I recently received in the mail a church bulletin with this small tribute to Sunday School teachers of young children.

“She’s a Sunday School teacher who arrives week after week to faithfully love, look at, smile and listen to children. Her message is: You are important to me and God. I choose to spend time with you. You are valuable. You are not a problem to me. You are God’s gift. I am glad you are here.”

These words could aptly apply to Velma E. Tester, a faithful member of Union Baptist Church, Hampton, who died last week at the age of 74. Velma, a mother of one son and grandmother to four children, had for 55 years invested in the lives of young children by being their Sunday School teacher. She taught the Children I Class, which consisted of five and six-year-olds.

Her mentor was her mother, Mrs. Merle Hicks Morton, who Velma assisted when she was much younger. When her mother passed away, Velma became the class teacher and remained so until ill health forced her to give up teaching three or four years ago.

“She loved children unselfishly, consistently, and generously,” said her sister, Glenda Ranshaw. “She was a faithful church member as long as her health held up.”

Glenda, in addition to teaching Sunday School, sang in the church choir for many years and had her own ministry. “She enjoyed ministering to the homebound. She would call them often, send them cards, and oftentimes visited them. She was an encourager,” said Glenda, Velma’s only sibling.

Velma was married to Glen O. Tester, a long-time chemistry teacher at Cloudland High School, who died in June 2010.

Velma never worked outside the home, choosing to devote herself to being a full-time wife and mother. “She was devoted to Glen. They met in Bible School at Union Baptist, fell in love, and married. Velma was a good-natured person, friendly, and always had a positive outlook. She was a people person,” said Glenda.

Velma’s obituary noted that she enjoyed vacationing in Gatlinburg and watching Hallmark movies. Her sister noted that she also enjoyed collecting small ceramic bears.

Velma was a 1960 graduate of Hampton High School. “That was the year that Hampton won the state championship. She relived that memory so many times,” said Glenda, who shared that her sister remained a Bulldog fan all of her life and enjoyed attending Hampton ballgames.

She said her sister had a strong faith, even when her health began to fail her. In 2013 she suffered a stroke, recovering from it fully, but later suffered a heart attack. Overall, she suffered two strokes and two heart attacks. “She was a very proud person. She hated to be seen walking on her walker as she was also very independent,” said Glenda.

“She was a good mother and grandmother. Aside from her family, her next love was her church, which was very good at ministering to her when she no longer could attend. A friend, Karen Matherly, brought supper to her every Sunday evening. The members visited her, sent her cards. They were wonderful,” said Glenda.

Velma Tester’s work on this earth never made the headlines, but only eternity can measure the impact she had on the lives of the young children who attended her Sunday School classes for over 50 years.

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John Dooley, faithful visitor

and STAR reader

This past week, one of our faithful STAR readers died — Johnny “John” Dale Dooley, Sr. For several years (and as long as he was able), John came by the STAR drive-through window each morning to pick up a paper. When the drive-through window closed, John drove up to the front door, where often the receptionist would meet him at the door with a paper or take it to him as he waited in his red pickup truck.

John suffered from COPD and had to have oxygen at all times, making it difficult for him to walk a very long distance.

He was a kind man, who often brought the employees in the circulation department fresh produce, which he grew in his garden in the East Side community. “He looked forward to planting time in spring. He grew potatoes, cabbage, peppers, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, etc.,” his daughter Tina said.

In addition to his kind and generous spirit, John had a hearty laugh and a “weird” sense of humor. He enjoyed telling jokes and stories, and some of which were “stretched” a bit according to his daughter.

His last job was at Crawford Drywall, but for many years he had his own painting business.

John chose not to have a funeral, telling his family to cremate him and sprinkle his ashes over his potato patch this spring. “If you do that you will have the biggest potatoes ever,” he told his daughter with a typical John Dooley laugh. Her reply: “If we do that our potatoes will be skinless, because you are bald,” evoking more laughter from John.

John Dooley was a real character, but a much-welcomed visitor to the STAR each morning, and we miss him. RIP John Dooley.