Elizabeth Anne Stephens

Elizabeth Anne Stephens from Acworth, Georgia, 79, went to be with the Lord this November 15, 2024.
Elizabeth Anne was born in Hazen, Arkansas on August 20th, 1945 to Julius and Leola Vaden. The oldest of seven children (six sisters, one brother), she spent her childhood years nestled in the small country town in a home just short of the intersection of Woodlawn Avenue and Adams Street, where she excelled in school and most importantly, developing a strong relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Leola made sure the children attended the Prairie Chapel Baptist Church faithfully on Sundays which was just a short walk from the front porch of their home. There, Anne, as she is affectionately called, grew in her love of the Word of God and in her heart of service.
Scholastically, Anne played basketball back in the days when they would only let the women play six-on-six and the court was divided in half. She would continue her love of fitness well into her elderly years.
Her servant heart led her to membership in the Order of the Eastern Star when she was young and the sorority Zeta Phi Beta when she went to college.
Anne finished high school and was accepted into Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Arkansas, a mere 42 miles from home. A bright young woman, she continued her academic excellence and had several suitors for her hand. It wasn’t until her junior year of college where her life would forever be changed. At a small house party in Little Rock near High Street one night, she would meet a young man named Willie. This hard-working sophomore from Arkansas Baptist College, also in Little Rock, caught her attention and from there, a new relationship was born.
Anne and Willie would court each other for nearly two years before they made the decision to do life together. During this time, Anne not only finished her bachelor’s degree from Philander Smith College in Business Administration, but would begin her master’s degree on a full scholarship from what is now known as Clark-Atlanta University in the fall of 1967. The two then decided to take this life journey together, and were united in marriage on December 24th,1968 back at Prairie Chapel in Hazen.
An already well accomplished couple armed with three degrees between them, Willie and Anne would set out on their next adventure and leave the South altogether. Willie spent time working in Flint, Michigan for General Motors before getting transferred to Providence, Rhode Island.
While living in the Ocean State, they immersed themselves in the service life at Ebenezer Baptist Church. Anne sang in the choir and Willie taught Sunday School classes.
In 1974, Willie received a promotion, and the couple moved to White Plains, New York where they would spend the next 30 years. They made the decision to start a family and Anne decided that her career could wait while she became a mother. True to form, her firstborn nearly came while she was in church. Her son, Andrew LaWayne, was born on January 23rd, 1975. It would be nearly five years before her second child entered the world. Anne was blessed with her beautiful daughter Alicia Lenise, on September 5th, 1979. Anne stayed at home and made sure that the kids were grounded in the Word of God and raised well. From cooking and cleaning to picking up the kids after cheerleading, basketball, or baseball practice, she did it all and without complaint. Often up late at night taking care of what was needed in the house, Anne kept an immaculate place. Willie provided well for his family and Anne turned that provision into a warm and safe home.
Their church roots were planted deep at First Baptist Church in Elmsford, New York. Anne served as a Deaconess, sang in the choir and taught Children’s Sunday School classes. Willie served as a Deacon, taught classes, picked up a Master’s Degree in Theology, and eventually became an ordained minister. Anne supported all of this with her quiet strength, willingly choosing to be behind the scenes.
The couple would purchase their first of three homes in 1983 just outside of White Plains, New York. Two years later, the Reverend Willie Stephens would be named the Pastor of Clear View Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey. While the commute from White Plains could take 90 minutes on some Sundays, Anne made sure her family was dressed and well fed every Sunday, prepared to worship and serve the Lord.
As First Lady, Anne continued to teach Children’s Classes, but also expanded her role and taught some Women’s Classes. Again, she preferred to work behind the scenes helping Willie with sermon planning from her detailed sermon notes or ensuring that food was prepared properly in the kitchen under her close inspection and then cleaned thoroughly thereafter.
In a bid to return to the South, Willie accepted a transfer to Chattanooga, Tennessee and in the summer of 1994, the family packed up and head to the Rocky Top State. At this point, Andrew was a sophomore in college, and Alicia was progressing through high school. Once in Chattanooga, finding a church home was paramount and it wasn’t long before the couple was serving the community again at Hawkinsville Missionary Baptist Church. God had an even deeper calling however, and Reverend Stephens was soon named pastor of Mount Joy Missionary Baptist Church also in Chattanooga.
Anne, again became a pillar of the church teaching Children’s Ministry and supporting Willie with any administrative assistance he needed. They would travel all over the region together with Willie preaching and Anne there by his side. With both children graduating from college and eventually moving out, they now had even more time to invest in ministry. Around 1989, Anne decided to resume working outside the home. She first went to the Caldor Department.
Store, but would eventually get back to her love of numbers and work as a tax account for H & R Block, a position she would hold until she retired.
There was one more move ahead for the family. In 2000, Willie accepted his last transfer to Atlanta, Georgia. The couple would continue to serve Mount Joy however, and commute back and forth as they had done with his first church. Eventually, Willie felt the Lord calling him to a different phase in ministry and he stepped down from pastoring Mount Joy.
After visiting a number of churches in the area, the Lord led Willie and Anne to their current church home, Allen Temple Baptist Church, and Willie began his final lead Pastoral role.
Once again, the couple was tasked with the stewardship of a flock in need and they worked together to serve the Lord in outstanding ways. Willie preached and taught and helped nurture a new generation of leadership for Allen Temple. Anne led by example and again taught the kids and served in the background, making things work. Anne’s quiet strength was her superpower.
Together Willie and Anne travelled much of the world, made countless memories together, touched thousands of lives, raised two wonderful children and welcomed a grandchild into the world back in the summer of 2014. Anne lived the life of the Proverbs 31 woman right up until the end. Her legacy will be forever in the Earth. A woman of strength and peace who loved the Lord with all she had.
She was preceded in death by her parents, grandparents, her sister Laura, and a baby sister.
Elizabeth Anne’s loving memories will be cherished by her husband of 55 years, Willie Andrew Stephens, 80, her two children, Alicia Lenise Stephens, 45, and Andrew LaWayne Stephens (Rachel Ann), 49, her grandson, Elijah Jace Stephens, 10, her brother Lynn Vaden (Barbara), her sisters Judy Penn (Cleofus Penn), Erma Vaden, Nancy Murray (Lonnie Murray), Lois Watkins and a host of nieces and nephews whom she dearly loved.
 

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