Gaynelle Walker

Gaynelle Z. (Shirley) Walker entered this life on September 24, 1928 in Kansas City, Missouri to the union of Richmond R. Walker and Velma Louise (Williams) Walker.  She was one of seven children born to this union.  Her parents, four brothers, and two sisters preceded her in death.

Gaynelle received her primary education from the Kansas City Missouri School District where she attended R T Cole.

Gaynelle was united in holy matrimony to Robert Hicks and under this union they had two children, Ralph A. Hicks and Verlaine L. (Hicks) Westbrook, both who preceded her in death. This union was eventually dissolved. Gaynelle later united in holy matrimony to James Henry Shirley, Jr. on June 16, 1951.  Under this union there were three children.

Early in her life, Gaynelle dedicated her life to the Lord.  As a good and faithful servant, she served on many levels.  She was a founding member of St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church, helping to build it to a flourishing pillar in the community.  She went on to dedicate over 50 years as a long-standing member of Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church. Gaynelle was also a member of the National United Church Ushers Association of America, Inc., and was inducted into the National Alumni Department in 2001.  In the same year, she was awarded a National Diploma from the George T. Grier School of Church Ushering.  Given these accomplishments, she was known as a strong servant leader at Ebenezer helping to lead and grow the Usher Board for many years.

Gaynelle’s first love were her grands, great grands, great-great grands and great-great-great grands.  If you walk in her living room and bedroom, pictures across the generations line her walls in every direction.

To cherish her memory, Gaynelle leaves her son, Donald Maurice Shirley of Kansas City, Missouri, two daughters, Yvonne Louise Dancer (Louis) of Copperas Cove, Texas, and Mary Frances Burns (Jerome) of Shawnee, Kansas; six grandchildren, Keith D. Rogers of Kansas City, Missouri, Kimberly D. Johnson (Robert) of Killeen, Texas, Louis D. Dancer (Donyell) of San Antonio, Texas, Lynette D. Stevens of Chandler, Arizona, DeAngela J. Burns-Wallace of Shawnee, Kansas, and Jason J. Burns of Washington, D.C.,; seven great grandchildren, 12 great-great grandchildren and 2 great-great-great grandchildren; sister-in-law Paula Walker of Leesburg, Virginia; long-time close friend James Johnson, and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends not mentioned but never forgotten.