A Service of Worship, Celebrating the Life of Dr. Frances Cherot Blake, May 26, 1928 - October 30, 2003, For I dipped into the future, as far as human eye could see, saw a vision of the world, and all the wonder that would be. -- Alfred Lord Tennyson, Saturday, November 8, 2003 -- 10:00 A.M., In the Sanctuary of Saint James African Methodist Episcopal Church, 1002 Sixth Avenue, Columbus, Georgia 31901, The Reverend Scottie Swinney, Pastor, The Reverend Dr. E.L. Strickland, Presiding Elder, Bishop Frank C. Cummings, Presiding Prelate

A Service of Worship
Celebrating the Life of

May 26, 1928

October 30, 2003

For I dipped into the future, as far as human ~ye could see, saw a vision of the world,
and all the wonder that would be. ....A/fred, Lord Tennyson
Dr. Frances Cherot Blake
~aturday, November 8, 2003 - 10:00 A.M.
In The ~ancturuy Of ~AINT JAMI~ AFRICAN MITHODI~T IPI~COPAL CHURCH
1002 ~ixth Avenue Columbus, Georgia 31901
The Reverend &ottie ~winney, Pastor The Reverend Dr. I. L. ~trickland, Presiding Elder
Bishop Frank C. Cummings, Presiding Prelate

Another Dawn
(Excerpt)
By James Dillet Freeman
We live in a world o/ light and darkness, life and death. The sun that rises in the
morning seems to set in the evening. Yet, if we could rise out o/ the shadow o/ the earth, we should see that the sun does not truly set; it burns in the heavens always. Neither does the sun o/ life ever set; i/ we could rise high enough, we should see that life is a continuous process and that death is but the shadow cast by our earthiness.
Though now the a appearances o/ all things change, the laws that rule the world, the insights o/love, the wisdom o/ the heart, the power o//aith, o/ beauty and truth - these do not change. Beyond our day and night, our ebb and /low, our yea and nay, our good and evil, the Eternal is eternally the same.
Let us not be a/raid. We are sailors on the sea o/ eternity, life's wayfarers, and we are
well companioned on this voyage. Let us sail on with /aith, with courage in our hearts. Beyond the dark, behold: It is another dawn.

The Obituary
Dr. Frances Cherat Blake was bom on Saturday, May 26, 1928, in Harlem Hospital, New
York City, to Adolph and Edith Cherat.
She was educated in the Public Schools of New York City and achieved the highest honors. She won a four-year college scholarship and upon graduating from Bayside High School, attended New York University. During the four years at New York University Frances was awarded many honors including Phi Beta Kappa. Due to her excellent academic record and performance on the MCAT, she won a full four-year scholarship and upon graduation attended the State University of New York, College of Medicine in New York City. After graduating from Medical School, she completed her residency at Queens General Hospital, now known as Queens Medical Center, and at Flushing Hospital. Due to her competency as a resident at Flushing Hospital, she was offered a position in pediatrics at Flushing Hospital.
Frances' life was balanced between her medical career and her commitment to the church community. In her medical career she combined private practice with service in the New York City Well Baby Clinic Program. The spiritual part of her life included membership in the Macedonia African Methodist Episcopal Church, where she served as a Church School Teacher as well as a member of the choir.
In 1977, Dr. Frances C. Blake and her husband, the late Reverend Charles C. Blake, de-
cided to retum to his home state of Georgia. She continued her medical career as a civilian physician in ~he Out Patient Clinic of Martin Army Community Hospital at Ft. Benning, Georgia. Frances was the first civilian to head the Acute Minor Illness Clinic on a military installation.
She maintained her spiritual commitment by being a devoted member and pastor's wife as her husband served the following assignments: St. Mark, Columbus, Georgia; New Bethel, Columbus, Georgia; the Columbus District and St. James, Columbus, Georgia. At St. James she served as president of the Women's Missionary Society, the Superintendent of Church School and a member of the Mass Choir. At the 1OSth Session of the Southwest Georgia Annual Conference she was consecrated by Bishop Frank C. Cummings as a Deaconess in the life of the church.
Dr. Frances C. Blake leaves to cherish her memory: three brothers, Mr. Romeo Cherat, Brooklyn, New York; Mr. Adolph Cherat, Jr., Manhattan, New York and Mr. Robert Cherat (Elizabeth), Holland, Michigan; two sisters, Mrs. Naomi Pinn (Vemon), Springfield Gardens, New York and Mrs. Juanita Ratteray, Flushing, New York; two stepsons, Mr. Charles Blake (Shirley), Washington, DC and Mr. Larry Blake (Doris), San Diego, Califomia; four stepdaughters, Mrs. Yvonne Ervin, Camden, New Jersey; Ms. Brenda Blake, Atlanta, Georgia; Ms. Akia Sanghai, Yonkers, New York and Ms. Seleka Blake, Tampa, Florida; one foster daughter, Mrs. Teresa Cotton (Donald), Jacksonville, Florida; one sister-in-law, Ms. Mary Esther James, Patterson, Georgia and a host of grandchildren, great grandchildren, nephews, nieces, grand nephews, grand nieces and innumerable cousins and friends.

