Adele Louise Wilkerson

Adela Luisa Enriquez was born in Dangriga, Belize in Central America in May of 1925. Her Father’s name was Patrocinio Ascension Enriquez and her mother’s name was Wenceslada Higinio. Both of her parents were teachers. Adele was ambitious, hard working and very smart. She passed all of her High School courses by the young age of only 15.She was too young to start nursing school, so she worked as a teachers assistant for two years at the school where her father served as the principal. Adele completed nursing school, passed her certification exams and was a registered nurse by her early twenties. Because of the great love that she had for her parents and siblings, Adele took a great chance, and risked everything in order to help them financially. All by herself, she made her way alone to the United States of America. Adele met her husband, Harold, in Chicago in 1951. Soon after Adele’s mother, Wenceslada, asked Adele to go to New York to find her brother Albert who had lost touch with the family for over twenty years. So once again Adele had to pack up her possessions and go to a brand new place and start all over again. Harold made his way to New York in 1952 as well where they were married in 1954. With her intelligence and drive, she worked as a laboratory technician in several major hospitals including Memorial-Sloan Kettering, often integrating the lab staff. Adele worked multiple jobs and with the assistance of Harold brought dozens of members of her family to the United States. She then sponsored them all to attain the legal citizenship she strived with difficulty to achieve and which she cherished and respected. The brothers and sisters, the nieces and nephews that Adele brought to the United States have all made a life and started families due to the generosity and hard work of Adele and Harold. The dozens she brought here are now in the hundreds. Many of these hundreds of family members appear to be unaware of her work and sacrifice which allowed them the privilege of a life in the United States. All of them owe Adele a great debt that cannot be repaid. Adele and Harold had three children Lorna, Karen and Mark. There has been no better example of a loving and faithful mother than Adele who more often than not maintained two jobs in order to put her three children through Catholic Elementary and Catholic High School. She was active in her children's education and in her community. She was a member of the Lions club, the Ladies auxiliary of all of their schools and was active in the St Clement Pope community. Adele was the daughter of teachers and believed education was the key to citizenship and achievement. All of her children graduated from college and have multiple post graduate degrees. Children learn by example. Her three children were all devoted to her throughout their lives and provided her 24 hour a day home care in the last decades of her life. For the last 7 years of her life she had an Angel named Kameel who also cared for her selflessly. On her 98th birthday in May of 2023, she was planning her 100th birthday party! We were blessed to have her for 98 years. However we miss her everyday- there is a hole in our hearts.

Adele Louise Wilkerson

May 26, 1925 - December 14, 2023