Eleanor “Elly” Burden McRae of Florence, SC departed this life on Friday, February 3, 2012 in Richmond, VA after a lengthy illness. Elly, as she was affectionately known, was born in Pike County, GA on June 26, 1942. She grew up in Cincinnati, OH where she received Christ early in her life. She grew up and attended public school in Cincinnati, OH. She spent most of her adult life in Richmond, VA where she pursued a career in nursing and later a career in education. After retiring in 2005, Elly volunteered with the Traumatic Brain Institute of Virginia and with the Sacred Heart Center in Richmond, where she taught ESL (English as a Second Language) and adult literacy for several years. She also sponsored foreign families seeking refuge in the USA.
After her marriage to Rev. DeLen McRae in August 2008, she relocated to Florence, SC. She was welcomed as First Lady of Mt. Tema Missionary Baptist Church in Hartsville, SC where she worked diligently with the Missionary Society, Girl Scout Troop 207, and other church organizations. She became involved with the Women’s Ministry of the Pee Dee Baptist Association. She volunteered with the Florence County Disabilities and Special Needs Board at the Leatherman Center in Florence, SC.
Left to cherish her memory are her husband, Rev. DeLen McRae, pastor of Mt. Tema Missionary Baptist Church; her daughters, Cicely D. Gill of Long Beach, CA, Camille D. Gill of Raleigh, NC, and Racquel McRae of Richmond, VA; one son, William F. Gill, III (Leona) of Columbia, SC, one sister, Mary C. Martin and brother-in-law, Onnie R. Martin of Cincinnati, OH; three granddaughters, Yvonne and Ava Gill of Columbia, SC, and Haven Moore of Richmond, VA; two nieces, Monica L. Martin of NJ and Deborah Burden-Dobbs of Cincinnati, OH; and a host of other relatives and friends.
Memorial Services will be conducted for First Lady Eleanor “Elly” Burden McRae on Saturday, March 10, 2012 at 2:00 pm at Mt. Tema Missionary Baptist Church, 1730 Tema Road in Hartsville, SC.
