Earnestine Spencer

Earnestine Merriweather Spencer, 76, affectionately known as “Nana” went home to be with the Lord on October 21, 2019. She was born May 11, 1943 to the late Sarah Marie Miller and the ate Oliver Merriweather. At an early age, the family moved to North Carolina where she met and married William Walker Spencer.
Earnestine worked as secretary and school bus driver to a number of county schools for approximately 8 years. She worked in textiles for 10 years in which she became one of the first blacks to become a union organizer for Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union in her’s and surrounding counties.
When that career ended, Earnestine moved back home to Madisonville, KY. She worked at Senior Citizens Nursing Home until her health began to fail. She the became a babysitter to many neighborhood children.
Earnestine loved God, her family, life, and people. She believed God and took him at His word. One of her favorite scriptures was Psalms 27:13 – “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living”. She always had a smile on her face and words of kindness or encouragement to give.
She leaves to cherish her loving memory one daughter Tonja L. Vasquez of Madisonville, KY; one son, William (Analisa) Walker Spencer, Jr of San Diego, CA; one sister, Kathy M. Leak of Rockingham, NC; one brother, James (Marion) Merriweather of Indianapolis, IN; three grandchildren, Brianna S. Capel, Marcus D. Vasquez and LaChaunte M. Hopson all of Madisonville, KY; 3 grandchildren, Kristen Ashley Nelson, William Devonte Daeshawn Spencer, and Zachary Prince Nelson all of San Diego, CA; five great grandchildren, Anias Mitchell and Abria Mitchell of Madisonville, Marcus D. Vasquez, Jr., Makari D. Vasquez and Ian Berkley all of Bowling Green. Two adopted sons, Marvin (Marsha) Hightower and Paul (Sharon) Lovan of Madisonville. She also leaves to cherish her loving memory a host of family and friends.