First Lady Quella L. Lockett

January 18, 1936 - April 29, 2022

****HOMEGOING SERVICES FOR FIRST LADY QUELLA L. LOCKETT WILL BE HELD 11:00 A.M. ON TUESDAY, MAY 10, 2022 AT THE GALILEE BAPTIST CHURCH IN KALAMAZOO (DOORS OF THE CHURCH WILL BE OPEN FOR FAMILY HOUR, WHICH WILL BEGIN AT 10:00 A.M. AT THE CHURCH. *****PLEASE NOTE***PUBLIC VISITATION WILL BE HELD 4:00 P.M.TO 7:00 P.M. MONDAY, MAY 9, 2022 AT FAITH TEMPLE CHURCH OF GOD (ARRANGEMENTS TIMES, LOCATION AND DIRECTIONS ARE LISTED BELOW) ****MASKS & SOCIAL DISTANCING AT BOTH CHURCHES WILL BE EXPECTED TO ENTER---HAND SANITIZER WILL BE PROVIDED**** ________________________________________ ****ATTENTION TO THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO VIEW SERVICES ONLINE FROM HOME, YOU HAVE (3) OPTIONS TO CHOOSE FROM: 1. To View online on Faith Temple Church of God's Facebook page, please go to Facebook, if you have a Facebook account. after logging in, type in: Faith Temple Kalamazoo -Or 2. Go to Galilee Baptist Church's website at: gbckazoo.org -Or 3. Go to YouTube and type in Galilee Baptist Church Kalamazoo _________________________________________ The Obituary Mother Quella (Fields) Lockett was born on January 19 according to her mother, however, the midwife recorded her birth date as January 18, 1936, a fact that was not discovered until many years later, when she had to get her birth certificate from Mississippi for her passport to travel to Africa! Mother Lockett passed away peacefully at home in her sleep in the early morning hours of Friday, April 29, 2022. She was born in Okolona, Mississippi to Caleb and Patsy Fields, the fourth of six children. The family later moved to Aberdeen, where they united with the Mt. Moriah Baptist Church. During her Senior year at the Aberdeen Colored High School, Quella (as did many African-Americans of her generation) joined the great migration North in search of better opportunities, relocating to Kalamazoo in the early 1950's. She moved in with her brother Caleb, Jr., his wife, Mattie and family into their North Edwards Street home. It was while living with them that Quella met the first and only love of her life, Tommie D. Lockett, who had moved to Kalamazoo from Sweetwater, Alabama. He lived around the corner from the Fields family with his uncle and aunt, the late Roy "Sporty Cat" and Needa Mae Lockett, on Bush Street. The first time Quella laid eyes on Tommie, she was not impressed: he had just gotten off work and he was still wearing his big, dusty work boots and clothing. She said he looked "wild". However, the second time she laid eyes on him, he was ready... dressed in his best suit and his "St. Louis Rockers" shoes...and the rest is history! The couple was married on Christmas Eve, 1956 in her hometown of Aberdeen, Mississippi in the home of Rev. and Mrs. Cousins. The bride wore a blue dress. Bishop Lockett said that he was blessed that Christmas with the sweetest and most precious gift of his life, a beautiful bride. The couple enjoyed over 65 years of marriage and their union was blessed with eleven children: Robyn, Cynthia, Donna & Wanda, Tommie, Rodney, Tammy, Twala, Troy, Todd and Terrell. Early in their marriage, Mr. & Mrs. Lockett united with the Galilee Baptist Church on Gull Street, under the leadership of her cousin, the late Rev. Mabry Gardner. The couple later joined the Holy Temple Church of God In Christ, which was founded by the late Pastor Amos Williams. Upon the urging of Tommie's late cousin (Joyce Moore- Robinson), the late Bishop Lafayette Davis, his brothers Elijah and Willie Mack Davis and Deacon Andrew Jackson, traveled from Chicago, Illinois on a wintry day in January, 1961 to minister in the Lockett's home. This was the start of the Church of God Pentecostal in Kalamazoo which the couple joined and where they both were filled with the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. They were very active and faithful in this ministry and Min. Lockett later served as Assistant Pastor. By 1967, the Lockett family had expanded to welcome seven children. In 1967, her husband came to Sis. Q and said that he felt the Lord stirring him to build a church. She looked at him and asked, "Are you sure the Lord ain't telling you to build a house for me and these 7 children?" However, Sis. Q embraced his vision and worked faithfully beside him to establish the Faith Temple Church of God. Sis. Q would cook, sell and deliver delicious chicken dinners and drive trucks to pick up