Thelma Diane Forrest

Thelma Diane Forrest, 65, of Elkhart, Indiana passed away on August 3, 2017 following a very brief illness. Thelma, lovingly known as “Diane” was born to Earlean Forrest on January 4, 1952 in Sikeston, MO. She and her mother relocated to Elkhart in 1955. She attended Aux Chandelles School for the developmentally challenged and graduated from that program in 1972. She was gainfully employed as a dishwasher for many years until her disability no longer allowed her to work. Diane was a member of the Community Missionary Baptist Church until her beloved father who raised her, the late Rev. Dr. Allen Gary was called to Pastor the New Testament Missionary Baptist Church of South Bend. She, along with her mother and siblings moved their membership to New Testament to help her father in ministry. While at New Testament, she proudly sang in the choir and was not ashamed of the God that she loved so dearly. She would praise Him with everything in her during worship services. A few years after her father passed, they returned back to Community Baptist Church where she was a member of the choir for a short time. Although considered a “challenged person”, the one lesson that she taught anyone around her for any length of time was unconditional love. Thelma loved her God and people and had a very special love and unbreakable bond with her sister, Loretta. Thelma kept telling us the last 2 weeks of her life that “Daddy is in my room. He’s looking for me and he said it’s alright for me to go to heaven” and she was excited about going to be with “Jesus and Daddy”. During the last month of her life, she could be heard talking in her room and when asked what she said, she would simply respond “I’m talking to the Lord”. She was preceded in death by her very special father, Pastor Allen Gary, her grandparents, George Forrest Sr., Odessa Forrest Windbush, Mack Neal and Nicy Gary, 2 sisters, Debra Gary Collier and Antonea Gary Sheppard, 1 brother, Allen Gary Jr. and several aunts, uncles and cousins. She leaves to cherish precious memory her mother, Earlean Gary, her daughter, Tiffany Danielle Forrest, 2 granddaughters that she loved so dearly, Talasia Diane Forrest and Harmony Elena Forrest, 1 sister, Loretta Gary Bingham all of Elkhart, 1 brother, David Anthony Gary and his wife, Lori, of Indianapolis, a very special God sister, Tobeter Smith, her very best friend, Angela Beane Roberts, her special nephew, David Allen Gary and his wife, Erica and children along with a large family of Aunts, Uncles, cousins, friends and her beloved New Testament and Community M.B. Church families. The family would like to thank Dr. David Dyck, the 4th floor nursing staff of Elkhart General Hospital, Kindred Valleyview Nursing Home, and Pastors Clarence Jones and Rev. Dr. Dannell Brown for their care and concern of both Diane and our entire family. Memorials may be given to the family for her grandchildren.

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