A private homegoing service for family to honor the life of Mrs. Charlotte Jean Mullins Vanderford will be held on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at Camp Eight Pentecostal Cemetery, Otis, with Reverend Sam Russell officiating, under the direction of Rush Funeral Home, Pineville.
Mrs. Vanderford, 89, of Alexandria, entered eternal rest on Monday, September 21, 2026, in her residence surrounded by her loving family.
Charlotte was a pastor’s wife who spent much of her life serving alongside her husband and helping build churches wherever God led them. Together, they helped start churches throughout the Rocky Mountain District and Colorado. One of those churches was in Craig, Colorado. It was there that her daughter, Tamiko, was baptized in Jesus’ name after they broke the ice on a lake for the baptism, a memory that would become a treasured part of their family’s story.
Charlotte also had a testimony of God’s miraculous power. She would want everyone to know that Jesus healed her of colon cancer. In 1999, she suffered a brainstem stroke, but she recovered, a testimony she considered another miracle from the Lord.
Charlotte and her husband also spent ten years in Cody, Wyoming, where he pastored a church. Wherever they lived, Charlotte found ways to serve, encourage, and reach people. She understood that ministry was not limited to the church building; it was something she lived every day.
Her hands were rarely still. Charlotte had a green thumb and could keep plants thriving, but her gifts went far beyond gardening. She embroidered, quilted, sewed, canned, baked, cooked, and created countless things with her hands. She made bags and bags of peanut brittle to help raise money for the church. She would bake bread and travel to the reservations to sell it, once again using the proceeds to support the work of the church. Whatever she could make, bake, grow, or do, she was willing to use it to bless others and further the work of God.
For a time, Charlotte also sold Avon and became a top salesperson; even that became an opportunity for ministry. When she delivered Avon, she would often tuck a church tract into the bag along with an invitation to church. She was always looking for a way to reach someone with the love of God.
Charlotte had a special heart for children. She often picked up children for Sunday school, and sometimes that meant going into their homes and helping them get dressed so they could come to church. She didn’t simply invite people to church; she found a way to help them get there.
One special friendship was with Brother and Sister Garcia. The four of them enjoyed going hunting for deer and elk together, sharing fellowship and many memories along the way.
If someone stopped by Charlotte’s home, they were likely to be offered a meal. If someone needed a place to stay, Charlotte would gladly open her home. She truly lived by the principle of giving whatever she had to someone in need. She would give the shirt off her back if she thought someone else needed it more.
And then there was Charlotte’s beloved iPhone. She especially loved Facebooking. Instead of simply “liking” someone’s pictures, she would sometimes share a completely random person’s post. “Shared by Charlotte, it was so cute.” That little habit became one more endearing part of who she was and a memory her family will surely smile about for years to come.
Charlotte spent her life serving, giving, encouraging, creating, welcoming, and reaching for others. Her ministry wasn’t just something she participated in; it was woven into the way she lived. After a lifetime of serving others, she can now finally rest in the presence of the Lord she loved and served.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Reverend Albert Wayne Vanderford, Sr.; one son, Anthony Vanderford; two grandsons, James Anderson and Isaiah Vanderford; her parents, Loyd and Elsie Mullins; and two siblings, Jane Rowland and Harold Mullins.
Those left to mourn her loss and cherish her memory include her children, Tamiko Pedersen (Lance), Bert Vanderford (Beth), and Tracy Mitchell (Chad); seven grandchildren, Laura Gower (Charlie), Jontyler Vanderford (Tiffaney), Jason Anderson, Timothy Anderson, Johnny Anderson, Jeremiah Mitchell (Aryn), and Emma Paul (Kaiden); and nine great grandchildren.
Friends and loved ones wishing to send memorial plants or flowers may be sent to Rush Funeral Home, 3307 Monroe Highway, Pineville, Louisiana, 71360. Cards of condolence, memories, or reflections about what she meant to you may be sent to: Tracy Mitchell, 65 Bayou Oaks Drive, Alexandria, Louisiana 71303.
A special thank you to Allegiance Hospice and Palliative Care, especially Laura, Dee, Erica, Nissi, Oprah, Taylor, and Shelby, for the compassionate care, love, and support they provided. Your kindness and dedication will always be deeply appreciated.
Her work here is finished. Her legacy remains.