Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ welcomed our beloved Reba Burge Ransom into His glorious Kingdom on June 27, 2022 – the same date He welcomed her dearly loved mother home 26 years ago. Reba Denise was born on March 5, 1957, in Chicago, Illinois to the late Rebecca Hicks Orr. She gave her life to Christ and was baptized at an early age in Birmingham, AL, where she grew up. Reba was a woman who, first and foremost, loved the Lord. She faithfully served Him and was an active member of churches everywhere she lived, including Zion Chapel A.M.E. Church in Natchez, MS; Brown Memorial A.M.E. Church in Washington, D.C.; St. John A.M.E. Church in Birmingham, AL; and Bethel A.M.E. Church in Kansas City, MO. She was involved in various ministries, including beginning and leading the Women of Zion Bible Study; mentoring teenagers, co-teaching adult Sunday School and serving the seniors of Bethel A.M.E. Church; and singing in the Voices of Brown Choir. Often called upon to be the speaker for various churches' women's events, Reba's faith inspired others. Her generosity of spirit and service to others extended far beyond the church walls to her family and friends, patients in her care, strangers on the street and anyone in need. Reba graduated from A.H. Parker High School in 1975 and began her collegiate studies at Alabama A&M, transferring her freshman year to Tuskegee Institute, where she met the love of her life, Herman Sidney Ransom. Although Reba planned to earn her nursing degree from Tuskegee, love intervened (after one defining moment at Tuskegee when Sidney first saw the beautiful Reba – and a cake she baked). She left Tuskegee just before her senior year to marry Sidney on July 29, 1978, following his graduation. They relocated to his hometown of Natchez, MS, where she completed her degree at Alcorn State University in 1984, while also working for South Central Bell Telephone Company. She began her nursing career at Jefferson Davis Memorial Hospital in Natchez. Sidney and Reba were married nearly 44 years, until her passing. The Lord blessed their union with four daughters: Tracie Nichole, Kansas City, MO; Kellee Renee, Kansas City, MO; Ashlee (Lawrence) Strong, Atlanta, GA; and Leslee (Marcus) Parrott, Chicago, IL. Reba's girls were – and still are – her pride and joy. The Ransom family relocated to Washington, D.C. in 1989 and, while there, Reba obtained her Master's Degree in Nursing Administration from Georgetown University. Despite working fulltime and raising her girls, she graduated with highest honors. Reba was an outstanding Registered Nurse with 36 years of clinical and administrative experience as a clinician, nurse manager and healthcare quality reviewer. She worked at the Veterans Affairs Hospitals in Washington, D.C., Birmingham, AL and Kansas City, MO. She also worked as a healthcare inspector for the VA Office of Inspector General in Kansas City. Sidney and Reba returned to Natchez about a decade ago, where she worked at Merit Health Natchez Hospital until her retirement in June 2020. Everyone who knew Reba knew about her girls. Oh, how she loved those girls. You almost never saw her without those four little girls in tow, hanging on to her every limb, her every word and each other. She took great care to ensure that they were instilled with her values. Like her, her girls were always impeccably dressed, without so much as a hair out of place. But she was careful to always remind them that "Pretty is as pretty does." Most importantly, Reba made sure that her girls knew and loved the Lord her God. They were actively involved in every church the family attended, and Reba, together with Sidney, always made sure that the girls regularly attended Sunday School and church, were involved in the Young People's Division of the A.M.E. Church, sang in every youth choir and prioritized serving God and others, including through the Feed My Sheep Homeless Ministry at St. John A.M.E. Church. Those little girls grew to become women deeply rooted in their faith and Reba's very best friends. An awesome woman of God, Reba saw her entire life as ministry, radiating the love of Christ everywhere she went. For more than a decade, Reba faithfully sent out her "Fasting Friday" text messages with Scripture and words of encouragement to countless people. She was generous to no end. Reba never met a stranger, making the most of every opportunity to share the love of God with the world. And if she knew you, she was certain to end almost every call or conversation with her signature: "Love you! God bless you!" Reba loved. And she loved well. We who were loved by Reba and who love her still have much for which to be grateful – because of Reba. Reba was preceded in death by her mother; three sisters, Sallie C. Tisinger, Beatrice C. Groce, and Ruby C. Pettis; four brothers, John Cline, Franklin Cline, Theotis Hicks and Lenzell Hicks; one niece, Kara Burge; and two nephews, Derrick Clime and Lee Clime. She was also preceded in death by her in-laws, Francis J. Ransom and Alberta B. Ransom, who lovingly welcomed her into their family and treated her as their own daughter. She leaves to mourn and carry on her rich and powerful legacy: her husband, their four daughters and two sons-in-law; two grandchildren whom she adored: Emery Erin and Sage Nia Parrott of Chicago, IL; one sister, Betty (Edwin) Carter, Muscle Shoals, AL; five brothers, Elijah (Shirley) Clime, Birmingham, AL; Jimmie (Dorothy) Burge, El Paso, TX; Tyree (Vicki) Burge, Birmingham, AL; Hershell (Patricia) Hicks, Birmingham, AL; and Irry Hicks, Birmingham, AL. She is also survived by a special aunt, Christell Hill of Meridian, MS, a host of nieces, nephews and cousins, other close relatives, church family members and beloved friends. Her husband and daughters, along with countless others, arise and call her blessed and attest to the fact that her life was a life well lived. The family has scheduled services celebrating Reba's life and homegoing for Saturday, July 9, 2022 at St. John A.M.E. Church in Birmingham, AL. The Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Omega Service will be held at 10:00 am, followed by the Homegoing Celebration at 11 am. Interment will be held at Elmwood Cemetery immediately following the Homegoing Service. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Bushelon Funeral Home, 800 14th Street SW, Birmingham, AL 35211.