Ms. Jeanette, Ms. Erna, Mommie…was born on June 11, 1931 in Mexia, TX. Her father, George P. Smith was a Methodist minister, her mother, Precious Jewel (Wright) Smith was a domestic engineer 😃, Sunday school teacher and the organist at the church.

Erna started school at the age of three because it was easier to send her to school with her brother. Her older brother's name was Darius and he was a year and a half older. They were very close. She used to hang out with her brother and his friends and learned a lot about cars. If you know anything about Erna, you know that she LOVES cars. She could guess the year make and model of just about any car older than the 70s. She loved playing a game of softball. The family owned acres and acres in Teague, Texas. They had cows and chickens. She tried her hand at ringing a chicken's neck ONLY ONCE. She was NOT successful.😳😂

She was a very smart student and learned quickly. She graduated high school just shy of 16 and graduated college at 20 years old. Erna worked as a "candy striper" (if you will) at Parkland Memorial Hospital, the same hospital where they took President Kennedy when he was shot. While in the stairwell at the hospital, a black doctor from Jamaica was coming down the stairs as she was going up. He stopped in his tracks, and with his thick accent, looked at her and said: "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE??" It startled Miss Erna, at first. She thought she was in trouble. He told her: "Come with me."

He took her down to the nurses administration office and told the head nurse to sign her up for nursing school at Saint Paul Quinn Hospital School of Nursing. She was signed up and off she went.

Ms. Erna and another young black woman were the first two blacks to integrate their nursing school. She and her classmates were on their way together somewhere and took the public bus to their destination. Mommie sat in front of the bus with her white classmates. A black lady behind "the line" told her that she needed to sit back there with the other. Mommie looked at her, gave her a quiz look and stayed right where she was. I think the uniform saved her from becoming the first "Rosa Parks incident".

Upon graduation, Ms. Erna entered the Army Nurse Corps, where she was eventually promoted to first lieutenant.

She transferred to Fitzsimons Army Medical Hospital in Aurora, Colorado in the late 50s. It was there that she met Roger von Phul. They were married, and Ms. Erna gave birth to Karen Lavern von Phul in 1961. Because she was pregnant, and because of the rules at that time, she was forced to put in her discharge papers from the Army. But this was not before she was made head nurse over male admission at the hospital.

She continued her work at Fitzsimmons as a pediatric nurse. After becoming divorced from Roger, Erna was a single mom until she met Dewey Sanderson. They were married, and she gave birth to Jennifer Kay Sanderson 1967. The four of them lived in Montebello until 1976 when they moved to Skyland, currently known as City Park North. It was at that time that the family started attending Park Hill United Methodist Church.

Erna transferred to the Federal Building in the Federal Health Unit. She was promoted to head nurse in 1978. During this time, she met and gave an exam to former Mayor Wellington Webb. According to Erna, after giving Mayor Webb some valuable, life-saving suggestions, the mayor decided that all of his employees needed to get annual physical exams. According to Mayor Webb, he told her daughter Jennifer, "Erna told me: 'You'd better start eating some salad.' And she wasn't playing." 😂😂😂

Erna transferred to the Health Unit at the Federal Center at 6th and Kipling and was, again, promoted to head nurse.

She was a member of the Colorado Council on Black Nurses for several years and also served as president.

Erna retired from the federal government in the mid-90s. Retirement, however, did not mean sitting down. Erna volunteered at the Park Hill United Methodist Church in the office for many years.

She was extremely creative. She started sewing clothes for her dolls as a child. She made her own clothes, including suits, ballgowns and more and taught her daughter Karen to do the same.

Erna became a member of the Rocky Mountain Washonaji Quilt Guilda. Her creativity extended to this craft, as well, and she made several beautiful quilts. One of her projects was an Underground Railroad quilt. That quilt was featured on display in the foyer of Park Hill United Methodist Church, as well as the Colorado State Capitol Building.

Ms. Erna loved to travel. Her adventures included Indonesia, China, Ghana, Jerusalem (TWICE) and several states here at home, including visiting the Gullah Geechee culture in South Carolina.

Erna finished out her days in a residential care facility that provided her with exercise, a built-in social network and was roommates with the owner's grandmother Ms Lovey. Amazingly enough, they grew up an hour away from each other in Texas. What are the odds? Ms. Lovey called Mommie her best friend. She was loved and was very well cared for.

On behalf of her daughters, thank you for loving Mommie and adopting her as your sister, mother, grandmother. She truly loved each of you and we know she was grateful for your love and support.

Erna is survived by her daughters Karen Blackmon (Roderick) and Jennifer Florez (Joe); grandchildren Alexis Washington, Sterling von Phul Washington and Bryce von Phul Chewning and her great-grandson Joshua Crowe. She is also survived by her wonderful bonus children: Michael Sanderson (JoAnn), Lynn Sanderson and Anita Moore, bonus grandchildren Courtney Sanderson, Mike Sanderson (Krystina), Erica Sanderson, Rachael (Sanderson) Wyatt (Chris) and a host of great-grandchildren. She also cherished the family of her daughter Jennifer's husband Joe, embracing them as her own: parents-in-law Anna and Juan Garcia, grandchildren Cortney (great-grandson Izick), Zackary (great-grandson Zacky, great-granddaughters Zayliana, Jasmine and Emilia) and Paige.