Thelma Marie Stewart, known to the family as “Princess,” was born in Brooksville, Florida to loving parents, George and Gertrude Allen. Her family relocated to Lakeland, Florida in 1949, where she attended Rochelle High School.
Her father was the founder of an Apostolic church in Lakeland, where she attended services as a child. In the early to mid-1950s, Thelma attended the Greater Refuge Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Lakeland, Florida under the Pastorate of the late Bishop Henry Ross Sr. She was baptized in Jesus’ name and received the gift of the Holy Ghost. She would often tell the story how she tarried at the altar calling on the name of Jesus and after a while, began to speak in tongues. The anointing power of the Holy Ghost was so full in her that when she went home, she was still speaking in tongues. Later, she was told that a relative who heard her speaking in tongues said, “That girl went crazy.” Thelma agreed and said, “Yes, I went crazy for Jesus.” Ever since that wonderful day, her soul was satisfied.
In 1954, Thelma married George Littles and to this union was born four sons; Bobby Ray, Donald Ray, George and Wayne. After the passing of her first husband, Thelma married Ezekiel “Percy” Stewart and to this union was born her only daughter, Erma and another son, Kenneth. Thelma was a humble and virtuous women who loved her children and trained them up in the ways of the Lord teaching them about prayer, fasting and faith in God.
In 1971, Thelma and her family relocated to Rochester, New York, where she and her husband, Ezekiel, became the proud business owners of Thelma’s Delicatessen Grocery Store for twenty-two years. Together they helped many people in need and became well-known in the neighborhood. It was Thelma’s desire to find a sanctified church in Rochester for her family to attend. One day in 1977, as Thelma was working in her grocery store, Evangelist Lessie Balkum, who is the mother of Bishop Hubert Phillips, was in the field witnessing about Jesus and inviting souls to Christ. The Lord led Evangelist Balkum directly to Thelma’s grocery store, and she invited Thelma and her family to the Church of Jesus Christ. The rest is history! Thelma heeded the heavenly call, and along with her children, began to attend services at the Church. She prayed and fasted often for her husband to be delivered and lived the life of Christ before him. After a while, he too, began to attend church services and was baptized in Jesus’ name. Thelma is a true testament to the Word of God that says… “the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife.” Both Thelma and her husband instilled a strong foundation of Jesus Christ in their children. When they could not make it to church, they made sure their children were picked up by the church bus for Sunday School, Morning Service and Vacation Bible School.
Thelma loved all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She even helped raise some of them, including Ferran, Lyndsey, Jamal, Kenneth Jr., Keyana, Myles, Anthony and Ashley.
Thelma peacefully departed this life on May 1, 2026, and is now at rest with the Lord. She was preceded in death by her parents, George and Gertrude Allen; husband, Ezekiel Stewart; son, Bobby Ray Littles; siblings: Juanita Allen, Dorothy Willis, Richard Allen, and Wilbur Allen. She leaves to cherish her memory: five children: Donald (Lora) Littles of Rochester, New York, George (Danielle) Littles of Rochester, New York, Wayne Littles of Pingree, North Dakota, Erma (Billy) Green of Rochester, New York, Kenneth Stewart of Lakeland, Florida, Earnest (Ona) Allen of Lakeland, Florida, George (Carmen) Allen of Lakeland, Florida, and Jerome (Delet) Allen of Lakeland, Florida; sisters-in-law: Annie Maude Allen of Lakeland, Florida and Erma Sinkler of Rochester, New York. She also leaves a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, church family, and friends.
A Celebration of her Life will be held Saturday, May 16, 2026, 11am (Visitation 10-11am) at the Church of Jesus Christ, 16 Helena St. Interment: Riverside Cemetery.
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