Obituary of Mother Flora Payne

THE STORY OF MOTHER FLORA PAYNE (FLORA JONES) SHE ENTERED THIS WORLD ON JANUARY 14, 1944, SHE ANSWERED THE CALL JUNE 19, 2021 AS THE LORD SAID “COME HOME MY DAUGHTER.” FLORA WAS BORN TO THE PARENTS OF ARMITHUS AND LUCILLE JONES. SHE WAS THE SIXTH CHILD OF TEN CHILDREN, HER BROTHERS: ALLEN ROY, JOHNNY, JAMES, ALEXANDRA, (PROCEED IN DEATH LEROY AND ARTHUR) HER SISTERS CHARLESETTA AMOS, BESSIE COLE, AND DORIS JONES. WITH THE UNION OF JIMMIE L SPENCER SR, THEY HAD NINE CHILDREN: OCCIA DREW (SALLY), ALLEN ROY, TOWANNA CALDWELL, DAVID, RICHARD (RICKY), DENNIS, AND JOSEPH, (PROCEEDED IN DEATH JIMMIE LEE JR AND VALERIE RENEE TANGUY). IN 1965 JIMMIE CAME TO COLORADO TO LEARN TO DRIVE AN 18-WHEELER. BECAUSE OF HIS LIMITED EDUCATION, FLORA JOINED HIM TO HELP GET HIM THROUGH SCHOOL. AS A RESULT THEY CREATED THEIR OWN TRUCKING BUSINESS. BY 1967 THE SPENCER FAMILY (SIX LITTLE CHILDREN AND A BABY) MOVED FROM GREENVILLE, MISSISSIPPI TO DENVER, COLORADO. WHAT AN ADVENTURE IT WAS. 2 ½ YEARS LATER 2 MORE CHILDREN WERE ADDED TO THE UNION. AFTER THE SEPARATION OF HER HUSBAND SHE WORKED VARIOUS JOBS TO CARE FOR HER CHILDREN. SHE WORKED IN HOUSE KEEPING IN A NUMBER OF HOTELS UNTIL SHE BROKE HER ANKLE. ONE OF HER MOST MEMORABLE JOBS WAS BEING A DOMESTIC ENGINEER FOR BILL AND JOAN ELSNER, WHERE SHE CARED FOR THEIR THREE CHILDREN AS WELL AS RAISING HER OWN. AFTER THE ELSNER CHILDREN BECAME OF AGE SHE DEPARTED AND BECAME A HOST HOME PROVIDER. THE CASES THAT SHE RECEIVED WERE PATIENTS THAT “DIDN’T HAVE LONG TO LIVE.” HER LONGEST PATIENTS WERE GARY AND EDDIE WHOM, UNDER FLORA PAYNE’S ANNOINTED CARE, BOTH WENT ON TO LIVE A MUCH LONGER AND HAPPIER LIFE THAN EXPECTED. IN 1971 FLORA BECAME A SINGLE MOTHER WITH NINE CHILDREN. OF COURSE, THAT CAME WITH SOME REAL CHALLENGES WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES IN ONE HOUSEHOLD. AND YET SHE CONQUERED ALL CHALLENGES BY RELYING ON HER KNOWLEDEGE OF THE LORD. BY RAISING HER CHILDREN AS A SINGLE PARENT AND GOING TO CHURCH, SOME OF HER CHALLENGES BECAME A LITTLE EASIER. DURING THIS TIME SHE MET CHESTER PAYNE. THEY BECAME A UNION IN 1976. WITH HER KNOWLEGDE OF THE WORD AND WANTING TO LIVE BY THE WORD, FLORA WANTED TO GET BACK IN THE CHURCH AND BE AN ACTIVE MEMBER AS SHE ONCE WAS AS A CHILD. IN 1975 SHE AND HER CHILDREN WENT TO A MIDNIGHT MUSICAL AT CAMPBELL’S MEMORIAL CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST (COGIC). THE FAMILY JOINED CAMPBELL’S LATER THAT YEAR UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF BISHOP LEE AUGUSTUS JORDAN. AFTER SERVING AS A LAY MEMBER, SHE BECAME MORE ACTIVE IN CHURCH ACTIVITIES. AS A RESULT, SHE BECAME AN USHER. ONE DAY FLORA INVITED BISHOP JORDAN AND THE FIRST LADY FOR SUNDAY DINNER. THIS WAS NOT OUT OF THE NORM. AFTER ONE TASTE OF FLORAS COOKING, BISHOP JORDAN REQUESTED THAT SHE JOINED THE HOSPITALTY AUXILARY, WHICH THEN LED TO MULTIPLE POSITIONS IN THE CHURCH. THUS THE REAL STORY BEGINS. AFTER YEARS OF BEING UNDER BISHOP JORDAN’S LEADERSHIP, FLORA WORKED IN THE CENTRAL DISTRICT AND ALSO WITH THE ANIVERSARY TEAM. SHE STAYED UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF BISHOP JORDAN UNTIL HIS PASSING (1982). ELDER LEWIS LIGGINS THEN BECAME PASTOR OF CAMPBELLS MEMORIAL COGIC. FLORA CONTINUED IN HER ROLES AS A LOYAL MEMBER OF THE CHURCH. IN 1987 CAMPBELL’S MEMORIAL MOVED FROM THE LOCATION ON 25TH AND