Cressie Lenon, the eldest child of the late Creighton and Seraphina Williams, was born on July 14, 1917, in Batesburg, South Carolina. On January 9, 2024, she took her final breath, her beautiful spirit wafting like a rose petal into the divine. She was 106 years old. Known as Mother Cressie, Aunt Cressie, Ms. Cressie or simply Cres, she was a devoted mother, treasured wife, blessed daughter, beloved sister, prized friend and adored Gramma. In her lifetime, she would love those who needed love, helped those who needed help and forgave those who needed forgiveness. She was kind, warm, fair and good, a beacon in the stormiest of nights, guiding all to safe harbor.
She was born in Batesburg, a small town in South Carolina known for its cotton fields, bustling lumber industry and fruit trees laden with juicy peaches. Her father Creighton was a farmer, while her mother, Seraphina, was a homemaker and Sunday School teacher.
Cressie grew up with four siblings in a household that cherished education, a strong work ethic and Christian values. She was baptized at the Ridge Branch Baptist Church, which was established by her great grandfather, Jerry Williams, a well-respected and pioneering minister who could read. Cressie attended grade school at Ridge Hill, and later excelled at and graduated from Bettis Academy in Trenton, South Carolina.
After high school, she met and married James Padgett from Ridge Spring on April 13, 1938, and from that union had her first son, Theodore “Ted” Padgett. In the 1930s and 1940s, segregation, racial violence and unemployment ran rampant in the South, prompting Cressie to search for better opportunities up North. She moved to New York City in 1938, settling in Jamaica, Queens, where she initially did factory and domestic work. In New York City, racism was also widespread, but Cressie impressed her employers of all kinds with her sharp mind, attention to detail and unwavering work ethic.
She hurdled the worse of her challenges with the help of her Christian faith, high moral compass and practical outlook on life. When she arrived in Jamaica, she fellowshipped at various churches, finally joining in 1941 Bethany Baptist, one of the oldest Black churches in Queens.
Cressie spent the next few years working hard, living modestly and saving money. In 1948, she caught the eye of fellow South Carolina native, Marion Lenon, who she married. In 1949, she had her second son, Bruce Lenon. By 1963, the couple purchased a private, two-story residence in Jamaica, Queens, which was fast becoming one of the largest enclaves of Black people from the South.
Cressie set her sights on the healthcare industry, joining Jamaica Hospital where she worked in Labor and Delivery for 12 years; she then went on to Deepdale Hospital on Long Island assisting physicians in the Surgical and Recovery Room for 17 years. She left the field in 1992. But Cressie couldn’t sit still, embarking on a second career at Gimbel’s Department Store where she monitored and won awards for the prevention of inventory loss.
After she retired, she traveled widely, visiting faraway lands, such as Egypt, where she cruised the Nile river, explored the Great Pyramids and overcame her fear of riding a camel. Some of her other excursions included Paris, Madrid, Las Vegas, Honolulu and many an island in the Caribbean. She enjoyed bus rides to Atlantic City, which she often referred to as “going to work,” and was a regular at Allen Community Senior Citizens Center.
Bethany Baptist Church was her second home, where she basked in the worship, camaraderie and efforts to make a world a better place. She was a dedicated member, teaching Sunday School, participating in the South Carolina and Nurses ministries, the Mothers Board and more. She rarely missed a service; and when she was no longer able to go to the physical church, she tuned in through Zoom. Among her many contributions to Bethany was her healthcare scholarship and mouthwatering poundcake. Before she went on to Glory, she was Bethany’s oldest member and had been with the church for 83 years.
As Cressie grew older, she received numerous certificates and citations from elected officials marveling at her age, boundless energy and intellectual acumen. She celebrated her 90th birthday with a huge bash at the Marriott, and returned 10 years later to celebrate her 100th birthday. Cressie’s transition is a tremendous loss, but her legacy of love and kindness will live in our hearts forever. She leaves behind her eldest son, Ted Padgett, a retired airline executive, her daughter-in-law, Doris Padgett, and her granddaughter, Tania Padgett, an award-winning journalist, as well as many relatives and close friends. She was predeceased by her son Bruce, a retired social worker.
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