Rev. Elsie Hortense (Bundley) Stroman

Reverend Elsie Hortense Stroman was born Elsie Hortense Bundley on May 11th, 1933 in Mattaponi, Virginia. Her parents were John Allen Bundley, Sr. and Elsie Maude Bundley.  Affectionately known as Hortense, she was preceded in death by siblings, Marcelene Shackleford, Louise Shackleford, Mary B. Walker, William Bundley, John A. Bundley, Jr. and Garry R. Bundley.

She graduated from Plainview High School, King and Queens County, Virginia and headed to the big city, more specifically, New York City.  She worked for Butterick/Vogue as a pattern maker.  This particular skill set was valuable as many relatives and friends were recipients of custom wedding dresses, prom attire and casual wear.  New York is also where she met the love of her life Lawrence Samuel Stroman, also known as LS.  They were married on June 28th, 1958 and to this union, two sons, Lawrence Anthony “Tony” Stroman and Derrick Jerrold Stroman were born.

In 1987, Hortense retired and relocated to her husband’s hometown of Batesburg-Leesville, South Carolina.  She then found a church home at Calvary AME where she served in numerous capacities, one being a pianist.  She felt a deeper calling on her life to minister God’s Word.  She enrolled at Allen University to study theology and was ordained shortly thereafter at Reid’s Chapel AME in Columbia, South Carolina.  She had a gift of knowing what you needed to hear, even randomly mailing printed scriptures to loved ones.  Country living definitely agreed with her, as she could be found tending to her beautiful flowers as well as planting fruits and vegetables.

She is survived by:  her son – Derrick (Adriana) Stroman; grandchildren – Lauren Ashleigh Rose Stroman, Jourdan Derrick Stroman, Lawrence Timotheus (Shakira) Stroman, Stephen Alexander Stroman, Jasmine Adriana Stroman, Jerremy Esteban Stroman and Lamont (Ayanna) Stover, great-grandchildren – Raven Stover and Montana Stover; daughter-in-law – Valencia Stroman and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, Calvary AME Church family and many friends.

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