Mother Tate

Hazel Tate, affectionately called “Mama Hazel” , was born in Rower, Arkansas on April 22, 1940, to the late Peter and Lottie Wilson. Hazel was the youngest born of this union. She had 3 brothers, Peter, Cary and Aaron, and 4 sisters, Georgia, Verdine, Roberta, and Virginia. It can very easily be said that Hazel considered each one of her sisters her “best friend” because each held their own very special place in her heart, for their very own special reason. Due to the death of her mother, while she was a small child, her sisters immediately all played a significant role in raising Hazel. Nothing was more precious to Hazel than the bond with her sisters.

In 1959, she graduated from Benton Harbor High School in Benton Harbor, Michigan. Shortly following her graduation, she would move to Chicago, Illinois, where she would marry and give birth to 5 boys and 3 girls. Never one to take her role of “motherhood” lightly, Hazel found a way to assure that she was an intricate part of every aspect of raising her children whether it was being extremely involved with them academically or assuring that each of them was raised with the full knowledge of being baptized in Jesus name and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. Ever since receiving the Holy Ghost herself, she was determined to not only make it to the city called Heaven but that her children would all one day meet her there.

While much can be said about her life of having various jobs as an adult, such as working for the U.S. Postal Service and as a Secretary at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, Colorado, her legacy that she cherished the most was her children and grandchildren. Giving, loving, caring and nurturing are just a few of the attributes that would make her the supreme woman that she was. Never one to be concerned for her own wealth or prosperity, her home and heart were often known to have a “revolving door” where she often made room for others in addition to herself and her 8 children. As her children became adults, she would serve both as a grandmother as well as a midwife at the birth of many of her grandchildren. Whether it was to move from Denver, Colorado to Raleigh, North Carolina, Seattle, Washington, Baltimore, Maryland, Washington, DC or even going as far as Los Angeles, California, she was quick to make her grandchildren her #1 priority. This unconditional love was never contingent on whether it was reciprocated or not. She never stopped loving and thanking God for her children and grandchildren.

Next to her children, was her dedication, loyalty, and steadfastness in working for the Lord. As witnessed in her current church, The Unified Body of Christ, Pastor G. Washington, she has never been a “bench warmer”. Just “attending church” was never enough for her. She was always heavily involved in outreach and never stopped believing in the old-fashioned way of winning souls to Christ by witnessing on the streets and telling people about the Lord everywhere she went. One of her passions in outreach has always been her Missionary work in nursing homes, where she often would set up Bible Study where they not only learned about the Word, but she made sure that everyone knew the importance of knowing who Jesus is. Unfortunately, in 1986, her loving circle with her children would be tragically broken, when her son Kenneth along with his wife and 4 children would all be killed in an accident with a tractor-trailer. This heartache remained heavy on her heart all the way to her death.

On Saturday, November 3, 2018, under the dedicated and compassionate care of her oldest daughter, Valarie with her youngest son Scottie holding her hand and tenderly rubbing her forehead she began making her peaceful transition. Amazingly, while, her son, Christopher was leading everyone in prayer where he told the Lord “As much as we love her, and are blessed by her 78 years given to us, I now ask you to receive her home to her reward in Jesus name”, she literally took her final breath just before he said “amen”. No better way to gracefully transition, than in the middle of prayer.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Peter and Lottie Wilson, her brothers Cary and Aaron, her sisters Georgia, Verdine, Roberta, and Virginia; her son Kenneth along with his wife Marva and their children Latoya, LaKenya, LaDelle and their unborn son.

She leaves to cherish her memory her brother Peter Wilson; her children Titus Tate (Mary); Derwood Tate (Nancy); Christopher Tate, Valarie Tate, Lottie Milton (Brad), Phaedra Garnet (Gary) Scottie Wilson Tate; and host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces nephews.

Visitation : November 9, 2018 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Pure Apostolic Works
14485 East Evans Avenue
Aurora, CO 80014

Celebration of Life : November 9, 2018 12:00 pm

Pure Apostolic Works
14485 East Evans Avenue
Aurora, CO 80014

Interment : November 9, 2018 2:00 pm

St. Simeon Cemetery
22001 Colorado #30
Aurora, CO 80018

Reception : November 9, 2018 3:00 pm

Pure Apostolic Works
14485 East Evans Avenue
Aurora, CO 80014