By Monique Co/be'"" MBA Great Niece 
Sometimes I'd hearyou singing- (~ummer time and the living is ea.ry'' But I knew thatforyou the living was not alWC!JS that ea.ry But stillyou smiled.. . andyou sang... 
Sometimes I'd hearyou singing- ((You know I got religion" Butyet I knew that religion helpedyou get through some hard times 
But stillyou smiled. .. andyou sang. .. 
Now I don't hear that melodic voice that sang in the kitchen and sang in the car But I knowyou're still smiling and singingfrom cifar 
Now I betyou are singing- (1'm gonna walk all over this heaven'' So walk on. . . my courageous mother, 
my grandmother, my aunt, my cousin, my teacher, my civil rights activzst, my community organizer, my painter, myfishing budcfy.. .. 
You were all these things and so much more Your mqjesticjournry on thzs earth zs over But the legaryyou leave behind willforever remain 
You are apart ofour hzstory... andyour singing, your smiling, your cooking, andyour work, 
is engraved in our heartsfor now and centuries to come . . . . 
Walk on in heaven and rest in peace. . . job well done ... the torch passes on. . . 
We loveyou! 
 
~Q/~ 
~ 
c;s~ ~ce~ :7~ ~~ 
 
Friends of the Family Friends of the Family 
The family of Ms. Ella Ruth Brinson t hanks each of you for your kind acts of 
love and sympathy. 
South-View Cemetery 1990 Jonesboro Road 
Atlanta, Georgia 
Amanda Flipper AME Church 2477 Whitesmill Road Decatur, Georgia 30032 
(Directions to Amanda Flipper AME Church /From South Dekalb Mall - Take Sheppard Dr. to Ul!Jd Rd., Turn right on Lll!Jd Rd., Go across the bn'dge to Whitesmi/1 Rd. and turn left. Church is 200yards on ng}t.) 
DONALD TRIMBLE MORTUARY 404.371.0772 darryl allen's quality printing & graphics 404.755.0965 
 
Saturday, September 8, 2012 11:00A.M. 
~ 93~o/r?!Jona&W~ 
1876 Second Avenue Decatur, Georgia 
Reverend Nicolene Durham, Presiding Amanda FlipperAME Church Decatur, Georgia 
 
 Closing of Bier 
 
Processional O ld Testament 
 
"Com e This Far By Faith" 
Reverend Richard B. Haynes 
5a/em Missionary Baptist Church Gwinnet County, Georgia 
 
New T estament Prayer Solo 
 
Reverend Charles L. Harper, Ph.D . 
Paradise Reed Street Baptist Church Atlanta, Georgia 
Reverend Cecil J. Rozier 
Pastor, Sims Chapel AME Church O>iforcl Georgia 
Ms. Yolanda Colbert Fitters, Sister "]ust Jesus" 
 
Reflection s (Three Minutes, Please) Ms. Addie Bowden, Childhood Fn'end Ms. Mattie Ansley Jackson, Long Time Friend 
Summerhill Community 
Reverend Mark Jones, Representing Thankful Baptist Deacon Jay Jones, Summerhi/1 
 
Solo 
 
Deacon Harold Hutchens, Famify 
Salem Missionary Baptist Church Gwinnett County, Georgia 
''When You H ear of My Home Going" 
 
R eflection s 
 
Ms. Drewnell Thomas, Former Executive Director, Comcare (No1JJ Community Friendship ofAtlanta) 
Mr. Wayne Scruggs, Former Center Director Georgia Hill Center 
Retirecl Div. Director Fulton County Human Senlices 
Ms. Debbie Hill Layssard, Famify Deacon Gregory Bailey, Famify 
 
About Our Mother (Read Silently) 
 
Eulogy Acknowledgements 
 
Reverend Clarence T . D avis Donald Trimble Staff 
 
Recessional 
 
''When W e All Get To Heaven" 
 
