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Media Contact: Helene Carter
Hcarter@alquilerdromedarios.com – (803) 664.0080
Paine College, Augusta, GA – Paine.edu


 

Wylene Annesley Parham Broomfield was born on December 18, 1935, in a community then known as White Sulfur Springs near Durand, Georgia. She was the eighth and youngest child of the late Reverend John Dewey Parham and Annie Mae Martin Parham. On May 12, 2025, she peacefully entered eternal rest at her home in Decatur, Georgia, in the loving presence of her children.

At an early age, she joined Trinity Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. As the daughter of a CME pastor, she later became an active member of several churches where her father pastored, including Mt. Zion CME Church in Vienna, Georgia; Holsey Chapel in Columbus, Georgia; and Mt. Sinai in Manchester, Georgia.

Her early education began at Spring Chapel Elementary School. She continued her studies in schools aligned with her father's pastoral appointments—Vienna High and Industrial School in Vienna, Georgia; Spencer High School in Columbus, Georgia; and Meriwether County Training School in Manchester, Georgia, from which she graduated in 1953.

She pursued higher education at Paine College in Augusta, Georgia, graduating magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in English. She later earned a Master of Arts degree from Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University) and completed further graduate studies at the University of Texas at Arlington and the University of the District of Columbia (formerly D.C. Teachers College).

On June 23, 1957, she married Oree Broomfield, Sr., and together they raised three children: Oree Jr., Leonard Bernard, and Telesia Evon. Their marriage lasted 47 years until his passing on April 10, 2005.

She began her distinguished teaching career at Tenth Street Elementary School in West Point, Georgia, where her husband was then pastoring. She went on to teach in cities across the country in other places where her husband served as pastor. Her teaching appointments included Sand Flat High School and Mississippi Industrial College in Holly Springs, Mississippi; Sousa and Roper Junior High Schools in Washington, D.C.; Roosevelt Junior High in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Richland Community College and Wilmer-Hutchins High School in Dallas, Texas, where she served as Chair of the English Department from 1984 to 1986.

In addition to her classroom work, she served as Director of the Cleaves Development Center in Oklahoma City for four years and volunteered as a Laubach Literacy tutor. She also organized and directed the Israel Metropolitan CME Church Tutorial Program in Washington, D.C.

As the wife of a CME pastor and later bishop, she was a devoted and active member of several churches over the decades: Emmanuel Chapel (West Point, GA); Anderson Chapel (Holly Springs, MS); St. John (Washington, D.C.); Greater Cleaves Memorial (Oklahoma City, OK); and Cedar Crest Cathedral (Dallas, TX). When her husband was elected bishop in 1982, she became a member of Israel Metropolitan CME Church in Washington, D.C., where she remained active until his retirement in 1998. She then joined Shy Temple CME Church in Atlanta, Georgia, where she served faithfully until her illness and passing.

A lifelong learner and servant leader, she was affiliated with several professional and civic organizations throughout her life. She was a member of the National Education Association (NEA), the Phi Delta Kappa teaching sorority, and the NAACP. She was a life member of both the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) and the Paine College Alumni Association. She also supported various charitable organizations, including Bread for the World.

She was deeply involved in the CME Church and the broader Methodist community. At the local level, she faithfully served for several years as president of the Joy Ministry, a ministry for seniors at Shy Temple CME Church—a role she found deeply fulfilling, as she loved bringing seniors together for fellowship and spiritual connection. She also taught Sunday School on fifth Sundays and was a devoted participant in Wednesday Bible Study, often leading sessions as part of the teaching rotation. She was a member of the Women's Missionary Society and especially enjoyed taking road trips with fellow church members on the church bus—whether visiting another congregation or traveling for senior outings. She also previously served as a tutor in the Shy Temple tutoring ministry and taught youth during Vacation Bible School.

Within the Sixth Episcopal District and the international CME Church connection, she was an active member of and frequent traveler with the Bishop's Spouses Auxiliary and a member of the Sixth Episcopal District Ministers' Spouses, Widows & Widowers Auxiliary. As part of the broader Methodist community, she attended several quinquennials of the World Methodist Conference, including those held in Nairobi, Kenya (1986); Singapore (1991); Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1996); Seoul, Korea (2006); and Durban, South Africa (2011). She also participated in the World Federation of Methodist and Uniting Church Women conferences in Jeju Island, Korea (2006), and Durban, South Africa (2011).

She was preceded in death by her parents, Annie Mae Martin Parham and Reverend John Dewey Parham; her brothers—John (stillborn), Andrew, Robert, Leon, Calvin, and Charles Parham; her beloved husband, Bishop Oree Broomfield, Sr.; and a host of extended relatives and cherished friends.

She leaves to celebrate her life and legacy: her only sister, Edna Parham Lovelace of Chicago, IL; her three children—Oree Broomfield II (Bridget) of Helotes, Texas, Leonard Bernard Broomfield (Julianne) of Decatur, GA, and Telesia Evon Davis (Devaris) of Irmo, SC; three grandchildren— Oree Broomfield III of Denver, CO, Maya Ladell Broomfield of Beaumont, Texas, and William Devon Davis of Irmo, SC; two bonus grandchildren—Chad Jones of Machenbach, Germany and Daniel Jones of Atlanta, GA; her sister-in-love—Joyce Robinson of Chicago, IL; a host of nieces and nephews; a wide circle of other extended family—Parhams, Martins, and Broomfields; and numerous friends across the country who lovingly shared in her journey. 

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