OBITUARIES

Edna Culbreth, 85, of Newburgh, NY, transitioned peacefully on March 5, 2026, surrounded by the family who loved her dearly.

Born Edna Earl Tatum on August 24, 1940, in Rosboro, NC, to Bessie Mae Tatum and Ellis Gray Williams, Edna’s life was defined by the values of faith, hard work, and unconditional love. On July 2, 1975, she married her beloved husband, Charles F. Culbreth. They shared a life of devotion until his passing on May 25, 1998.

Professionally, Edna dedicated herself to the care of others as a Home Health Aide, a role that mirrored her nurturing and compassionate spirit. Her faith was the cornerstone of her life; she was baptized at Ebenezer Baptist Church on November 15, 1981, where she remained a faithful and devoted member until her passing. She took great pride in her service as a long-standing member of the Senior Usher Board, welcoming her community with grace for decades.

To know Edna was to know a woman of quiet strength and simple joys. Whether she was cheering during a basketball game, finding peace in the words of the Serenity Prayer, or patiently assembling a 500-piece puzzle, she approached life with focus and warmth. Above all else, her greatest passion was the unwavering love she held for her family.

Edna’s legacy continues through her children, Michael Tatum (Loretta) and Mary McDonald; her sons-in-law, Leonard Lee (husband of the late Diane Lee) and Keith Scott (husband of the late Donna Tatum); her grandchildren, Rodney McLean, Darius Lee, Michael Tatum, LeeOndrea Lee, Toya Tatum, and Crystal Tatum; and a host of beloved great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Bessie Mae Tatum and Ellis Gray Williams; her husband, Charles F. Culbreth; her sister, Alberta Robinson; and her daughters, Diane Lee and Donna Tatum.

Flowers and expressions of sympathy may be sent directly to Ebenezer Baptist Church in honor of Edna’s long-standing devotion to her church home.

The Serenity Prayer God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.