Buffalos Oldest Resident Transitions After Her 111th Birthday
Brunette Washington
Brunette Washington, a resident of Buffalo's eastside, passed away days after her 111th birthday. She may have been Buffalo's oldest centenarian. Born Brunette Evans in Forkland, Alabama on June 6, 1914, she migrated to Lackawanna, NY in 1937 with her husband James and their two daughters. They settled in Buffalo and raised four children, Willie, Winona, Israel and Marvis. She was married to James for 70 years until his passing in 2001.
Brunette, known as "Mother Washington," was a devoted and long-standing member of the Macedonia Baptist Church, formally the Michigan Street Baptist Church. She attended worship services and bible study, served as President of the Mission Society, taught Sunday school, participated in the choir, and was part of the Nurses Guild. Additionally, she was a member of the American Baptist Association and The Order of the Eastern Star.
While Brunette was a homemaker for most of her life, during World War II, she worked as a metal stamper for Michael Electric, made airplane and gun parts for Curtis Wright, and sold women’s undergarments for the Charis Corporation. She volunteered for the American Heart Association, the Easter Seals Foundation, and the United Way. She also belonged to three senior citizens centers on Buffalo’s eastside.
Over the course of her life, Brunette served others through her family ties, church, and community affiliations. She helped and ministered to neighborhood children, the poor, and people in need of prayer, support, and guidance.
A believer that it is “never too late to achieve your dreams”, at 50 years old she learned to drive and obtained her driver’s license. In her 60’s, she enrolled in the 8th grade at a neighborhood school and continued until she graduated with her diploma from Bennett High School.
In 2016, Brunette was featured in “The Centenarians – We Have a Story to Tell,” a documentary of African American women over the age of 100 in Buffalo, NY. Her story includes voting for the first time in 1937, consistently participating in local and national elections, and voting for Barack Obama, the first African American president of the USA.
Throughout her long and extraordinary life, she praised the power of God’s love. She frequently remarked, “We’ve got to love one another as He says we ought to love……and if you have anything in your heart against someone pray to God and he will remove it!
Brunette is survived by her three children: Willie Lott, Israel Washington (Esther), and Marvis Robinson. Additionally, she leaves behind her son-in-law, Theodore Kirkland, as well as five grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, eleven great-great-grandchildren, one great-great-great-grandchild, and numerous relatives, friends, caregivers, and church members.
A celebration of life service will be held on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at the Macedonia Baptist Church, located at 237 E. North Street, Buffalo, NY 14204. Family visitation is scheduled from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., followed by the funeral service at 11:00 a.m. Funeral arrangements provided by Exodus Gardens, 605 Masten Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14209.