Early one spring day God blessed the world with a beautiful baby girl that would make things better for those around her. Ella Ruth Colbert Brinson was born to the late Sam and Catherine Colbert on April 4, 1931 in Lithonia, Georgia. She attended Bruce Street Elementary School and at an early age her family relocated to Atlanta. This was after her father was beaten by the Klu Klux Klan and their property taken from them. Two of her sisters, Myrtice Hill and Virginia Russell-Anderson, along with her parents preceded her in death. 
After leaving Lithonia, Georgia, the family eventually settled at Armour Circle near Buckhead, where Ella Ruth attended the community elementary school. She later attended D avid T. Howard High School and Washington High School. After High School, she married the late James Johnson and to this union one daughter, Charcella was born. He went to Florida as a construction worker and was killed. She later married, the late George Brinson and had a beautiful set of twins, Phillip and Phyllis. They separated and the single mother of three moved in with her mother. Her children completely consumed her life. There was nothing more important to her than her children. She often spoke of wonderful memories living in Summerhill, with her children, her mother and nephew, Gerald, whom also preceded her in death. The family was financially poor but rich in so many ways, living in such a wonderful community environment. 
The Sunday dinners, the celebrations at every holiday and just the old fashion singing sessions were all so special. Ella Ruth was a neighborhood mother. She was caring, kind and strict. She loved every child in the neighborhood and they knew it. She had absolutely no problem reprimanding them when the occasion called for it. There was nothing she loved better than cooking and feeding people, especially children. Sunday was always special for her. She didn't do a lot of talking, just cooking, making sure everybody at the house got fed and that they left with a plate. 
In the early years, Ella Ruth worked in the private home of Judge Osgood Williams and his family, a very prominent judge in metro Atlanta. She was not able to spend the quality time she desired with her children. Always a hard worker, she was later employed in community organization with President Lyndon B. Johnson's "War on Poverty" in the early 1960s. Her entire family was proud because she could spend more time at home with her children while helping the entire community. Working in community organization at Economic Opportunity Atlanta (EOA), she worked all over the south side of the city. She worked at the Georgia Hill Center, the D unbar Center, the Edgewood Center, Price Center in south Atlanta and several other locations for more than twenty years. She enjoyed her work, helping people with all kind of problems. 
She was a great problem solver, program developer and community activist. She would help with voter's registration and voter's education. She would get the resources that people needed to pay their utility bills. She would collect money when community people died with no insurance. She would roll out new programs in the community to help the poor and disenfranchised. As a matter of fact, she helped to create outreach community programs for Grady Hospital that are still in existence today. She was part of the group to create Southside Comprehensive Health of Grady Hospital. She served on a think tank and on the first board of directors of this facility for several years thereafter. Since that time thousands have had access to health care with her help. This facility became a model for several outreach health care facilities in metro Atlanta. 
 
She served on several other boards to uplift the community in Summerhill where she lived with her family. She received numerous awards for her community service. She even received an award in the 1980's for Outstanding Citizen of The Year, in Atlanta. This was a real source of pride for her because she knew that she received this award for her servant leadership. Even after she retired, it was not unusual for her neighbors to come to the house needing help. They might need for her to read something that they did not understand or to ask about a resource. She would know where to find it and was always glad to help. 
After retiring from EOA, she came out of retirement to work for Comcare, now Community Friendship of Atlanta. She served as a house manager for people with disabilities who wanted to live independent of their family. She thought that this was a perfect job for her because she got to cook for the residents and take care of them. She loved for them to brag about her biscuits! She did this for more than ten years until her health began to fail. Although she wasn't well, she attended the Auburn Avenue Senior Center where she realized her love for art. She really enjoyed painting on cloth, fishing, playing bingo, traveling and spending time with friends. She went on several cruises, travelled to several countries and just enjoyed life. She enjoyed giving away her cloth paintings when people would come to the house. 
Ella Ruth loved the Lord. She didn't talk about her faith; she lived it every single day. Her life was a life of service that motivated her to naturally help and willingly give to others. At an early age she joined Mason Chapel Baptist Church at Armour Circle. Once the family moved to Summerhill, she attended churches all over the community. It wasn't until later years, after moving with her daughter, that she joined Amanda Flipper AME Church in D ecatur, Georgia. As her health continued to fail, while at Riverside Health Center, she joined Sims Chapel Baptist Church. This was the same Church that her roommate belonged to in Oxford, near Covington, Georgia. 
Riverside Health Center gave her renewed life. She often talked about the therapy, the kind workers and the activities that really made her life so very pleasant. She especially loved the other residents, the staff, the Red Hat Society and being crowned the 2011 Queen of Riverside at the Valentine Ball. People would call her "the Queen" up and down the halls. Even the director would do special things just for her and she bragged about it often. 
Ella Ruth Brinson planned her departure to go home and the Lord honored her request. She departed on September 3, 2012 while at the home of her daughter with her children and grandchildren. As they were taking care of her at home, she asked the time which was 3:15pm. She said "I want to go home" and just stopped breathing. She fought the good fight with faith, courage and strength. Today is truly a home going celebration and just what she wanted. Her only concern was leaving her children, grandchildren and the rest of her family and friends. 
She leaves behind one sister, Yolanda Hunter Pitters (Winston) from Colurnbus, Georgia and three adult children. Dr. Charcella Green is the oldest. The twins, who will cherish their mothers memory forever, Phyllis Brinson Maple and Phillip Brinson. There are four grandchildren, Richmond Green III (fasha), Domenica Maple, Brent Maple and Catherine Brinson. Ella Brinson has one godson, Reverend Clarence Thomas Davis and one stepsister, Mamie Frazer. Additionally, she leaves a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends who will truly miss her. Pray for strength for her family as they celebrate her home going and plan to see her again someday. 
From The Fami!J with Love