Hannah Drakeford Stevens

Hannah Curlena Stevens was born on May 9, 1938 to Jason and Nannie (Jackson) Drakeford. When her sister was born two years later, she went to live with her grandparents Joe and Marie Jackson who raised her into adulthood. She initially enrolled in the Camden public school system before being transferred to Mather Academy Methodist School for African Americans in Camden, South Carolina.

After she graduated high school, she moved to Englewood and then to Paterson, New Jersey. She worked in some of the more popular factories in the area at the time like, Spotless Cleaners and Paterson Shade, as well as working as a seamstress in the clothing factories for a number of years. She later went on to teach at Paterson Ecumenical Preschool for 11 1/2 years while she earned her degree in Early Childhood Education. After obtaining her degree, she went on to work as a caseworker at Passaic County Board of Social Services until she retired in 2003.

Hannah was a faithful member of Canaan Baptist Church in Paterson, New Jersey where she was a member of the Nurse's Guild, the Senior Choir, the Emergency Choir, and the Sunday School Committee. She was also a past Worthy Matron and member of Fidelity Chapter No.16 Order of the Eastern Star P.H.A For the Jurisdiction of New Jersey and also a member of Orion Court#12 Order of the Cyrene- P.H.A Englewood, New Jersey.

Hannah is preceded in death by her grandparents Joe and Marie Jackson, her parents, Jason and Nannie Drakeford, sisters, Lilie Mae Drakeford, Marie Drakeford, Betty Jean Drakeford, Catherine Stewart, and Stephanie Drakeford, brothers, Benjamin Drakeford, Larry Drakeford and Baby Boy Drakeford, her son, Darryl Stevens, and her granddaughter Latika Valentine.

Hannah is survived by her brothers Wilbur Drakeford and Woodrow Drakeford, her sister Gwendolyn Hartzog, her sons Wilbur Valentine, James Valentine, and Floyd Stevens, her daughter Loranetta Anderson, son in law Wayne Anderson, daughters in law, Darlene Hall, Regina Manley, and Towanda Harris, grandsons, Renaldo Hall, Leetuan Manley, Wallace Jackson, Terry Jackson, Devon Manley, Stevaun Manley, Paris Anderson (Keneshia Anderson), Jordan Anderson, and Skyler Anderson, granddaughters Yolanda Askew(Will Askew), Sacha Chappell, Ceresa Young, and Sharmayne Manley, eighteen great grandchildren, four great great-grandchildren, an aunt, Catherine Jackson, two very close and special cousins, Margie Patterson and Galisher Thomas as well as a host of other cousins, nieces, nephew's, and friends.