Mary Mullen was raised a preacher's daughter on a farm near Granada,
Mississippi. She moved to Champaign, Illinois in 1947. She was
in her early 20s when she came to Champaign to see an uncle, and
ended up getting a job and marrying Randolph Mullen. Before she'd
left Mississippi, her father's first cousin had looked in Mary's
hand and said she'd not be back. The cousin also saw Mary dressed
in white, talking to a crowd of people. Mary assumed that meant
she'd be a nurse. After she and her husband moved to Chicago in
1948, she tried nursing school, but couldn't tolerate blood. She
also tried hairdressing, but ended up enrolling in the Moody Bible
Institute and becoming an ordained minister. She wore white robes.
In 1951, they moved back to Champaign and she turned her attention
to getting a church built. Her father was soundly against her
being a minister, largely because of the old-fashioned attitudes
about the proper place for women. But by the late 60s, he'd changed
his mind. She was instrumental in helping raise funds to build
a new church, the Church of the Living God, Pillar Ground of Truth,
which now stands on the southwest corner of 4th Street and Bradley
Avenue in Champaign, Illinois.
Mary started two day-care centers through the years. Primarily
she served black women who couldn't afford other centers. She
tried to make changes to help people improve their lives. She's
still thinking of ways to help young people, especially those
put into foster homes. She's a giving person. She's always out
in the community doing something for someone. If there's a tragedy
such as a house fire, she gets clothing and food drives organized.
She visits hospitals - homes. Just mention that someone is ill
and she'll be there to check them out.
Eldress Mary Mullen
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denotes original charter members of the Champaign County Section
of the National Council of Negro Women.