Bernita Earnestine 'Bernie' (Murray) Gatewood

Bernita Earnestine Gatewood (née Murray) was born February 21, 1944 in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, the youngest daughter of four children to the Tess and Nancy Murray. In 1967, Bernita was employed as a community organizer with CMACAO (Columbus Metropolitan Area Community Action Organization). A few years later, she took on the position of Marketing Director for the ECCO Development (East Central Citizen’s Organization), where she was instrumental in setting up small business operations such as Dairy Queen locations, restaurants (one at Main and Miller Ave), housing developments including (poverty improvements at Rich St), and training minority workers for construction (helped formalize the training program for minorities to get into the construction trades) In 1971, she served as the marketing and business proposal writer on a team designated to bid for minority assistance from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Many years later, Bernita set forth on a mission to revitalize the conditions of her community neighborhoods by providing quality housing, safe and healthy communities, and economic development through involvement of collaborations and partnerships to create a holistic approach. Thus, in 2003, the East Columbus Development Company, Inc. (ECDC) was officially incorporated as a non-profit certified Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) primarily serving the Near East Side and King Lincoln District neighborhoods of Columbus, Ohio. While Bernita was devoted to her community, her children and grandchildren were her heart. She was a hip grandma. Any jewelry or fashion tips – she had it covered. She always wanted to be in the midst of the family action just to watch the kids in their element. She said it kept her young. Bernita devoted her life to serving her family and community by working to create moments for people that were life-changing. She departed this life the early morning of March 6, 2017 at home surrounded by the love of her family. Bernita is preceded in death by her mother and father, Tess and Nancy Murray, and her sister Velma D. Jackson. She leaves to cherish her memory, her four children, Rosaland Gatewood-Tye, Bobby (Alesia) Gatewood, Jennifer (Mark) Meador, and Nancy Jodi Gatewood-Minter; brothers, George (Ophelia) Murray and Thomas (Norma Jean) Murray; thirteen grandchildren, Christopher, Austin, Jordan, London, McKenzie, Myles, Payton, Liberty, Mark II, Kennedy, Nia, Ellis and JahJa; best friends Betty Robinson and Linda Cooper; dear friend William “Bill” Easley; along with a host of wonderful friends and loved ones that called her “Bernie”, “Auntie”, “Te-Te” or “Mama”.