Shirley Jean Hamlett, daughter of Daniel Cummings Sr. and Doris Dimple (Anderson) Cummings, was born on April 17, 1948, in Palestine, Texas. She attended the public schools of Anderson County and graduated from A.M. Story High School, class of 1966. She was raised in a Christian household and professed her faith in Jesus Christ at an early age. She attended McDonald Church of God in Christ with her family, where she served and loved helping others grow in their faith.
After graduating, she met John Hamlett II and was united in marriage on June 10, 1966. They were blessed with two children from this union: John Hamlett III & Arleshea Hamlett. Shirley loved reading, writing, and learning so she enrolled at Tarrant County Junior College and received her Certificate in Business Administration and Keyboarding. She used the skills she gained and became a District Clerk for the Tarrant County Courthouse. Shirley worked at the Courthouse for a few years but decided to focus on being a housewife, where she had more time to spend with her family and be involved in her children’s lives. Not only was she mom to John and Arleshea, but she was also “Momma Shirley” to many neighborhood kids where she had hot meals ready with a heart full of love. She kept her faith, continued raising her kids to know the Lord, and attended True Vine Missionary Baptist Church.
In her spare time, Shirley loved shopping, dancing, exercising, cooking, sewing, dining, traveling, and watching some of her favorite shows (#1 was The Price Is Right). If you knew Shirley, then you knew you would be around family; she showed the love of Christ to all that she met. This was seen in how she shopped for others and had a hot meal ready to share, in addition to the trips and dining out, as she ensured everyone was having a great time. Her love for others showed up in everything she did, from work to taking care of household duties, and even giving the last she had to someone in need. There’s a saying that we are supposed to be the hands and feet of Jesus, an extension of His life. Shirley exemplified this: the true love of Christ in her daily life.
Shirley Hamlett quietly departed this life on Friday, March 24, 2023, at Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center in Fort Worth, Tx. She was preceded in death by her parents, Daniel & Doris Dimple Cummings, and sister, Brenda Washington.
Her beautiful life will forever be cherished in the lives of her children: John (Iris) Hamlett III and Arleshea (George) Hamlett-Brown, both of Fort Worth, Tx.; siblings: Doris Howard of Baltimore, Maryland, Ruth Giles, David Cummings, Daniel Cummings Jr., Bettye (Halbert) Carter, and Deborah (Gregory) Reeves of Jefferson City, Missouri; grandchildren: Jordan Hamlett of Norman, Oklahoma, and April Pelton; and a host of devoted nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