---Worship Leader--The Qeverend Dr. E. L. 0lrickland, Presidins Elder
Central DicBtricl, 6WGA Conference
ORDER OF SERVICE
The Prelude
The Processional .......... "Guide Me, 0 Thy Great Jehovah (0 Msindisi)" ........... #65 AMEC Hymnal
The Hymn of Victory .............. "Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine" .................#450 AMEC Hymnal
The Prayer of Comfort .......................................................... The Reverend Terence R. Gray, Pastor St. Paul AME Church, Macon, Georgia
The Scripture Readings The Old Testament ......................The Reverend Gabriel Hardeman, Presiding Elder (retired) Atlanta North Georgia Conference
The Epistle ................................................................The Reverend Claude R. James, Pastor Allen Temple AME Church, Atlanta, Georgia
The Gospel ............................................................... The Reverend Dr. Debra Grant, Pastor St. John AME Church, Columbus, Georgia
The Selection ......................................................................Saint James AME Church Mass Choir
Reflections (2 minutes, please) Women's Missionary Society .......................................................... Mrs. Shirley Washington President, 6th Episcopal District WMS
Connectional Minister's Spouses, Widows and Widowers ................. Mrs. Margaret Giddings 2nd Vice President
The Morris Brown College Family ............................................................ Mrs. Anna Mims President, Phenix City/Columbus Chapter, National Alumni Association

The Medley of Hymns
"I Come to the Garden Alone" ..............................................................#452 AMEC Hymnal "0 Thou, in Whose Presence" ................................................................ #83 AMEC Hymnal "On a Hill Far Away" ...........................................................................#143 AMEC Hymnal
Reflections (2 minutes, please) Church School ........................................................................................Mr. William Crowell President
Young People's Division St. ]ames AME Church
As a friend ................................................................................................. Mrs. Carlton B. Franklin
Steward, St. ]ames AME Church
As a church member ............................................................................................. Mr. Robert Wilson President Pro Tern, Steward Board St. ]ames AME Church
The Pastor's Words ....................................................................The Reverend Scottie Swinney, Pastor St. ]ames AME Church, Columbus, Georgia
(Silent Reading of the Obituary) The Medley of Favorite Music
"Come, Come Ye Saints" ...................................................................... #397 AMEC Hymnal
''My Life is in Your Hands" "I'll Fly Away"
The Acknowledgments .................................................................................Mrs. Catherine Anderson Steward, St. James AME Church, Columbus, Georgia
The Selection .............................................................................St. James AME Church Mass Choir
The Eulogy ...................................................................................... Bishop Frank Curtis Cummings Presiding Prelate, 6th Episcopal District
The Recessional. ..................."Sing the Wonderous Love o/Jesus" .........................#511 AMEC Hymnal

(j)r. mzake al work and play. ..

HONORARY CA~KET BEAREQ~
~lewards and Truslees of ~l. James AME Church
ACTIVE CA~KET BEAREQ~
The Male Usher Board of ~l. James AME Church
HONORARY fLOQAL ATTENDANT~
~ilhouelle Auxiliary of Kappa Alpha Psi Morris Brown Alumni
ACTIVE fLOQAL ATTENDANT~
Women's Missionary ~ociely Minisler's ~pauses and Widows
~lewardess Boards
INTERMENT
National Cemetery Ft. Mitchell, Alabama
(The interment will be conducted on Nonda_y, November 10, 2003 at 10:00 11.!1.)
QtJJAcT
(lmmediate(y !OlloWJilf3 the fUneral cBervice)
&t. James AME Church Fellowship Unit

With grateful and appreciative hearts, ~re acknowledge the many kindnesses bestowed upon us

during this sudden transition of our beloved Frances.

Each sympathetic gesture has served as a

source of comfort to us during

these hours of darkness.

May God richly bless each of you.
-- The Family

r6.~, ~ :=~: ~:-
,)$1.

FINAL ARRANGEMENTS ENTRUSTED To:
If!. QII{arles ~uffs ~nternatiotml Jf}lltrernl ~llttt
Charles E. Huff, Jr. and Bruce H. Huff, Funeral Directors 927- 5th Avenue Columbus, Georgia 31901 (706) 322-8713
A PRONTO PRESS CREATION