Clara was born in Princewick, WV on December 29, 1929. What is Fold3. Clara Troy Ward, 92, Ft. Walton Beach, FL died November 19, 2022. Gertrude created and managed a second group, "The Clara Ward Specials", to accompany the Ward Singers. SHE WILL TRULY BE MISSED BY FAMILY FRIENDS AND THE ERIE COMMUNITYWELL DONE MRS WARD REST WITH THE ANGELSBLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN, FOR THEY WILL BE COMFORTED MATT" 5:4. In 1969, Ward recorded an album for Capitol Records, Soul and Inspiration, consisting of pop songs from Broadway plays, Hollywood movies and the Jimmy Radcliffe song of hope "If You Wanna Change The World". Marion Williams was also added to the group; she came out of the Pentecostal tradition growing up in Miami, Florida. In 1968, The Clara Ward Singers toured Vietnam at the request of the U.S. State Department and the U.S.O. Memorials are rich with content, including dates, photos and bios. If youre in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist. In 1963, Ward was the second gospel singer to sing gospel songs on Broadway in Langston Hughes play Tambourines to Glory. She also served as the plays musical director. . Clara Thompson Ward of Chattanooga passed from this life on Monday, June 23, 2014. As gospel music began to reach a wider audience in the first half of the twentieth century, Ward started singing professionally with her . A powerful singer with a broad range, she was able to reach the highest registers of the soprano range without losing either purity or volume, and could also swoop down to growling low notes in the style of a country preacher. Photograph of Clara Ward on the cover. Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory & Florist - East Chapel, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 1966. We look forward to your early visit. Clara Bell Ward, 80 years old of Oak Hill passed away on Wednesday, May 12, 2010. Such lively numbers as Down By the Riverside and When the Saints Go Marching In replaced many of the earlier gospel hits in their repertoire as they performed on major television network shows, in nightclubs and Las Vegas hotels and at Disneyland. Address and location of Clara Ward which have been published. The family is planning to have Claras funeral on Saturday at the Second Baptist Church. 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. The stamp can still be purchased with a CD and other gospel singers' stamps online.[7]. Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? [2] Henrietta Waddy joined the group in 1947. Clara Ward was influenced early in life by gospel singers Queen C. Anderson and Clara The Georgia Peach Hudman. The Miltone recordings were purchased in a multi-artist package by Gotham Record Company, which had moved to Philadelphia. Sysoon also contains listings for thousands of celebrity graves, making it the premier online destination for tombstone tourists. Clara's depression resulted in alcoholism. Funeral services will be held Monday, June 30, 2014 at 10:30 am at the East Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home. (Olson) Kenneth Wells, choir director, announcer, preacher, and : Highway to Heaven Broadcast Ministries program, 1990, : Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, 1990, : Obsequies of Reverend Arthur Altas Peters, Victory Baptist Church, Sept. 30, 1975, : Voices of Victory Choir financial and membership report, Victory Baptist Church, 1970. : Too close to heaven; I don't care what the world may do : Resolution letter and envelope, Victory Baptist Church, 1980, : The heart, the faith, the soul of Clara Ward, ca. What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative? Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. 4-5, 1973). Thursday. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Clara Thompson Ward of Chattanooga passed from this life on Monday, June 23, 2014. This can be a wonderful, heartwarming experience for all. With millions of names, it's an invaluable tool for genealogist and history buffs. You know, if anybody asked her for anything she would give it. May you all find comfort in her everlasting loving caring Memories. University of Southern California Digital Library. RIH, TO THE WARD FAMILIESYOUR MOTHER WAS ONE OF THE KINDESS WOMEN I KNOW.. SHE WAS HUMBLE CARING AND GIVING TO ALL SHE COULD HELPA TRAIT THAT WE SHOULD ALL TRY TO ACHIEVE IN OUR LIFE TIMESHE DID'NT LET HER DISABILITIES HINDER HER WORK ALWAYS WILLING TO DO WHAT SHE COULD TO HELP MAKE SOMEONES LIFE A LITTLE BIT BETTER. Other movie appearances include Its Your Thing, starring The Isley Brothers, and Spree, also known as Night Time In Las Vegas. Note: Do you have a family photo of Clara Ward? They were in constant demand on American television programs and appeared on The Mike Douglas Show over a dozen times. She welcomed everyone into her home and heart. - Accuracy of the file. In addi She sounds like she was an amazing woman. Clara Mae Ward (April 21, 1924 - January 16, 1973) was an American gospel artist who achieved great artistic and commercial success during the 1940s and 1950s, as leader of The Famous Ward Singers. According to her sister Willa, Gertrude Ward recognized Claras exceptional musical ability when Clara was a child, and controlled and manipulated her throughout her life. The Campbell's soon moved to Atlanta to . She was followed shortly thereafter by the rest of the groupHenrietta Waddy, Esther Ford, Frances Steadman and Kitty Parhamwho formed a new group, "The Stars of Faith". Mrs. Ward and her husband, Clifton, and their friends, Charles and Jean Campbell, came to Chattanooga from West Virginia in 1953 to start Uniform Rental Service. Ward is interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California. At that time, Uniform Rental Service had plants or warehouses in Chattanooga, Atlanta, Birmingham, Cookeville, Tennessee and Laurel Mississippi. