Obituary of Sonya Booker

Sonya Ellis Booker, known to us as Mother Booker, was born to Essie Mae Ellis at St. James Jewish Hospital in Brooklyn, New York on October 16th, 1946. When she was 18 months old, she was placed into foster care and raised in the loving home of Matthew and Elaine Bell of Lakeview, New York. Sonya attended Malverne and Dover Plains High School. She graduated from Dover Plains in 1965, having earned a scholarship to Valhalla School of Nursing. She later transferred and completed her nursing studies at Nassau Community College in Garden City, New York in 1971. For the next 14 years Sonya worked as a pediatric nurse. At the ripe old age of 35 she retired and used her savings to travel throughout Europe. Less than a year later she returned to the United States and eventually took a job as a school bus driver. Sonya often reflected on how this position satisfied her desire to help and be around children. She remained employed in this field until she reached her natural retirement age. When Sonya gave her life to Christ she became a member of the House of Refuge Ministries which was in Baldwin, New York under the leadership of Apostle Katherine Williams. She was a faithful and hard worker. It didn't take long to notice that she had a word of advice, love or correction whether you wanted to hear it or not. It was Apostle Kathy who gave her the name "Mother Booker" and ordained her as a church Mother. In later years, when her health declined, she fellowshipped at a ministry closer to her home and became a member of Bethlehem of Judea Church in Hempstead, New York under Pastor Lynwood Deans. Mother Sonya Booker is preceded in death by her mother Essie Mae Ellis. She leaves to mourn her passing her daughter Barbara Wilson, her only sister, Mrs. Renee Williams and Brother in-law Mr. Alfred Williams; her cousin Ms. Joyce Thurman; god-daughter Ms. Felice Streeter; god-son Mr. Christopher McElroy and her special friend and husband Mr. Grover Cleveland Matthews; as well as a host of family and friends.