Gertrude Graves Sheftall was born to the late Richardson Graves and Eva Mae Housey Graves on February 14, 1931. She entered into eternal rest on November 4, 2019 at Beaufort Memorial Hospital. Home-Going Celebration will be held Saturday, November 9, 2019 at Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, 2012 Gillison Branch Road, Pineland, South Carolina at 11:00 a.m., Reverend Andrew Cooper, Pastor, Pastor Gloria Beaton, Eulogist. Interment, Antioch Baptist Church Cemetery, Pineland, South Carolina. A public viewing will be held Friday, November 8, 2019 at Antioch Baptist Church, 7493 Cotton Hill Road, Pineland, South Carolina from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Due to losing her mother at an early age and the need to help her siblings, she only received an eighth grade education from the public schools of Jasper County. Through the grace of God, she was blessed with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge from God.
She often told the story of how she and her siblings and friends would emulate others playing church. One day the spirit of God took hold of her and the kids didn't understand until her mother said, "Gertrude is not playing church anymore." At an early age, she accepted Christ into her life and joined Antioch Baptist Church and is mostly remembered for singing on the choir under the leadership of the late Reverend S.E. Betterson. Her favorite song was "Give Me My Flowers While I Yet Live to See Its Beauty."
Through God's infinite wisdom, she met and married the love of her life, the late Reverend William Sheftall. Through this union God blessed them with six children. As a result of God's calling on his life and Gertrude being a virtuous woman, she became the first lady of numerous churches: Zion Ritter of Tillman; St. Matthew of Pritchardville; St. John of Bluffton; and First African Baptist Church, of Port Royal.
At the young age of thirty-seven, she became a widow and was left with the responsibility of caring for six children and a grandson. Her children will tell you she was a true disciplinarian. She taught her children how to truly fear God. She believed in prayer and would often pray when her children misbehaved. When she prayed, the power of God would reveal itself in her speech and appearance. Her children begged her not to tell God about their misbehavior.
She was preceded in death by her husband, William Sheftall; four brothers, Alex, Richard, Robert and Joe Louis Graves; one sister, Patricia Hamilton.
Precious memories are left with her children, Pastor Gloria Beaton, Willie Charles Sheftall, Marvin (Blanca) Sheftall, Prophet Raymond (Annie) Sheftall, Reverend Donald (Lovette) Sheftall, Katondra (Bernard) Manigo; grandson, Reginald Sheftall, Sr who was raised in the home.; Nineteen grands, twenty-seven Great-Grands; three Great-Great Grands; Sisters, Violet Pinckney and Mercidene Williams; Brother, Joseph (Helen) Mitchell; Brother-in-law, Eddie Hamilton; Sisters-in-law, Arphia L. Graves, Mary Ann Graves, and Burniece Graves and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
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