked forward to attending various churches ushers' anniversaries throughout the city. She was known for her dedication to ushering.

She grew in her faith and knowledge of the Bible by regularly attending Sunday School, which was led by a very talented teacher, Calvin Lewis. Calvin was the family's former paper boy when they lived on Westwood Avenue and one of her favorite people. Edelle also participated in Bible study at Kirkwood House, where she resided for the past 14 years. Tuesday evenings, Edelle was there and actively participated.

Recognizing the need for the church and community to focus on preventive health care, for a number of years, Edelle chaired the Annual John Wesley Community Health Fair. Health care organizations from throughout the city would participate. She was also successful in getting many vendors to participate to help underwrite the cost of the fair. People from throughout the community would come to get their blood pressure checked and counseled on the importance of primary health care. She always made certain that there were goodie bags and food giveaways as incentives to increase attendance.

Edelle felt honored to serve on the board of directors of the Baltimore Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), working under the leadership of the late Enolia McMillian. She shared fond memories and often told stories of the organization's experiences integrating Ocean #tukios-outer { width: 100%; } #tukios-content { margin: 0 auto; max-width: 640px; }

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Baltimore, Maryland 21217 Directions Funeral Service John Wesley United Methodist Church Saturday, October 28, 2017 10:00 AM Email Details 3202 W. North Ave.
Baltimore, MD Funeral to begin @ 11A Directions Send Flowers

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Send to Family Viewing Joseph H. Brown Jr. Funeral Home Friday, October 27, 2017 05:00 PM - 08:00 PM Email Details 2140 N. Fulton Ave
Baltimore, Maryland 21217 Directions Funeral Service John Wesley United Methodist Church Saturday, October 28, 2017 10:00 AM Email Details 3202 W. North Ave.
Baltimore, MD Funeral to begin @ 11A Directions