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Chestina Williams Delaney, affectionately known as “Auntie” by family and friends alike, was born December 15, 1906 in Jefferson County, Florida in her parents’ home, the Rev. Lovelace W. and Mrs. Smythie Saunders Williams.  She lived in Jefferson County until her mother died in 1916.  At that point, she went to live with her grandparents, Rev. and Mrs. Joseph and Queen Ann Williams Saunders in Metcalf, GA. 

 

Chestina met her true love Henry S. Delaney, and they married September 13, 1931, on her grandmother’s porch.  Henry worked for the railroad and owned a home in Thomasville, where they lived until 1949.  Chestina focused her energy on providing a warm and nurturing home for her husband, and their son, the late Rev. Dr. Henry R. Delaney (affectionately known as Junior).  She was called to preach on January 14, 1949 and delivered her initial sermon one month later on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1949. 

 

Chestina attended the Allen Normal Turner Theological School, but never pastored a church.  She once stated, “I never wanted to pastor.  The world is my parish.”  Chestina was one of the first women to be ordained an Elder in the CME Church, in the 1966 Georgia Conference.

 

The family relocated to Atlanta in 1950 when Henry Senior was transferred by his company.  They lived a wonderfully full life, as they were very involved in their church – Butler Street CME Church – and in the community.  Henry died in 1968, and Chestina remained in Atlanta until 1991, leaving very large footprints in the Atlanta Women’s Club (where she served as president), the Butler Street CME Church Women’s Missionary Society (where she served as president), and the political community (she was invited and attended the presidential inauguration of former President Jimmy Carter). 

 

Chestina left Atlanta for a five-year period to help care for her newborn granddaughter, Henree “Dee Dee” Delaney, for five years in Tennessee, but returned to Atlanta to continue her work in the community.  She moved to Savannah in 1991 to live with Junior and his wife Ethel, who loving cared for her when her health began to fail.  However, she remained a staunch activist, community leader and personal “cheerleader”:  the Chestina House Women’s Rehabilitation Center in Savannah, GA was established in her honor; Chestina encouraged Ethel, Junior’s wife, to accept her calling and become ordained and she encouraged Keith, Junior’s youngest son, to accept his calling; and she assisted Junior in building the Women’s Missionary Society at St. Paul and encouraged him to grow Bible Study and Prayer Meetings.  Chestina used to say, “If people knew how important prayer meeting was, you could not get in the church!  You would need police to direct traffic.”

 

Chestina continued to mother her family (who affectionately called her “Auntie”) and friends (who referred to her as “Mother Delaney”) up until the ripe age of 90.  She loved to cook and attended every family Reunion until 1997.  Some of her favorite sayings are listed below:

• “I am a Jesus person.”

•  “They had birth control when I was a girl.  It was called panties.”

• “Men can’t rest for women calling them.  A woman should wait to be called.”

• “Pray before you start cooking.”

• “Good, healthy food is better for me than medicine.  Too many medicines in the body will mess up the mind, I think.” 

• “Negative talking people get on my nerves because they discourage folk.  Nothing wins like a silent tongue.  A silent tongue can get a lot done.”

• “Buy the best.  If you have to spend a few pennies more, you will be satisfied.”

• “There is nothing like family!”

 

Chestina founded the Williams Family Club when in 1968 her brother JB, Uncle General, and her husband died.  She believed that the family needed to get together at times other than funerals.  At the time, there were not many families that sponsored reunions, and the WFC was the framework used for several other families’ gatherings throughout the years. 

 

The growth strategy was perfect in its simplicity:  reach out to all family members.  Wherever there were descendants and relatives of John Williams and his wives, Chestina visited with those members and showed them how to organize branches.  At one point, the WFC had ten branches across the USA!  Chestina received confirmation in 1971 that her vision would continue past her lifetime when the Holy Spirit told her that the reunion would grow and become even grander as time moved on.   She served as president of the WFC for 16 years; when she stepped down, she was conferred the title President Emeritus in honor of her visionary leadership and dedication. 

 

We are proud to say that 46 years later (and seventeen years after her death), the WFC is still going strong.  When this interview of Junior was completed in 2008, he ended it with this thought: if Chestina were alive today, she would tell us to “remain worshipful; stay focused on the [spiritual] part and God will continue to bless” our endeavors.

--by Lynita M. Mitchell Blackwell

Originally prepared 2008, updated 2014