Nina Lathel Winters

Nina Lathel Winters closed her eyes to this world August 7th 2018, and opened her eyes to Heaven. A devoted woman of God, wife to Timothy Winters the 2nd , mother to Douglass, Shellye, Timothy the 3rd, and Michael. grandmother, great grand mother, sister, friend and confidant. A natural born teacher, she was our Rock, our Beacon, our calm in the midst of Storm. Born on April 12th, 1928 in Pittsburgh, Texas, youngest daughter to Mattie C. Byrd and Eugene Kemp. She traveled to Meachum Park, Missouri with her mother and sister Vernel, and lived with Aunt Mattie Barbee, who was very influential in her life. When Nina was around ten, her mother married Albert Runnels and the family continued to live in various places around St Louis, finally settling in Kirkwood, Missouri. Nina attended James Milton Turner School from kindergarten thru ninth grade. She graduated high school from Washington Tech where she studied Home Economics and developed her love of sewing. It was around these early times in Kirkwood, when Nina met a lifelong friend Olivia Longstreet. Olivia was like a sister, playing together every Saturday, writing scripts, and acting them out. One character was named Winters, (who would have known) . They built houses out of orange crates, put linoleum for the floor and hung curtains on the windows. They were the original HGTV stars. In their teen years, they sat together every Sunday in Kirkwood Church of God In Christ where they attended Sunday School, Y.P.W.W. and sung in the Choir. They attended many worship services together and looked forward to Holy Convocation at 23rd and Delamar every May. Olivia remained a steadfast friend for life. In 1950, Nina met a young Airman named Timothy Winters and thru letters and visits a romance grew. On May 26th 1956 they were married. With her husband, Airman Timothy Winters, Nina got to see many parts of the country. A beautiful daughter named Shellye was born in Victoria, Texas in 1957, a son and his namesake Timothy, was born in Panama City, Florida, in 1959, and their baby boy Michael was born in Anchorage, Alaska, in 1961. This union has lasted over 62 years. Ever conscious of Civil Rights and the power of education, Nina stressed the importance of higher education to her children, not only of education, but also having a relationship with God. God blessed her to see her son Timothy the 3rd become an Elder and Shellye and Michael devoted members in their churches. In the early seventies, she joined Bibleway Temple under the leadership of Bishop Blackshear. Here she allowed God to use her extraordinary talents and many gifts. She became a Sunday school teacher, a missionary and a mother of the church. Here at Bibleway, she met Evangelist Joyce (Riley) Moore, her longtime friend of forty plus years who will remember and forever miss her. Nina showed her love and devotion to God to all she met. She always had a word for you and a bible verse to back it up. Nina was so many positive things for so many people. It was easy to believe she was born with so many positive traits and so much strength, but it was all forged and molded through her relationship with God. Thru fasting and not just prayer, but a prayer life, when stumbling blocks were blocking her path she wouldn’t just pray for the Lord to remove them, if that not be his will, but for him to give her strength to endure and to press on, all the while thanking the Lord and lifting him up. She was a selfless person who always looked within for self-improvement. Ten years shy of one hundred, Nina Lathel Winters leaves four generations to cherish her precious memory, her loving husband Timothy, daughter Shellye, her sons Douglass, Timothy the 3rd (Jane), Michael (Robin), six grandchildren, 7 great-grands, nieces and nephews, two best friends Olivia and Joyce and a host of relatives and friends. Nina stood on these words “Whichever way the Lord decides to heal me I am alright with it. I’m prepared to see the Lord”. All those that had the pleasure of meeting her will never forget her and what she lived for. Those exemplary words “Well Done”. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Nina Lathel Winters, please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.

Nina Lathel Winters

April 12, 1928 - August 7, 2018