Ellen Cureton Shumate Windham

Mrs. Ellen Ruth Cureton Shumate Windham was born in Greenville, South Carolina, the fourth of seven children born to the late Santee Argo Cureton and Martha Henderson Cureton. At an early age, she gave her life to Christ and was baptized at the Reedy River Baptist Church.

Ellen lived most of her adult life in the Cleveland, Ohio area where she built a loving and welcoming home for her family and her friends. She served faithfully in the Maranatha Bible Baptist Church as an usher and a Sunday School teacher.

Her places of employment included the defense industry, the May Company, the United Club, and Mr. Coffee.
Ellen was a devoted mother to her daughter, Joan Evellen Shumate Huggins, to her beloved grand-goddaughter, Jeanine King, and to her six great-grand-goddaughters, Joan and Jeanine predeceased her.
Ellen loved to garden and spend time outside. She once commented that what she most missed, while living briefly in an apartment, was her garden.

Ellen was an elegant and beautiful woman. When she visited South Carolina from Cleveland, her family always admired her beauty, fine clothing and elegance. The nieces would marvel and comment that “Aunt Ellen never ages.” She never lost her inner or outer beauty.

In addition to her parents, daughter, and grand-goddaughter, Ellen was preceded in death by her husbands, John Robert Shumate and Jerome “B.M.” Windham; her sister, Ruby Cureton Peters; and her brothers, William, Charles, John Mark “J. M.”, and Stewart “Rev. Dr. S. C.” Cureton.

Left to cherish dear memories of Ellen are her sister, Emma Cureton of Greenville, SC; great-grand-goddaughters, Lana Ware and Erica King of Washington, DC, Veronica King of Aberdeen, MD, and Angel King, Kelly Chapin, and Constance Chapin of Cleveland, OH; great-great-grand-godchildren, Sophie King and Jordan King of Cleveland, OH, and Elijah and Oyin King of Aberdeen, MD; sisters-in-law, Ann Bryant Cureton and Claudette Chapman Cureton of Greenville, SC; nieces; nephews; and cousins.