Mother Ruth Blocker was born the daughter o f the late Deacon Clyde Clyburn and the late Bishop Odessa Clyburn, i n Elizabeth, New Jersey. Her early education was in the Roselle school system. After graduating from Abraham Clark High School, she went on to attend Manhattan Medical and Dental Assistant School i n New York from which she graduated as an X-Ray
technician.
Saved at the early age of 11, Mother Blocker experienced a myriad of ministry accomplishments. Some of these included being president of the choir and young people of t h e Northern District U C O G (United Church o f God). She was also a Sunday School teacher, Jr. Missionary Deaconess, Usher, a n d Trustee. Eventually, she became Pastor of the Mt. Ararat UCOG Roselle.
In 2001, under Bishop Marvin Williams, she was appointed the National Mother o f UCOG. During her tenure, she sent bibles to Alaska and Guatemala, organized a motorcade to South Carolina with food and clothing following Hurricane Hugo, as well as other ministry efforts. She was ahospital chaplain and volunteered as an Associate Minister at Union Memorial Hospital, in Union New Jersey. Mother Blocker retired from Exxon as an Administrative Assistant after 38
years of service.
Many knew of Mother Blocker's hobbies of knitting, crocheting, gardening and baking desserts, even that her favorite color was blue. However, two little known facts t o share: Mother Blocker was t h e 1 s t African-American woman hired i n her office a t Exxon, and she was the grand-niece of the late Bishop K.D. Christian, the 1st Bishop of the United Church of God Colored, which is now UCOG.
She was predeceased by her husband Reverend Burnell E. Blocker, two brothers Joel and Samuel, and a sister Lisa. She leaves to cherish her memory two beloved sisters affectionately known as the "Golden Girls" Helen Clyburn (Roselle, NI, Lois Jennings (Linden, NI), two daughters, KimberleighIrving(LakeOrion,MI),D a w nBlocker (Covington, GA), two sons, Deacon Todd Blocker (Elizabeth, NJ, Elder Bradford Blocker Michelle Sindab-Blocker,
Maplewood, NI), fifteen grandchildren,
twenty-one great-grandchildren, a host of nieces, nephews, godchildren, and a multitude of fellow laborers of the gospel.
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