We now have several of Sister Willa Dorsey's CDs available!
All proceeds go to the Dorsey Estate.
Our Dear Friend - Sister Willa Dorsey
Even in death, she brought life
Sister Willa Dorsey
has gone on to be with the LORD.
She passed from this life to her new life with Jesus on January 5, 2009. I had the great privilege to be able to attend her homegoing service. They allowed friends to have a few words, and we heard from people all over the world who loved her, whose lives she touched, from the soldier who was stationed in Germany, to the leader of the Portland Salvation Army Band, to one of the musicians from the Lawrence Welk show, to ordinary people who loved her - and she called a lot of us ‘Baby,’ even though each of us thought we were the only one! We sang some of the songs she sang, including “Welcome Table” and “Oh, I Want to See Him,” which were particularly touching when we realized that she is now seated at the Welcome Table, on the streets of glory, lifting her voice, looking upon His face.
The best part was after the preacher had brought the message, when he gave the invitation to Christ - at least 3 people accepted Jesus! So even in her death, she still is pointing souls to Calvary! Her life and death glorify Him!
Sister Dorsey blessed Everlasting with her musical talents and an evangelistic service three times in the 1990's, singing to our small group with the same power and enthusiasm as I have heard her sing to thousands. She would always emphasize that it's all about Jesus. She started with "Have Thine Own Way, Lord" and finished with "Come to Jesus." Why didn't she use the operatic voice God gave her to sing opera, become famous and earn lots of money? Because she didn't want to sing about death and tragedy; she wanted to sing about life and joy and hope, and that only comes with singing about Jesus.
She became a family friend nearly 20 years ago. One time when we saw her at Maranatha Church in Portland, I told her I learned to sing by listening to her tapes. She told me she would like to hear me sing some time. I just smiled, thinking that would never happen. In November 2008, when I heard she was in a care facility, I went to visit her often before she passed away. She shared so much with me: she was good friends with Martin Luther King's mother - in fact, she lived next door to Martin Luther King in Atlanta. Her daddy taught her to play piano. She loved Mexican food - when it was authentic. She had many dear friends who had been so kind to her all her life. She loved bananas and Milky Way bars were her favorite kind of candy. She had an excellent memory, even in the last month of her life recalling the first time she had met each person who came to visit her (and they came from all over the U.S.) and she loved children. Every time I visited her, I sang her a song, so she finally did get to hear me sing. When Pastor Pride visited her in December, she SANG out his name, loudly, when she saw him! Then she reminded him of the last time they had been together, at a homegoing service in early 2008, and we all sang Christmas carols and prayed together.
She was ready to meet her Jesus.
I have several tapes of her music, and through the years, any time I began to feel that I was not as close to the LORD as I should be, I would listen to her singing, really listen to what she was saying, remember her always smiling as she sang, and my spirit would be revived again. I feel so blessed to have been a small part of her life, since she has been such a large part of my life. She no longer has to sing "We shall walk through the valley in peace" - she is there!
With loving affection, Sister Dana Pride
Video Tribute to Sister Dorsey