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. Ways to honor Clara Ward's life and legacy. The open-coffin funeral held by Mamie Till Bradley exposed the world to more than her son Emmett Tills bloated, mutilated body. Clara. Much Love to you during this yet another difficult time. The trial attracted a vast amount of press attention. He truly was and is a gift from God. For some people, the best send-off is one that they would have loved to attendthemselves: a big party. Tens of thousands attended his funeral or viewed his casket and images of his mutilated body were published in black-oriented magazines and newspapers, rallying popular black support and white sympathy across the U.S. Intense scrutiny was brought to bear on the condition of black civil rights in Mississippi, with newspapers around the country critical of the state. Franklin, the Ward Singers frequently toured during the 1950s. Ward was the first gospel singer to sing with a 100-piece symphony orchestra in the 1960s. Both Aretha Franklin and her father sang at Ward's funeral in Philadelphia. Willa described Clara as explaining her occasional lesbian encounters as the sexual expression likely to escape her mothers notice. She just worked hard, she's a hard worker," said Claritha Meyers. Other singles and albums also appeared during that period on such labels as Duke, Dot and Vanguard. Love u all rip clara, Dearest Claritha, My heart goes out to you at this time. His mother, who had raised him mostly by herself, insisted on a public funeral service with an open casket to show the world the brutality of the killing. Her only real happiness seems to have come from her longtime romance with Rev. She was born in Waycross, Ga., on March 8, 1939, daughter of the late Rilla Mims Jenkins Young and King David Jenkins. They walked into an auditorium or church straight and proud like movie stars. Ward's mother, Gertrude Mae Ward (ne Murphy;[1] 19011981), founded the Ward Singers in 1931 as a family group, then called, variously, The Consecrated Gospel Singers or The Ward Trio, consisting of herself, her youngest daughter Clara, and her elder daughter, Willarene Mae ("Willa"). Look below the item for additional data you may want to include. Ward co-starred in the Hollywood movie A Time To Sing, starring Hank Williams. In 1977, Ward was honored posthumously at the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York City and her surviving sister, Willa, accepted the award in her honor. [en] Vital records: Clara E Ward at +Archives + Follow. . They had a one-day TV special in London, England. We are currently preparing a system for publishing answers. She was a beloved gospel artist who achieved great success, both artistic and commercial, in the 1940s and 1950s as leader of The Famous Ward Singers. Clara grew to l Other movie appearances include Its Your Thing starring the Isley Brothers, and Spree, also known as Night Time in Las Vegas. The late 1960s and early 1970s were an extremely busy and successful time for the Clara Ward Singers. Arrangements are being handled by the Dusckas Funeral Home, Inc. Sign the Guestbook at www.GoErie.com/obits. Note: Do you have a family photo of Clara Ward? She married Louis Ward and they moved to Buffalo, N.Y. From this union, there were four children. Dr. William Reynolds Ferris, former chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, will receive Read More, It is with great sadness that one of our former long term employees has passed Read More, By Chris Townsend If you have been paying attention at all in 2019, you couldnt Read More. With Clara as lead singer and arranger, the Famous Ward Singers not only defined the female Gospel sound but set about establishing the demeanor of the female group in performance, gospel historian Horace Clarence Boyer wrote in his forward to Willa Wards 1997 book How I Got Over: Clara Ward and the World-Famous Ward Singers. Williams' singing style helped make the group nationally popular when they began recording in 1948. The group's performance style, such as the mimed packing of suitcases as part of the song "Packin' Up", condemned by some gospel music purists as "clowning", was wildly popular with their audiences. When Savoy began contracting with the Ward Singers for new recordings in the 1950s, they were primarily recorded and engineered in Bergen County, New Jersey, by Rudy Van Gelder. Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. One of Clara's best hymns accompanied by pictures of her with Marion Williams and her companion, Rev. Clara Ward has records at: 74730, United States. The Clara Ward Singers toured in Australia, Japan, Europe, Indonesia, and Thailand during the late-1960s through the early-1970s. In 1977, Ward was honored posthumously at the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York City, and her surviving sister, Willa, accepted an award in her honor. Prayers & Blessings to the family.. She is HOME!! For persons dying between 1940-1997, you can order a copy of the death certificate via Ancestry.com for a fee. Many people choose to share their Memorial Websites in Sysoons Featured Memorial Website Program. Accordingly, stars such as Marion Williams and Frances Steadman not only had to accept second billing and lesser pay for their work, but pay their employers rent out of their earnings.