Vernice U. Aldridge

Vernice Ulestra Aldridge was born on June 15, 1940 at Middletown Hospital in Middletown, Ohio to Galveston and Sallie Latimore. On Wednesday, July 27, 2022, God commissioned his holy angels to escort her home. Vernice made her transition from earth to glory at the age of 82.

Vernice loved people and she loved her family most of all. She was introduced to the love of her life and husband of 47 years, Lawrence Aldridge, Sr., by her very own aunt. They went on to marry in 1962 and had four sons, Steve, Larry Jr., Anthony and Kevin. Vernice was so dedicated to her family that she and Lawrence decided early on that she would be a stay-at-home mom until her youngest son, Kevin, started attending preschool.

Vernice eventually took a job in retail, working at JC Penney, K-Mart and Meijer for 23 years before retiring in 2003. Her husband often joked that the family gained little financially from her working because of her love for shopping – something Vernice admitted was very true.

She graduated from Middletown High School in 1958 and went on to attend Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Vernice was a longtime and faithful member of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Middletown, joining the congregation under the pastorship of Rev. Gaar Davis. Her service at the church began with her taking on the role of secretary/treasurer of the “Courtesy Club,” and organization formed by Vernice, then-First Lady Meredith Davis, Kitty Mack, Amanda Washington and Alvina Simpson. She would go on to serve as a Class Leader and member of the Hallelujah Times church newsletter, Stewardess Board, Steward Board and Women’s Missionary Society.

Vernice’s true ministry, however, was uplifting and encouraging people through her card ministry – particularly those who were sick and shut in. She never failed to send friends, family and church members greeting cards for every occasion – birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, graduations, funerals, illness, or sometimes just because. She like to include a little monetary blessing inside sometimes, too. She loved to encourage people and bless them, because she understood how blessed she had been by God. Vernice came from a family that believed you should put God first in life and that love is the greatest spiritual gift. Her favorite scriptures were Psalms 91:2 and Psalms 118:1, and her favorite saying was, “We should so live that we can enlighten someone’s day.”

Vernice loved to shop and buy clothes. She had a very nice wardrobe of jewelry, purses, shoes, suits and dresses, and would look stylish for all occasions. She loved sports, particularly the Cincinnati Bengals and LeBron James (you need not even bother arguing with her about who was the greatest basketball player of all-time).

Vernice was preceded in death by her parents, Galveston and Sallie Latimore; her husband, Lawrence Y. Aldridge, Sr.; brothers, Carroll (Junior) and Donald Latimore; and sister, Mildred Domineck.

She leaves to cherish her loving memories: four sons, Steve, Larry Jr., Anthony and Kevin (Marquetta) Aldridge; a sister, Catherine (late Virgil) Jones; sister-in-laws, Lillie Pass, Lee Johnson and Barbara Wade; eight grandchildren, Aaron, Jessica, Mariah, Christian, Steven, Jordan, Josie and Layla Aldridge; 14 great grandchildren; special nieces, Terry and Angie Latimore; special nephew, Paul Latimore; special cousin, Helen Odetta Pendergrass; special friends, Cathy (Pete) Sands, Felicia McGee, Terence (Jennifer) Holbrook, Hazel Boyd, Lynda Jordan and Doris Rolark; and a host of other family and friends.

Vernice will be missed by all who knew and loved her.

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