building supplies, often while pregnant. Thanks in part to her labor, Faith Temple will commemorate its 55th Church anniversary this November! Mother Lockett served faithfully in the Outreach Ministry's Breakfast Program until it was temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. She remained faithful unto death--not missing a single service during the Pandemic. Many of the church family trusted in her and confided their personal issues and innermost secrets. Rest assured that those secrets and talks you shared with her in confidence rest with her. Over 30 years ago, Bishop asked her to speak at a Friday night service. Her subject was, "The Holy Ghost is my Ticket and the Cloud is my Transportation". When the Lord called her, she was prepared to go on home to be with Him. "A Wise Woman Builds Her Home" Mother Lockett was the epitome of a Virtuous Woman. She built the Lockett home on love and wisdom. Early on, she worked as a waitress until the birth of the twins, whereupon she became a stay-at-home mom. She instilled wisdom, a strong work ethic and good 'hometraining' into her children. She taught them to pay their bills on time, because your word is your bond. She was a financial whiz. She taught her children boundaries, such as "don't go in my bedroom, or in my purse; don't sit on my bed; bring all my change back; y'all can't have company if me or your Daddy not home...and stay out of the living room!" She didn't tolerate infighting among her children and she had the innate ability to work with each child's strengths. Her delicious cooking was legendary. Her home sheltered and her table fed countless people--sometimes entire families. As her children grew up and left the nest, Mother Lockett would cook a big family meal every Wednesday and the family would gather around her kitchen table, sharing laughter and family stories. Many folks would just 'happen to be in the neighborhood' on Wednesdays and drop by. Of course they would be invited to the table: She knew how to keep everyone together! As her children began to marry, she loved and embraced their spouses. She had the ability to make everyone feel like they were special and her favorite! Mother Lockett leaves to honor and cherish her memory, her loving husband of 65 years, Bishop Dr. Tommie D. Lockett, Sr.; their 11 children and spouses: Elder Robyn (Overseer Howard) Robinson; Evangelist Cynthia (Dr. Daniel, Sr.) Butler; Donna Lockett-(Cole) Purnell; Wanda (Elder Kelvin) Thomas; Min. Tommie (Sharon) Lockett, Jr.; Rodney Lockett; Tammy Lockett-(John Jr.) Johnson; Twala Lockett- (Kenneth) Jones; Troy (Shannon) Lockett; Todd (Melinda) Lockett and Terrell (Tiffany) Lockett; a former son-in-law, Lawrence Taylor and former daughter-in-law, Ruthe Moore-Lockett. 31 Grandchildren: Kendra (Ronald) Dillard, Howard (Lauren) Robinson, II; Andrea, Daniel II (Daniela), Arianne and Andre' Thomas Butler; Kerri QL, Korbin (Judy) and Kevlon Thomas; Iesha Banks; Rahmad Moore, Rayshawn and Ravynn Lockett; Kyle Davis, Tevin and Dre'ah Johnson; Marques Lockett and Tevin Jones; Zaria, Andre' and Kennedy Lockett; Mikayla, Christopher, Dallas, MacKenzie and Austin Lockett; and Princeton, Josiah, Jeremiah, Benjamin and Breanna Donald. 13 Great Grandchildren: Jahlin Banks-Jennings, Taylor Butler, Luke Owens, Sy Robinson, Jonathan and Kristianna Dillard; Braxten Wallace, Micah Nofsinger, Arianna and Roman Butler; Navy Swarn; Alyssa and Alexis Thigpen; 3 Bonus Grandchildren-Trinidy, Taylor and Evan Williams. Sisters-in-law Ruby Mae Fields, of Kalamazoo, MI; Rosie "Aunt Doll" Rogers; Yates Polly (Woody) Tignor and Gwen Lockett of Sweet Water, Alabama; her Goddaughters, Wendy Fields and Sherry Jett and a host of precious family and friends, including her beloved Faith Temple Church family, along with a host of precious family and friends. Mother Lockett was preceded in death by her parents, Caleb, Sr. and Patsy Fields; all five siblings Caleb (Mattie) Fields, James Fields, Ruby (James) Burnett, Pearline (Arthur Poplar/Bishop Eugene McCoy) McCoy and William Earl Fields and her husband's parents, Robert and Ira Lockett and their children, Otis Lockett, Robert Lockett, Jr., Betty Swain and Roy Lockett. Mother Lockett, the heart of your husband trusted safely in you and you did him good and not evil all the days of your life. Your children arise up, and call you blessed; your husband also, and he praiseth you. Many daughters have done virtuously, but you excellest them all.