Lorraine Kerley-DeRamus

In God’s special garden, two seedlings grew and blossomed, eventually joining together.  From their stem grew fifteen variegated blossoms.  One special, very strong and evergreen Ivy sprouted on August 29, 1948.  The keepers of the garden, Grace and Horace Kerley, called this beautiful, strong vine, Lorraine.  The Ivy was very strong and held the garden together, enhancing the garden with her support, wisdom, patience, and guidance.  Eventually, the Ivy spread, but never lost her roots within the garden.

Lorraine had a personal relationship with God and His Blessed Mother, Mary.  She was baptized at St. Martin de Porres Church in 1951, where she later received her Catholic confirmation.  Upon closure of the church, she joined the St. James Catholic Church family. 

Lorraine was a graduate from Carver High School and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Delaware State College in 1971.  After graduating, she was employed with the Gadsden City school system, from which she retired after 25 years of service.  While juggling a career, being a wife, and caring for her three children, she earned her Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Alabama.

Lorraine was united in marriage to the late Dock Calvin DeRamus, Jr., in March of 1972.  From this union sprouted three seedlings, Dock (Meghan) DeRamus III, Derek (Tiffany) DeRamus, and Darius DeRamus.  From their seeds sprouted five more plantlets, Dock DeRamus IV, Samarria DeRamus, Andrew DeRamus, Derek DeRamus, and Deven DeRamus, whom Lorraine loved and cherished.

Lorraine had many hobbies.  She enjoyed a good suspense or romance book, traveling, gardening, counseling and helping others, spending time with her children and grandchildren, and later in life, shopping.  As a guidance counselor, Lorraine mentored and guided several students and friends.  She was active for many years in several organizations including Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and the Wisteria Club of Gadsden, AL.  She was a positive role model for her sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews, and many others in the community.

Lorraine “The Ivy” slowly began to fade; she loosened her strong hold to her roots in humble adoration to God on early Tuesday morning, January 5, 2021.  With a silent, sweet ingress, God sent an angel to claim His Ivy.  Slowly and gently, death gave way to Victory!

This Ivy grew from the stem of the late Horace and Grace Kerley.  God chose eight other blossoms from the stem preceding Lorraine in her death: brothers, Horace Kerley, Jr., William  Kerley, Ralph Kerley, James Kerley, and Charles Kerley, and sisters, Juanita Wilson, Annie Ruth Fearse, and Emma Kerley.  There are other beautiful blossoms left in the garden: Virginia Clark, Helena Kerley, Mary (Nathan) Carter, John (Annie) Kerley, Angela Kerley-Reid, and Josephine Kerley, and sisters-in-law, Lurene and Helen Kerley.  As you can imagine, from a garden of fifteen, new seeds have sprouted into numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and nephews, and several great and great-great-nieces and nephews.

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