The Reverend Leathea W. (Bailey) Burden quietly took her breath in the arms of her youngest daughter, Barvenia Michelle Wooten, and her Beloved and Devoted, granddaughter, Lisa Wooten present within minutes on the morning of April 22, 2020.  Leathea Burden was born on December 16, 1933, at the Clarksville Memorial Hospital in Clarksville, Tennessee to the late Mr. and Mrs. Charles and Letha Jackson Bailey of Montgomery County, Tennessee.

She received her primary education in Clarksville, Tennessee. She later moved to Cincinnati, Ohio in 1955 and over the course of the next 30 years she attended several local colleges including the University of Cincinnati earning various certifications in the field of psychology, religion and educational.

In 1957 she was inducted into the Eastern Star under Marian Spencer.  She traveled and sang with the Gospel Singers, The Lattimore Sisters of Cincinnati, Ohio during the late "60's through the late '70"s.

In the early 1970's in addition to working for various restaurants, non-profit organizations and medical facilities, she was called into the ministry and ordained by the late Rev. John Hall, of Holy Trinity.  Mrs. Burden worked tireless as a Servant Leader in the local communities volunteering her services to help others in the West End, Walnut Hills and the Greater Cincinnati area just to name a few. She was a kind but fierce woman. She would give you the shirt off her back. Everyone loved her. But don't cross her because she didn't spare the rod!

She joined Movin' On Up 1974 in an effort to fight against the police brutality that she and her family experienced in an event that attempted to defame her character for wrongful accusations by the Cincinnati Police. As a result, she became a community activist. She continued to fight against police brutality and injustices in the Cincinnati Community well into the later years of her life.

She Pastored for twenty years of under the late Rev Young of the Church of the Living God of Cincinnati, Ohio. Everywhere she preached she made sure that she took along her children, daughter in-laws and grandchildren as her "choir". They were her light! She traveled the world preaching the Gospel.

After the murder of her beloved youngest child, Alan D. Wooten in 1990, she donated his organs, and became a volunteer and advocate for the Life Center in 1990 (Organ & Tissue). She was later presented with the Paul Hackman Award as a long-time supporter of organ donation in the Tristate in April 2001.

She would go on later to start her own organization, People, Parents against Senseless Killings P.P.A.S.K in 1992 to bring awareness to the loss of some many young Afro-American youth to violence and police brutality in commemoration of her son, Alan.  She was awarded her Certificate of Incorporation by Bob Taft Secretary of the State of Ohio.

She was honored by the WIZ 100.9 as the Unsung Hero for the month of November 2002 for the many sacrifices she made for her family, friends and communities in an effort to bring peace and harmony to all.

Over the eighty -six years of her life, she devoted herself to the well-being of her family and the community. She was recognized in several Cincinnati Newspapers, The Cincinnati Enquirer & Herald, and other local publications for her continued work and commitment for the betterment of her community and the world. We believe her biggest accomplishment was beginning nominated by the Obama Administration to travel to Washington, DC to represent Cincinnati, Ohio in the Mom's March on Washington in May 2000 where she spent a lot of time reading and studying at the Library of Congress. While in Washington, Barvenia was instrumental in getting her many speaking engagements to preach at several churches in the Washington Metropolitan Area.

In her leisure time, she enjoyed taking her children and grandchildren to area carnivals, community events and loved to travel taking them on trips back to visit her hometown. She was an avid reader and enjoyed ministering to anyone she came across. She was a wiz at cards and could beat you with her eyes closed. Her biggest enjoyment came from family gatherings and going to the Bingo with her older children, especially, Linda. She enjoyed the many conversations with her sons, Carlos & Anthony (Tony) speaking on various topics. She treasured the many times she traveled to Maryland to help care for and raise Barvenia's children.

Visitation is from 2:00 pm until 4:00 pm, on  Saturday, May 2, 2020, at the Walker - McMILLAN STREET CHAPEL, 1025 E. McMillan Street , Cincinnati  (45206).

To share a memory of Leathea or leave a special message for the Burden family, please click the "Tribute Wall" tab above and to the right, enter the information, and click "Save Post."

Walker Funeral Home, 1025 East McMillan Street, Cincinnati (45206)  is honored to serve the  Burden family.  Please call (513) 251-6200 or visit www.WalkerFuneralHome.com for additional information.