Historic moments bracket Ada Holmes Person’s four decades of service to her church.
When she first came to work at Decatur-Trinity Christian Church in Bartlett, her nation was amidst its 1976 bicentennial celebrations.
Now, 40 years later at age 79, while her city is marking its 150th anniversary, she is stepping down from her role as administrative assistant and handing over her duties to another generation.
With a smile in her voice, Person said, “I’ve had great people to work with.”
Her church and family honored her at Sunday’s service and afterward with a luncheon in the church’s gym. Two previous pastors were among the attendees, and she even received a proclamation from Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell.
She has been the rock of continuity for her place of worship, a Disciples of Christ church at 2449 Altruria Road, Bartlett. Person has kept the church office running smoothly through six senior ministers and four interim ministers, according to her cousin, Bill Goodwin. He estimated she has helped at more than 400 funerals and upwards of 200 weddings.
“I think Ada looked at it as a ministry,” he said.
Person is also on the church’s “Cradle Roll,” meaning she has been there since her birth in December 1936. She joined the church at 11.
The church, established in 1908, moved to Bartlett from north Memphis in 1969 and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2008. It has more than 250 members from the Mid-South.
Person described it as a loving congregation, and she said many have been members for 20-25 years.
Senior Pastor Gus Lohrum was full of praise for her. “She just knows so much about the two key things – the people and the processes.”
Lohrum has led the church for the past three years, and he praised her longevity, her knowledge, her integrity and her dry sense of humor. She impressed him with how carefully she handles confidential data about members’ tithes and members’ personal information.
“There’s no worry,” he said. “She keeps that confidential. She’s been just such a constant source of dependability.”
The work involves a lot of patience and humor, Person said. When she began, all her tasks were manual. Then around 1985 the church modernized with computers. Today, she keeps up with membership, produces the weekly newsletter and Sunday bulletin, handles checks and does the church’s bookkeeping.
The hard part is thinking about training somebody to handle all the tasks she has done for years. She laughed and said she’s been told, “We need to clone your brain!”
Goodwin said Sunday’s party was planned for a time when all the family could be there, but Person will continue working for a while longer until her replacement is hired.
Person said she was one of several people hired when the previous admin retired after about 25 years. The position was a good fit for her and also helped her family.
“At that time I had four kids at home and my husband was working hourly wage, and one of my daughters needed braces,” she said.
About a year or two ago in her late 70s, she cut her work hours to four days a week. When she steps away from the office for good this summer, she expects to be ready. “It’s going to be strange, but I think I’m going to be able to handle it.”
She is looking forward to having more time with her family. A widow, she was married for more than 30 years, and she has four grown children, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
At Sunday’s luncheon in her honor, Person wrapped up the luncheon with brief words of thanks and the modesty that family and colleagues say is characteristic of her.
Lohrum said, “She’s not one to try and talk a lot. She took her work seriously, but not herself.”
Written by Carolyn Bahm, Express editor. Contact her at (901) 433-9138 or via email to bartlett.editor@journalinc.com.
