There are condolences waiting approval on Corine's Tribute wall
Celebrating the life of Corine M. Lee
Be the first to share your favorite memory, photo or story of
Corine.
This memorial page is dedicated for family, friends and future generations to celebrate
the life of their loved one.
We ask on behalf of the family that you keep your comments uplifting and appropriate
to help all who come here to find comfort and healing.
Obituary for Corine M. Lee
Celebrating the Life & Legacy of Our Beloved Aunt
CORINE M. LEE
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
at Mount Airy Church of God in Christ 6410 Ogontz Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19126
Viewing: 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Celebration of Life Service will follow at 11:00 a.m.
The interment will conclude at Chelten Hills Cemetery Philadelphia, PA 19138
Life Story
“I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” II Timothy 4:6-7 Hasel Corin Howard Lee, also known to her church family as “Mother Lee,” was called from labor to reward on Saturday, June 25, 2016 at 11:16 pm, when God sent His angels of mercy to receive her precious soul. Hasel Corin, popularly called “Corine” by her mother, Pearlie, other family members, and friends, was born on November 21, 1915. She grew up in the loving and instructive care of her grandmother and aunt, Caroline and Nancy Howard, in Brooks County, Georgia, her birthplace. She became the eldest of twelve children, all of whom have preceded her in death with the exception of her youngest brother, Ralph Taylor, who resides in Logan, a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Corine received her early education in the public school system of Brooks County. Having received Christ as her personal Saviour at an early age in Georgia, Corine began her prayer ministry while kneeling beneath a beautiful spruce tree. This commitment helped shape the decisions, deeds, and aspirations that defined and guided Corine’s life for nearly a century.
In 1940, she bade farewell to Georgia to begin her life anew, initially in Florida, and ultimately, in Philadelphia. She and her husband, Norman Manning (deceased), built a prosperous life. They owned their home in West Philadelphia where Corine, over many years, housed a very successful catering business and beauty salon. Simultaneously, she meticulously exploited other personal talents as a milliner and seamstress and perfected her skills in gardening and crocheting. During this period, Corine also became a domestic worker with a sterling reputation among her employers. Her determination to rise above the limitations of her early life in the South, coupled with her fervent, unwavering belief in God, sustained and uplifted her through life’s numerous challenges and remarkable achievements. In the early years, Corine joined the Mount Zion Baptist Church. With an increasingly strong desire to follow the Word of God, she later joined Mother Dabney’s Prayer Band in Philadelphia before finding her way to the Holy Temple Church of God in Christ, under the pastorate of Bishop O.T. Jones, Jr. There she served as a dedicated and beloved prayer warrior, a licensed evangelist, and for twenty-one years, an enthusiastic usher. She ministered as an evangelist and missionary in answer to a call by God in March 1972. The Lord placed The Book of Isaiah, 42:6, on her heart; she heard the message: “I called you as a minister.” She accepted the Lord’s calling and continued to be a beacon of light with a strong burden for souls until the end of her life. Also in 1972, Corine purchased her second home in Mt. Airy, a section of Philadelphia. There she became united in Christian fellowship with the Mt. Airy Church of God in Christ (C.O.G.I.C.), under the pastorate of Elder Ernest C. Morris. In the same year, Corine and the late Deacon Cecil C. Lee were married. Together, Cecil and Corine in their devout marital partnership and dedication to God, ministered to others, wherever they were needed: the prisons; hospitals; nursing homes. Deacon Lee, who owned a small business, entered his heavenly home in 1992. Corine, a passionate student of the Bible, was actively involved in the Mt. Airy Religious Training Institute, under the leadership of the late Elder John Bailey. She attended Sunday School regularly and was an active member in the Yoke Fellows Ministry. Corine (Mother Lee) was a living example of God’s many blessings and His great love. She was a woman of strong faith in God, filled with the Holy Ghost, a wise woman who gave good and kind advice to those who sought it. Her favorite topic was that of “Obedience” to God, the Creator. She felt her many blessings were due to her own obedience. Thus, she encouraged others to be obedient to the will of God. She thanked people continuously for their “love and kindness,” and said, “If you don’t see me, I went up!” She wanted all to know that when God called her name, she “gave up mortality and put on immortality,” and will be found somewhere around God’s throne. She wanted no fuss, only for us to praise God and give Him the glory for the life she has lived. Corine could speak endlessly about her travels which began with her departure from Georgia, and over the years, continued in Europe, Africa, and throughout the United States, with Israel being a favorite. She visited Monrovia, Rome, Paris, England, Switzerland, and Canada, and gathered friends everywhere she went, always giving testimony about salvation and the blessings of the Lord. She was always well-dressed in all venues with her fashionable outfits and matching hats, most of which were made by her. As an ardent evangelist of Mt. Airy COGIC, Corine (Mother Lee) was well known and treasured; she became the beloved Mother of the Church, continuing in her role as prayer warrior, advisor, missionary and evangelist. All remember with genuine fondness her faithfulness at the alter on Sunday mornings where she called upon the Lord in prayer for all to hear, signaling the opening of the service, and where she would often rise from her seat, waving scarf or handkerchief, to bear witness to the powerful words of the ministers, Bishop Ernest C. Morrison, Servant Leader, Pastor Dr. J. Louis Felton, and others. She enjoyed all-night prayer meetings and arose faithfully every morning at 4:00 am to pray not only for her biological and church families and neighbors, but also for U.S. President Barack Hussein Obama and his family. Last November, she celebrated her 100th birthday at Mt Airy COGIC, hearing and reading glowing words of acknowledgement from hundreds of well-wishers, including President and Mrs. Obama and the Philadelphia Daily News. Corine (Mother Lee) leaves to cherish her memory and celebrate her life of service to God on earth and in heaven her brother, Ralph Taylor (Dorothy), cousins, a host of loving nieces, nephews, friends, and her generously supportive, loving, and adoring church family, the Mt. Airy COGIC.
