Ella Sawyer

Ella June Richards was born on May 19, 1924 in Spartanburg, SC. She attended St. Luke Evangelical Lutheran School and was a graduate of Carver High School, Class of 1941. After high school, Ella met and fell in love with Oscar McRay Sawyer. Oscar was a soldier in the Armed Forces and the two met while he was stationed in Spartanburg. The couple married on October 8, 1941. To that union bore one son, John, a year later. After the birth of her son, Ella and her family relocated to Oscar?s hometown of Norfolk, VA. They subsequently transitioned to Cincinnati, OH soon thereafter.
Ella worked diligently outside of the home in support of her family. She held a wide assortment of positions including a sales agent for Atlanta Life Insurance Company, a Senior Care Companion and Home Caregiver. Ella had a deep interest in political and civil issues. She kept abreast of current events on both the local and national level. In her early years, she was a member of the The Freedom Fighters, an organization formed to combat civil injustice. Also, for many years, Ella was a poll-worker during the election season. She was most proud to lend her service during the campaign and election of President Barack Obama in 2008.
Ella accepted the Lord at an early age. Upon moving to Cincinnati, she chose Corinthian Baptist Church as her house of worship. She joined the congregation in the late 1940?s and is a Charter Member. Ella gave back to the Lord by lending her time and service to many organizations including the Nurses Guild, the Building Fund Com-mittee, Senior Usher Board and the Gospel Chorus/United Choir. She was also a Sunday School Teacher and held the offices of Super-intendent of the Primary Department, Church Secretary and Women?s Day Chairperson. As of late, she worked with the Nursing Home Ministry, the Historical Committee and was a major organizer of the annual Shop ?Til You Drop trip benefitting Corinthian?s Scholarship Fund. Up until her demise, Ella was planning a Fashion Show/Salad Hour to support the building of Corinthian?s new edifice.
In her spare time, Ella enjoyed cooking for her family, shopping, gardening and collecting historical memorabilia. She stayed true to her character until her final sunset on April 10, 2012. She leaves behind to cherish her legacy: her son, John Sawyer; two granddaughters, Erika Sawyer-Watson (grandson-in-law, Clarke) and Ciscily Sawyer; three great-grandchildren, Landen, Jonathan and Taryn Watson; and a host of friends and church family.