Bernetta Davis Curry was born March 2, 1939, in Birmingham, AL to Bennie Lamar and Jessie Bell (Green) Davis.  She was the third and youngest daughter of eight children.  It was her mom who gave her the life-long vision of loving and helping others. Both of her parents served in various church ministries.

The family moved to Akron, Ohio where she would live the rest of her life as a citizen of the East Akron community.  As a girl growing up, she was a “tomboy” who loved playing baseball with the boys in her neighborhood. During her childhood she met the eventual love of her life, Thomas E. Curry. On June 2, 1962, they were married. When Thomas died in 2006, it brought to end a relationship of 60 years.  They grew up as next-door neighbors, enjoying taking part in sports activities such as shooting marbles, climbing trees, and playing baseball.  Thomas recognized that besides the Lord, she was his best advisor when he signed a picture that stated, “To Bernetta, whose loveliness is only overshadowed by her Spirituality.  May the Lord bless and keep you always.”

The Davis family attended Robert Street Church of God, presently, Arlington Church of God, where she accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior under the pastoral leadership of the late Robert L. Fowler. She continued to serve/worship under the pastoral leadership of the Rev. Dr. Ronald J. Fowler, Sr., the Rev. Dr. Diana L. Swoope, and the Rev. Dr. Charles Myricks, Jr.   She attended and graduated from Robinson Elementary and East High School (1957). The passion of serving others led her and her friend the late Ella Joyce Sojourner Fowler, to attend and graduate from the Akron School of Practical Nursing. Throughout her life she helped to nurture many back to physical, emotional, or spiritual health.  She was God’s nursing angel and she used unconditional love to bring healing and hope.

Bernetta and Thomas’ marriage was truly one that epitomized “for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer and in sickness and in health” as it endured through the storms and ups and downs of life.  This union was blessed with a son, Vincent Blake and a daughter, Yvette Dion.  Bernetta loved her children!  Eventually the family expanded when they lovingly accepted the late Helaine “Lynn” (Clark) Gordon as their “other daughter.”  Through the years they continued to “add” to their family circle, other sons and daughters: the late Kimberly Morrison, and Joan (Tillman) Bell.

When Robert Street Church of God started the Irma A. Jones Preschool (Irma Jones) she joined the staff where she served as teacher assistant, head cook, and infant caregiver during a 25-plus year career.  It was as head cook that she made her mark with both staff and students of Irma Jones and Arlington Christian Academy (ACA) who enjoyed her homemade breakfast and lunch meals. Thanksgiving was always great because it was always a homemade meal of Turkey, cornbread dressing, green beans, cranberry sauce, and dessert.  She loved to cook and was good at it.  As they say, she could really burn in the kitchen. During her time as cook, she not only provided food that fed the physical body, but she  also shared a good Word that fed the souls and spirits of many. She loved her Irma Jones family, which included Barbara Jones, Sheila Franklin, Debbie Jones, Rea Jones, Sonya Riley, Linda Dunn, Corine Templeton, and Susie Johnson.

Working at Irma Jones and ACA was a bonus because it allowed her to see her grandchildren every day, all of whom attended both schools.  In fact, both Adam and Kyle enjoyed being picked up from school and taken home by “grandma” for years.

Service to the Lord was important to Bernetta. During her early adult years, she and her sisters, Tiajuana and Jacquelyn, formed the Davis Trio and sang for a local WAKR radio program featuring the late evangelist, Blanche Wilson.  She also sang in the Robert Street and Arlington Church of God choirs under the direction of the late Rev. Dr. Cleo P. Myricks. She passed the love of service to the Lord down to her children and grandchildren who have served and continue to serve in various areas of ministry.

Bernetta was a “connector” who brought others into her family so that she could help them to experience her love and the love of God.  Some of those who she loved into the family include the late Antoinette Bell, the late Dr. Jeanette Swoope Sojourner, the late Mary Clark, the late Florence Showers Brown, Joann Woods, Jean Lee, Brian Banks, Diane Lewis, and Mario Orosa.   Bernetta recognized that the love of God had lifted her and she wanted others to experience and know that love.  Also, that love allowed her to open up her home as a place where young adults such as her cousin, Sondra Richardson Bryant, Shawnee Petway, Lynn Blackmon Suddeth, and Mary Walters, could find good fellowship and wise counsel.

The Lord blessed her with the gift of writing.  She wrote numerous poems and even wrote the alma mater for Irma Jones.  Writing provided her an avenue to express how the grace and love of God was able to help us to handle the ups and downs of life.

She loved going to the National Association of the Church of God campground in West Middlesex, PA.  It was amazing that her parents, she and her children, her sisters and their kids would all fit in that 3-bedroom cabin that her father had built.  Later in life, she and grandson, Adam, would stay for a few extra days after camp-meeting ended.  She loved the peace and tranquility that Zion’s Hill provided.

In 1989, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She was able to beat the disease because of the grace of God and the efforts of her medical team. She was always grateful to the Lord for giving her more years to live.  In 2020, she was diagnosed with another serious illness, which eventually impacted her physically, but not spiritually.  Throughout her illness, her faith in the Lord remained strong.  Her 85^th birthday in March was truly a celebration of God’s goodness and a time of family and laughter (a whole lot of extra laughter because of the life comedy of Lawrence Swoope (IYKYK) and the stories of Darlene Shuler, both of whom are a part of the connected family).

Bernetta loved the hymns of the church. During her illness she would sing them with various family members.  A few days before she passed, she enjoyed a time of singing some of the old hymns with her daughter, son, and caregiver.   On August 30, 2024, she went home to be with the Lord while under the care of her dutiful and loving daughter, Yvette.  She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Thomas, brother, Bennie L. Davis, Jr., sister and brother in law, Jewell and Percival Word, brother-in-law, Granville Robinson, nephew, Brett M. Qualls, sister-in-law, Gayle Davis, adopted daughter, Helaine Gordon, adopted granddaughter, Tammy Portis, and adopted daughter, Kimberly Morrison.  She leaves to cherish her memory, son, Vincent B. Curry, daughter, Yvette D. Curry,  daughter-in-law, Pamela Curry, grandsons, Adam C. Curry, and Kyle S. Curry,  sisters, Tiajuana D. Robinson, Jacquelyn D. (Benjamin) Thurman, brothers, William (Annie) Davis of Hansen Hills, CA, Bradley (Marlene) Davis of East Palo Alto, CA, Calvin (Gloria) Barnes of Atlanta GA, Theodis (Leslie) Barnes) of Akron, OH, god-children, Wiliam Sojourner of Akron, OH, Davette Evans of Washington, DC, and Paul Langston McCallister of Minneapolis, MN, adopted grandchildren, Tim (Tylar) Portis of Akron, OH, and Tyrese (Amber) Crooks of Inglewood, OH, good friend and handyman (Thank you!!!) Michael Jackson, good friend Lois Cannon, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.