Velma Inez Dickerson

Velma Inez Dickerson, ninety-four years old of La Mirada, California and Brazil, South America died on September 3, 2019.

A Celebration of Life for Velma will be held on Saturday, September 7, 2019 at 11:00 AM at the Florence Avenue Foursquare Church in Santa Fe Springs, California.  Officiating is Pastor Joe Jenkins and prayer by Pastor Terry Risser. Deana and Richard Dickerson will share remarks about her life and ministry. She will be laid-to-rest near to her mother and father in Little Lake Cemetery in Santa Springs with a family graveside service prior to her church service. Pastor Dave Englert will officiate the graveside service.

Velma Inez Dickerson was born in Redondo Beach, California on April 5, 1925 to Ira Tyler Dickerson and Delinda Jane Blackford. She attended elementary and high school in Southern California. She graduated from LIFE (Lighthouse of International Foursquare Evangelism) Bible College in Los Angeles, California in the late forties.

Velma was never married. She lived most of her missionary years with her brother Lloyd Dickerson’s family. In her later years, she lived most of the time with her sister and brother-in-law, Wayne and Ruth Nogle and at times resided with her brother, Paul Dickerson.

After completing her degree at LIFE Bible College in the late forties, Velma was ordained and sent to pastor a church in Texarkana, Texas with Zonell Hendricks and Ruth English. Lloyd Dickerson, her brother, married Zonell and joined them in Texarkana in 1948. They pastored a Foursquare Church in Texarkana for seven years.  In 1956. they were appointed as missionaries to South America. Velma served as a missionary in South America for over 50 years. Much of that time was spent in Portuguese speaking Brazil. She also spent four years in Spanish speaking Medellin, Colombia from 1965-1969.

Velma ministered in several different cities in Brazil, including São Paulo, Curitiba, and Campo Mourão with the majority of her time being in Campo Mourão. Velma’s ministry for many years was singing and preaching with her brother, Les Dickerson. Velma’s deepest passion was ministering to children. The primary focus of her ministry in Campo Mourão was the Agape Missions Orphanage. She sought sponsors to provide for the children’s needs. She frequently took kids to the doctor and shopped for clothes for them. No job was too mundane. She continued to love them and be involved in their lives long after they left Agape. Many of them still consider her their mother. Although not legal in US, she adopted one of these orphans, Sandro, as an adult just recently. She considered him her son. At the time of her death she was still managing Velma’s Kids ministry in which she helped both Brazilian children and adults with their needs.

Velma is preceded in death by her parents, Ira and Jane, her sisters, Irene Crabb, Sarah Jane Dickerson, Iona Moss, Ruth Nogle and her brothers Lloyd, Leslie, and Melvin Dickerson. Also preceding her in death are her brothers and sisters-in-law, Frank Crabb, Glenn Moss, Aggie Dickerson, Zonell Dickerson, Marlene Dickerson and Wayne Nogle. Nieces and nephews preceding her in death are Bill and Hope Petit, Billy Dickerson, Randy Dickerson, Renee Marshall, Donald Nogle and Darold Nogle.

Velma is survived by her brother Paul Dickerson, her sister-in-law, Irene Dickerson and many nieces and nephews: Jim and Leta Morrison, Jerry Moss, Jim and Janet Dickerson, Roger and Lori Shinn, Larry and Lisa Sayer, Richard and Judy Dickerson, David and Barbara (“Bobbie”) Dixon, Elcio and Janie Stocchero, David and Lyn Dickerson, Felix and Ruth Soliz, Jerry and Carmen Nogle, Kari Nogle, Darlene Smith, Wayne and Mary Dickerson, Stan and Damaris Tomajko, Junior and Delinda Witkowski, Todd and Darla Gorton, Ronald and Linda Dickerson, Mark and Rhonda Hays and many grand nieces and nephews.