Alyce Joe Crump passed away on August 25, closing out a lifetime of Christian service to the African Methodist Episcopal Church. A fourth generation AME member, Alyce was also the proprietor of Vernon Escrow in Los Angeles for 40 years.
A celebration of Alyce’s life was held at Ward African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles. The Rev. Dr. Barry Settle, Ward’s pastor, served as officiant.
Other participants included Rochele Griffin, Edwina Nixon, Retired Supervisor Ernestine Henning, and Charlene Williams Weathers. Dr. Henry Jackson and the Rev. Rochelle Settle rendered musical selections. Also, reflections were shared by Lisa Carr Smith, Presiding Elder John Cager, Presiding Elder Roosevelt Lindsey, Norma Cook, Ivan Dwayne Daniel, and Melba Kae Daniel.
A native of McNeil, Arkansas, Alyce was born on March 17, 1941, to Osborne and Velma Runyan Crump. Relocating with her family to Southern California in 1946, she was educated in the Compton Unified School District and graduated from Compton High School.
In addition to operating her business, Alyce generously donated her time, talents and treasures to Ward AME Church in Los Angeles and the denomination’s Southern California Conference (SCC). At Ward AME, she served as a Class Leader, Steward Board Pro Tem, Women’s Missionary Society Life Member, and Vice Chair of the Stewardship and Finance Commission. On the conference level, she held the position of member/consultant and secretary on the SCC Trustee Board for more than 30 years.
As written about her in “The Life and Legend of Alyce Joe Crump,” “It had been one of her greatest joys in Christian service to be an active voice in the administration and execution of those actions necessary to protect all property of the Southern California Annual Conference.”
As her health began to fail earlier this year, Alyce aggressively sought a mentee while remaining devoted to church-related responsibilities. If anyone suggested that she release her church duties, Alyce’s prompt response was, “You want me to totally give up the one thing that remains the greatest joy of my life and it is the only thing that keeps me going. Not yet!”
Alyce was preceded in death by her parents and brother, Osbourne Runyan Crump. Cherishing her memory are her sister, Melba Kae Daniel; nephew, Ivan Dwayne Daniel; cousin, Ina Crump; her Ward AME Church family and many other family members and friends.