WASHINGTON TO 28TH AND FAIRFAX, THEREBY RENAMING THE CHURCH GREATER CAMPBELL’S MEMORIAL COGIC. BEFORE THE PASSING OF MOTHER OSBORNE, THE CHRURCH MOTHER AT THE TIME, SHE INSTRUCTED ELDER LIGGINS TO LOOK FOR A YOUNGER CHURCH MOTHER. SHE SUGGESTED, FLORA BECAUSE OF HER WORKING HANDS IN THE CHURCH. IN 1986-1987 FLORA BECAME A JUNIOR CHURCH MOTHER. IN 1988 THERE WAS A SPLIT IN THE CHURCH. FLORA FOLLOWED THE LEADERHSIP OF ELDER LIGGINS UNDER THE NEW CHURCH NAME OF FOUNDATIONAL HERITAGE COGIC. DURING THIS TIME FLORA WAS APPOINTED CHURCH MOTHER. SHE WAS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE TRUSTEE BOARD. SHE WORKED DILIGENTLY IN THE YPWW, SUNDAY SCHOOL, AND BIBLE STUDY. SHE ALSO WAS A MEMBER OF THE CENTRAL DISTRICT USHER BOARD AND DISTRICT HOSPITALITY UNDER MISSIONARY CRAFT. FLORA WAS THE PRESIDENT OF PASTORS AID, ANIVERSARY COMMITTEE. SHE ALSO BECAME A MISSIONARY IN 2001, A MEMBER OF THE MOTHERS BOARD, AND ASSITANT TO THE LATE MOTHER DORIS DAVIS. AFTER 25 YEARS FOUNDATIONAL HERITAGE COGIC MOVED BACK ON LOCATION TO THE FORMER GREATER CAMPBELL’S MEMORIAL COGIC. THERE, MOTHER PAYNE CONTINUED ON WITH HER DUTIES AS AN INFLUENTIAL MEMBER OF THE CHURCH UNTIL THE PASSING OF ELDER LIGGINS IN APRIL OF 2013. AFTER ELDER LIGGINS PASSING SHE CAST HER ANCHOR AT SOUL HARBOR COMMUNITY OUTREACH COGIC UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF PASTOR CHESTER MAXWELL UNTIL HER PASSING. ONE OF THE UNIQUE THINGS ABOUT MOTHER PAYNE BEING A MEMBER OF SOUL HARBOR COMMUNITY OUTREACH COGIC IS THAT SHE AND PASTOR MAXWELL’S MOTHER PREVIOUSLY FELLOWSHIPED AND WORKED TOGETHER AT CAMPBELL’S MEMORIAL COGIC MANY YEARS AGO. EVEN THOUGH MOTHER PAYNE’S MEMBERSHIP AT SOUL HARBOR WAS SHORT, SHE WORKED DILLIGENTLY IN MANY AREAS OF THE CHURCH UNTILL HER HEALTH WOULD NOT ALLOW. MOTHER PAYNE WAS ALSO KNOWN FOR HER COOKING. BECAUSE OF HER NOTARIATY OF HER COOKING, MOTHER PAYNE WAS ABLE TO PURCHASE HER FIRST HOME. HER DAUGHTER WOULD PRESALE HOME MADE SMOTHERED BEEF BURRITOS AND BBQ DINNERS AT HER PLACE OF WORK. SHE AND HER CHILDREN WOULD THEN DELIVER THESE MEALS AND OFTEN RAN OUT OF FOOD. MOTHER PAYNE WAS AN AVID SUPPORTER OF HER CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN IN VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THEIR LIVES. MADE IT KNOWS MOTHER WAS THERE. ONE OF MANY EXAMPLES, SHE TOOK ON THE RESPONSIBILTY OF RAISING TWO OF HER MANY GRANDCHILDREN WITHOUT QUESTION, WHEN THEIR MOTHER (HER DAUGHTER) FELL ILL. SHE HAD NO PROBLEM STEPPING UP TO THE BAT FOR ANY OF THEM, IF THEY WERE IN THE RIGHT. MOTHER PAYNE NEVER FAILED TO HAVE A KIND WORD TO SAY TO PEOPLE. ONE OF HER FAVORITE SAYINGS WERE “BABY, I DON’T MEAN YOU ANY HARM I’M JUST TRYING TO HELP YOU.” MOTHER PAYNE HAD A NUMBER OF SPIRITAL CHILDREN. SHE WAS A CONFIDANT TO MANY PEOPLE. IF SHE DIDN’T HAVE AN ANSWER TO YOUR PROBLEM SHE WOULD SAY “WE WILL SEEK THE LORD FOR AN ANSWER.” THE YOUNG PEOPLE FLOCKED TO MOTHER PAYNE BECAUSE OF HER WISDOM AND APPROACH. SHE WAS UPLIFTING AND A GOOD LISTENER. YOU COULD CALL AND SHE WOULD TAKE THE TIME TO LISTEN AND PRAY FOR YOU. MOTHER PAYNE WAS A PRAYER WARRIOR. SHE WAS KNOWN FOR THE VARIOUS SONGS SHE WOULD SING AT CHURCH. HER SONGS REALLY HAD AN IMPACT ON OTHERS BECAUSE OF THEIR MEANING. IF YOU WERE TO LOOK BACK OVER MOTHER PAYNE’S LIFE WITH HER SHE WOULD SAY “I’VE PAID THE PRICE, THAT WE ALL MUST PAY ONE DAY.” IN REMEMBERANCE OF MOTHER PAYNE