Reflections of Our Beloved Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Aunt

Another soldier gone, to get a great reward, her soul has gone to be with God but as of now she is only sleeping until the sound of the trumpet.

On November 1, 1925, a baby girl was born to Reverend Johnny Beard, Sr. and Mary Reliford-Beard in Stone Bluff, Oklahoma. They named her Naomi. She was the youngest of 9 children. Naomi received her education in Haskell, OK. She accepted a life in Christ at an early age. She was joined in holy matrimony to Lorenzo Wright in 1942. They resided in Haskell, OK. To this union, one daughter, Elizabeth was born. After their separation, Naomi later moved to Tulsa where she met Nathaniel (Dan) Embry and was married on March 26, 1946. To this union 4 children were born, Nathella, Clay, Andrew and Margaret. She was employed worked as a domestic engineer for many years.

She raised her children in the fear of the Lord. She served faithfully in many churches in the Tulsa area. She made sure her children knew the Lord. She was very influential in her children's lives. She served in many positions in the church. Some of the positions she held was church mother, Sunday School teacher, YPWW teacher, Bible Band teacher, Nursing Unit and choir member. She sung with the local, district and jurisdictional choirs until her health began to fail. Children everywhere loved her with all their hearts. She sponsored many Christmas and Easter programs in the church. Naomi was an outdoor person. You could always find her in her garden. She raised all type of vegetables and distributed them to family and friends. She loved to fish. She could stay on banks for hours waiting to catch a fish. Naomi was also a family person. She loved her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was the first one to call the family together for family reunions. She kept in touch with all the family far and near.

After the death of Nathaniel (Dan) Embry in April 1989, Naomi married Lonzo Gardner on December 6, 2002. After their health began to fail they moved their membership to Pentecostal Temple Church of God in Christ. After a long illness, our Heavenly Father saw that Naomi was growing tired and weary. He knew she had served well and fought a good fight. She was surrounded by her family when God released her from this battle to be free on Friday, January 31, 2014. She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings. Naomi was a 20 year cancer survivor. She leaves to celebrate her home going, her husband, Lonzo, 3 daughters: Elizabeth Wright-Simon, Nathella Stuart (James), Margaret Mays (Alfred), 2 sons: Clay Embry (Sandra), Andrew Embry, 10 grandchildren, 24 great grandchildren, 4 great- great- grandchildren, a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, friends, a very special friend, Mother Erma Jean Lacy and the Pentecostal Temple COGIC church family.

Services will be Saturday February 8, 2014 at 11AM at Gethsamane Baptist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Friends may visit her as she rests peacefully on Friday from 1PM until 7PM in Tulsa.

I can do all things through Christ which strengthenth me
Philippians 4:13