07/14/2021
Mother, business woman, author, historian, race relations pioneer, born in Selma, (Dallas County, Minter, Shepherdville, AL to Earl (Sally McMillian) Minor, proud former Down the Bay resident, Emerson School alumni, C\O 1951, Central High School, Mobile, AL, Secty. Science Degree, Spaulding Business College; Selma Univ., Certificate of Religious Studies, Southern Bapt. Sunday School Board, Nashville. First African-Amer. Secty. of the Baptist Fellowship Center. A 30 year coordinator of the Bapt. Women's World Day of Prayer. In 1984, made it possible for New Liberty Park Bapt. to be the first black church elected into the Mobile Bapt. Assoc. with her late husband, Rev. Herbert Pair, Jr., Pastor. Established Pair's Secretarial Service in 1961, later known as Pair's Printing and Graphics, former board member, Africatown Direct Descendants of the Clotilda, NAACP, Bi-Racial Committee (City of Mobile), Old Landmark Bapt. Women's Conv. Workshop Coordinator, former member, Sage Avenue Bapt., co-owner, Victorian Teal Art Gallery, member, Mt. Zion Bapt. After several years of consolidating, collecting and configuring, she concluded her life’s work in the Christian community by authoring a book: “The History of Black Baptist Churches of Mobile County Alabama” This book is filled with everything there is to know about the Baptist faith, how it came to the United States, it’s early history in Alabama and eventually in Mobile County. Her son, Herbert “Mannie” Pair III, co-authored the book, set up the designs a layouts and printed it, with a culminating book signing held during Black History Month, February 2017.
Sis. Ada Pair is preceded in death by her parents, Dea. Earl and Sis. Sallie Minor, former husband, Rev. Herbert Pair, Jr., former husband, Thomas Houston; brothers, Archie Minor and Samuel Minor, son, Artemas R. Houston, niece, Octavia Denise Woodard; dear cousins, Fred and Esther Mennyfield, Jimmy and Evergreen Coleman.
Preceded in death by her son, Artemas Houston. She leaves to cherish her memory, son, Herbert E. “Mannie” Pair III; daughter-in-law, Debra Zoe Houston; granddaughter, Sophia Houston; brother, Earl H. Minor; sister, Georgia M. Minor, Selma, AL; 7 sisters-in-law, 6 brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, cousins of the Minor\McCrea, Pair, Bell, Draine, Blackmon, Henson, Coleman, Beaton, Gohagen, McMillian, Coates, Families. Visitation: Fri. July 16, 1-5 pm., Christian Benevolent Funeral Home, 201 N. Hamilton St., Homegoing Service, Sat., July 17, 10:30 am, Greater Mt. Olive #2 Bapt., 251 N. Lafayette, Live Stream: Mt. Zion Baptist Facebook, Lieu of Flowers\Donations: Mt. Zion Baptist Building Fund, 1012 Adams St., Mobile, AL OR RESIDENCE: 565 Surrey St. Mobile 36617. $HerbertPair. Special Memorial Art & Collectible Open House (Show & Sale), Sun. July 18, 1-5 pm, Victorian Teal Art Gallery, 357 Congress St. (downtown, DeTonti Square Historic District), (251) 232-9022
