The White House "Charwoman" Who Cleaned and Prayed for Six Presidents
"When she came to the president's chair, she would pause, cleaning materials in hand, and say a quick prayer. The prayers asked for blessings, wisdom and safety for each of the six presidents she served."
(Washington, DC)—On June 8, 2009, Emma Daniel Gray died of leukemia. Who was she? As reported in the Washington Post, Gray diligently cleaned the White House every night for 24 years. Her official title was "charwoman."
Her life was a testimony to the power of a single, simple life lived faithfully in the calling intended for her.
"When she came to the president's chair," the report notes, "she would pause, cleaning materials in hand, and say a quick prayer. The prayers asked for blessings, wisdom and safety for each of the six presidents she served." (1979 White House Photo)
Her pastor, Bishop Royce Woods, said of Gray: "She saw life through the eyes of promise...You can always look around and find reasons to be [unhappy] ...but you couldn't be around her and not know what she believed."
"She learned early that you set the tone for your environment," he added. "That's why church was so important to her. She understood it to be that kind of institution, that was conducive to what you needed spiritually, emotionally and sometimes financially... She preached her own eulogy by the life that she lived."
