Obituary of Rachel Branch

Rachel "Ray" Branch entered into this life on February 3, 1938 in Marion, South Carolina to the late Iola Rhue (Barr) and Henry Smith. She was the oldest of six children. Rachel was educated in the Marion, South Carolina public school system prior to migrating to Philadelphia, PA. It was in Philadelphia where she met her husband Mikle Branch. In 1968, the family moved to Savannah, Georgia where they spent two years before relocating to Camden, NJ. She was employed as a Nurse's Assistant at Lakeland Psychiatric Hospital in Blackwood, NJ for several years. Following the death of her husband in 1978, Rachel resigned to care for her children. Her desire to help others led her to become a foster parent in 1996. She nurtured countless children and poured her unwavering faith and love into all of them. Rachel loved family, especially children, gardening and cooking. You could taste her love in everything she made. Rachel accepted Christ at an early age and was faithful member of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in North Philadelphia. There she served on several ministers including the Choir, Culinary, the Usher's Board and the Nurse's Aide Department. After leaving Enon, Rachel joined Holy Trinity Baptist Church in Camden, NJ. In 2013, she joined Little Rock Baptist Church in Camden, NJ under the pastoral leadership of Reverend Steven T. Mack. Rachel rededicated herself to Christ and attended Little Rock until her health would no longer allow her to. She was small in stature but had the heart of a giant. Rachel was preceded in death by her brothers; John Barr, Jr. and James Barr and her sister Barbara Abdullah. She leaves to cherish her memories are her children: Ray Branch, Bruce Addison, Yvonne Branch, Thomas Branch, Mikle Branch(Cathy), Leslie Bullock (Terill), Chris Walker (Charmale), Denisha Branch and Tymier Branch; 20 grandchildren; 19 great grandchildren; sisters; Patricia Barr and Shirley Mattox (Collins) and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and a longtime friend Hazel Delyons. To God be the Glory!