Obituary of Molsie Ann Daniels

Molsie Ann Daniels, affectionately known by her family as “Sister” and her friends as Ann, was born on February 11, 1944 in McCleanville, South Carolina to the late Rhoda (Weston) and Charles Williams.  Ann, who was 73 when she was called home, was a longtime resident of South Fallsburg, NY where she lived for nearly 45 years. She retired in October of 2007 and relocated to Poughkeepsie, NY until her passing.

A member of the Bethel AME Methodist Church in McClellanville, SC, Molsie Ann received Christ at an early age when she accepted HIS love at the mourners’ bench, where individuals knell to confess their sins and receive forgiveness.  Molsie Ann, a 1961 graduate from Lincoln High School in McClellanville, SC left the south and headed north where she lived in Bronx, NY with her dear second cousin Herma Lafayette.  Cousin Herma was extremely close to Molsie Ann’s mother Rhoda, who only trusted Cousin Herma with her eldest daughter.  While at Lincoln High School, she was a good student and an awesome starting guard for the basketball team.  She returned home to the south for a short time and migrated to Sullivan County.   Once in the Catskills, she joined First Baptist Church of South Fallsburg, NY were she was a long time member of the Adult choir, co-led the junior choir and actively participated in the building fund committee.

Being a member of a large family, Molsie Ann was named after her paternal grandmother.  At an early age, she was taught to be a hard worker and always put family first. Her first work experiences started at home helping her parents raise seven children. As the eldest daughter, she was taught to cook, harvest, sew and crochet. Her parents taught her the life skills needed to be self-sufficient and strong during an error of racism in the south.

Her first formal work experience involved caring for young children in their homes. Once she relocated to Sullivan County, she was employed as a live in housekeeper and then worked at the major hotels in the Catskills during a time when the hotel industry was booming. After attending a technical school in NYC, she learned skills which afforded her jobs where she was employed as a book keeper for many years at local businesses in Sullivan County which included Inter-county Feed and Grains and Weiner Furniture. During this time, she also moonlighted as a cashier at Monticello Racetrack and as a relief worker at Crystal Run. She then secured a county job with Sullivan County, which later transitioned to Xerox Corporation, where she worked until her retirement.

Molsie Ann was a long time devoted member of Starlight Chapter #74 Prince Hall Order Eastern Star, Inc of South Fallsburg, NY.  Entering the Order decades ago, was a true honor as you were only allowed membership if a close relative was in the Order. Her father Charles was a Mason, 33rd Degree (the highest Order) and her mother was an Eastern Star, Prince Hall. Molsie Ann served as the Worthy Matron (WM) for three consecutive years in 1991, 1992 and 1993 where she was quite active representing the Starlight Chapter #74 proudly. She continued to support Starlight Chapter #74 even through her failing health. Molsie Ann was also civic minded fighting for the rights of those wrongly accused.  In 1989, she coordinated a relief effort where she was able to collect a truck load of donations from the Sullivan County family for the residents of McCllenaville, SC after the devastation of hurricane Hugo.

Sullivan County is where she met her devoted husband of 53 years.  Molsie Ann married McKinley Daniels Jr on July 12, 1964 in Bronx, NY.  Together they started a life and began to raise a family.  They had two daughters Anita Suzette and Lisa Denise and a son Clifton Mckinley. They later raised their niece Tiquanna Jones for eleven years.  The eldest girl of seven siblings, Ann was a true matriarch. She instilled the strong values of hard work, being honest and dedication to family. Ann cooked dinner every night (except for Fridays) and expected the family to eat together, just in time for her to head out to Bingo or serving as the 3rd baseman on her local softball team or a proud fan at the Fallsburg Comets High School basketball games (home and away).

Molsie Ann was predeceased by her parents Rhoda and Charles Williams; maternal grandparents Sam and Charlotte Weston; paternal grandparents James and Molsie Williams and Caroline Williams; uncles Irving, Peter, William and Samuel Weston, James Williams; aunt Annie Singleton; niece Desiree Gilmore; nephews Bryan Geathers and Matthew Williams and great grandson Yerik Israel Toney.

Left to cherish and carry on Molsie Ann’s legacy are her devoted husband McKinley Daniels Jr, Poughkeepsie, NY; daughters Anita Daniels (Ricky Sea), Poughkeepsie, NY; Lisa Daniels Landy (Michael), Troy, NY and son Clifton Toney (Wanda), Monticello, NY.

Seven siblings Charles (Junior) Williams (Georgianna) Buckhall, SC; James (Biddie) Williams (Joyce) Charleston, SC; Lorraine Gilmore (Alphonso) Hartsville, SC; Thomas Williams (Evangeline) McClellanville, SC; Charlotte White (Albert) Woodbourne, NY; Marie Manigault, McClellanville, SC and Celeste Geathers (Sterling) McClellanville, SC.

Three devoted grandchildren DesRine Landy, Troy, NY; Kaila Williams, Poughkeepsie, NY and Sharon Toney Finch, Woodridge, NY.

A beloved Aunt Minnie Adams, Boston, MA; cousin Herma Lafayette, Bronx, NY; Inlaws Virginia and David Bull, Central Islip, LI, Olen and Tommie Daniels, Queens, NY; a long time devoted high school friend Marie Brathwaite, Brooklyn, NY; two adopted sisters Laura Singleton-Williams (Andrew), Charleston, SC; Portia Harrell (Arthur), McClellanville, SC and longtime friend Richard Gillard (late Clara Gillard), Poughkeepsie, NY.

A host of nieces, nephews, cousins, long time family and friends from Sullivan county and her new church and Bingo friends in Poughkeepsie, NY whom she loved all so dearly.