Cleva Webster

CLEVA WEBSTER, Passed away on September 5, 2012 in California. SERVICES ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14; WAKE 12:30 PM, FUNERAL 1:00 PM at Watson's Funeral Home, 10913 Superior Avenue. Cleva Lucinda Naylor was born on October 24, 1917, to Benjamin and Pearl Naylor. She was the fourth child born from this union. Her parents were one of the earliest people of color to own a business in Ohio. Cleva's parents were socially responsive business owners who took pride in taking care of their community, and owned a family grocery store around 22nd Street in Cleveland. During the Great Depression, they consequently lost their store, due to their selfless acts of providing provision and food to the hungry and starving. From the family's misfortune, Cleva learned an early life lessons about the value of public service and self-sacrifice. Cleva had always been a hard worker since early childhood. Cleva and her sister Lily's first job was to transport the coal that was delivered off trucks up to the attic. This is where Cleva's entrepreneurial spirit began. She began to work outside jobs in order to help support her family financially. At the age of nine, Cleva started her business of selling seeds. She had sold enough seeds to buy her family their first movie projector. At the age of 13, Cleva decided that she would become a nurse. It was not just because her parents were Deacon and Deaconess of the church and had instilled in her Christian values, but it went beyond the fundamental belief of helping those less fortunate. Cleva's desire to perform public service and to always help others was a central tenement of her inner being and spirit. As Cleva grew older, she graduated from Central High School and married Frederick Webster on November 25, 1937. From this union, Cleva and Frederick had two lovely daughters Pearlie and Fredia. Frederick and Cleva were the youngest couple in their social circle to become landowners, owning property and two houses in 1943. During the 1940s and 50s, Cleva was active in many social clubs and organizations. She was one of the original singers of the Wings Over Jordan Choir. She was also a Girl Scout leader and worked at the voting polls. She also marched for the March of Dimes. All of her life, Cleva was a businesswoman. She owned several properties in her lifetime. She single-handedly rented and maintained each of those properties in excellent condition until her death. Throughout her life, Cleva owned four homes. In addition being a prosperous property owner, Cleva worked a variety of jobs to earn extra income for her family such as working with Hot Sauce William, being a temporary Christmas worker, and driving a delivery truck. She also sold real estate for Hamilton Real Estate Company. In the mid 1950s, Cleva knew she needed a profession because the city of Cleveland confiscated her rental properties through imminent domain in order to build a school, so in 1955, she went to nursing school. Cleva graduated from nursing school, passed her state testing, and realized her childhood dream by becoming a nurse. She found that she had a natural gift for nursing and that it revitalized her soul. In 1956-1957, she worked for University Hospitals, and in September 1958, she began working in private nursing. Throughout her nursing career, Cleva worked in almost every hospital large and small, such as Cleveland Clinic, Mt. Sinai, Hillcrest, and Forest City Hospital, gaining an immense amount of training and medical knowledge. Cleva loved nursing, and enjoyed passing on her gifts and knowledge to the new nursing students and beginning nurses at the hospitals in which she worked. In 1970, Cleva went back to school at Cleveland Community College. She graduated from the college and became a registered nurse. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, she became a world traveler, and traveled with her daughter to the Philippines. When she returned, she met her loving companion Joe Evans. Joe and Cleva were quite the loving pair until his passing the late 1990s. In 2005, she again went back to college in order to learn computers, and in 2006, she received the most improved award. Keep in mind, at this time, she was already 88 years old and still had a passion for learning. This passion for learning lasted from childhood to the day she traveled to her Home Going. Yet, with all the success Cleva had in her professional career as a nurse and businesswoman, it was her family that made her the most proud. She was matriarch to one hundred family members, and she enjoyed sharing the successes for each and every one of them. Everyone who knew Cleva knew that the thing she prized, cherished, and loved most was her family. Every day, Cleva would make it a point to speak to her family members, and she took great pride in being the connecting communication link between them. She loved them and she was treasured and loved equally back. On September 5, 2012, at 94 years of age, Cleva gradually slipped away with her loving family member by her side. At the end of her tremendous life, she wanted all her family to know that she loved and cherished each of them with all her heart. She was preceded in death by her parents Benjamin and Pearl Naylor, her husband Frederick Webster, child Benjamin Webster, companion Joe Evans, siblings Lola Mack, Lily Naylor, Lieutenant Naylor, Ada Berry, nephews Samuel Naylor, Vincent Naylor, Paul Magbee, and niece Gracie Magbee. She is survived by her brother Samuel Naylor, her two beloved children Pearlie Murray and Fredia (Larry) Jones, her nephew David (Sara) Mack, her grandchildren Lucinda Murray, Sincear (Greg) Fountain, Yelena (Linie) Gaines, Lawrence Nathaniel Jones, and Dr. Jahnell (Ming Fay) Jones Tam, and her many great-grandchildren as well as a host of family and friends.