Della “Ann” Pearre entered into rest on Saturday, January 4, 2020.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, January 7, 2020 at Pierce United Methodist Church 1441 Jackson Road, Augusta, GA with Pastors Jack Nelson and Rick Herring officiating. Burial to follow at Westover Memorial Park.
Born in Augusta, GA on November 6, 1927, she graduated from Tubman High School, class of 1944. She was employed by Oliver General Hospital as a telephone and teletype operator prior to transferring to Augusta Arsenal as a teletype operator. While at Arsenal she felt the need for more education, so she registered at the Junior College of Augusta for the spring semester. With help from supervisors and fellow operators, Ann was able to remain employed getting the 3-11 shift and going to school mornings. At the end of the semester she resigned employment and transferred to Young Harris College as a full-time student. After three quarters she obtained enough hours to transfer to a senior college. She chose Scarritt College in Nashville, TN graduating in 1977 with a BA in Christian Education; with hopes of serving as a rural church and community worker in a mission appointment. Her first assignment was towns in North Carolina and in Georgia. She found mountain folks charming. Her next appointment was Southern California/Arizona Conference in similar responsibilities. It was later in this appointment that Ann took a brief “pause” in Missions to serve several years as Youth Director at First Church, Mesa, Arizona. It was great fun for Ann and hopefully for the youth. Her next appointment worth mentioning was a St. Croix in the Virgin Islands. Her assignment there was to work in Mission with ladies youth alike.
Ann lived in an old Moravian manse composed of three floors. She often told how field rats lived on the ground floor; fruit bats occupied the top floor, and Ann resided in-between. This was quite different from other homes she had known. “Most enjoyable”. Early one morning there came a knock at the front door which was seldom heard. Everyone knew the back door was for “using”. She met for the first time the British Methodist pastor from St. Thomas, who invited himself to “have lunch with Ann: which she prayed for a revelation of something which could be prepared quickly! That was a preliminary meeting to hopefully get permission to use our church sanctuary on Sunday mornings. After going through the proper channel, permission was granted. Without being present one cannot imagine the joy when it came to pass that three morning services would be held each Sabbath – British 9:00, Spanish 10:00 and American English at 11:00 AM. God works in mysterious ways! His wonders to perform! Shouts of joy were overwhelming! Ann got busy preparing lay-preachers responsibilities!
After a bi-lingual pastor was appointed, Ann was reassigned stateside to work in a girl’s school in the South Georgia Conference. This was her last mission assignment before transferring to Vocational Rehabilitation in Sumter where she continued “serving” those with special needs. After 21 years Ann retired to her home in Augusta, Georgia to spend time with family – sharing and reliving many of her experiences of the previous 44 years.
Ann is preceded in death by her parents and five siblings and is survived by many nieces and nephews.
A special thank you to the employees of Lake Crossing Health Care in Appling, GA for all the love and care given to Ann since April 2013.
In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to Pierce United Methodist Church.