ForeverMissed
Large image
Her Life
March 5, 2013

AURORA SLATER HOSKINS

December 17, 1910 – January 25, 2012

 

 

She was the baby girl of the Reverend George Slater Jr. (African Methodist Episcopal Church) and his wife Letha.  Aurora was born in Aurora, Nebraska.  Her brothers and sisters (Annabelle, Helen, Richard, Fred (Superior Judge Fred (Duke) Slater, and Florence) adored her.  Aurora’s mother passed away when Aurora was a baby. After living in Clinton, Iowa for a few years, Aurora and her sister Annabelle were sent to live with her grandparents and her father’s two sisters in Los Angeles.  (Reverend George Slater, Sr. and Sarah Slater.; Mr. and Mrs Jesse Graham, and Miss Pauline Slater.)  The network of the Slater family was supportive and enriching.  The cousins were taught to love and respect their elders.  The children of Mrs. Belle Slater O’Neal; Mrs. Emma Slater Speed, Mrs. Fannie Slater Speese, Mr. Venable Slater and the Reverend George Slater, Jr.) were raised as an impregnable unit.  Aurora was the last living member of that unit.

 

Aurora and Annabelle were taught that education was the cornerstone of success.  Both girls, under the tutelage of their grandparents and aunts were outstanding students.  Aurora graduated from Jefferson High School and was accepted at UCLA.

 

Aurora graduated from UCLA in 1932.  While attending UCLA, Aurora became a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, a community service organization.  She was elected president of the undergrad chapter – Pi.  Later Aurora was active with the Los Angeles Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta – giving much of her time and expertise to the Delta Head Start Program

 

 Upon graduation, Aurora joined many of her friends who worked for the US Postal Service.  In 1944, she accepted her first teaching job with the Los Angeles Unified School District.   Aurora became a master teacher, training many education students from Pepperdine and USC before they became certified teachers.  Aurora’s teaching expertise was recognized by LAUSD – and she was offered a position at the UCLA training school, Warner Avenue, in Westwood.  Aurora turned down the position, telling her daughter if her skills were that ‘good’, then the children in her community needed her more than the children who lived in Westwood.  Aurora taught at the following schools:  49th Street, Trinity, and Virginia Road.

 

One of Aurora’s best friends, Dorothy Hoskins Benton, had a handsome brother, Barney.   Aurora and Barney fell in love and married.  To this union were born two children, Sandra Hoskins (Mrs. Alonzo M. Wilkins, III) and Barney Lishey Hoskins, Jr. (deceased) The Hoskins carried on the tradition of success through education, and provided their daughter with a loving enriched environment from the day she was born until the day that Aurora and Barney made their transition.  Sandy benefitted from the love of her father for 25 years and her mother for 72 years.

 

The Slater family was taught that service to God and community was the responsibility of all.  Aurora was a member of Holman Methodist Church and supportive of her daughter and son-in-law who are members of the First Church of Christ Scientist.   She was a past president of The League of Allied Arts, past Treasurer of the Los Angeles Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, and an alumna member of the Pasadena/Altadena Chapter of The Links, Inc.  Aurora and Dorothy Watson spent hours working on the Stovall Foundation’s Cotillion, an organization that their aunt, Pauline Slater, was a founding member.

 

 Aurora loved the companionship of her friends – and a good game of cards.  She was a member of the E Pluribus Unum club – a group that organized at the age of 16 and got together once a month to play bridge.  As long as they had enough friends and members to have at least two tables for bridge, they had their meetings and served a delicious lunch. The girl children of the EPU’s were taught the etiquette of setting an elegant table and making your guests feel special and welcome in your home. The EPU’s met monthly for well over 50 years.  Another club that Aurora enjoyed was the Ding-A- Lings  - a group of friends who played tonk and poker and entertained in the cities most elegant restaurants.  This group invited their daughters to join the club – and there were many Saturday afternoons enjoyed by mothers and daughters and their friends. In Aurora’s later years, Aurora’s grandson David made sure that she didn’t miss any of these meetings.   Aurora was guest of several other bridge clubs and enjoyed the friendship of many ardent card players.

 

Upon retirement, Aurora traveled extensively – traveling around the world with friends and her cousins Dorothy Watson and Pauline Lyles.

 

For the past seven years, Aurora lived with Sandy and Alonzo in Fayetteville, GA – a suburb of Atlanta.  Alonzo and Sandy are most grateful for the services of Claudine Hall, who loyally and with great affection, cared for Aurora and played Tonk with her daily as they watched basketball.  They are most grateful also for the services of the Heartland Hospice and Ms. Ana, Aurora’s outstanding case nurse – and Twiggy and Torrie – who were loving and attentive until Aurora’s last day.

 

In addition to her daughter and son-in-law, Aurora leaves two grandsons, Alonzo M. Wilkins, IV and David Hoskins Wilkins; seven great-grandchildren and three great-great grandchildren.

 

WHAT A LIFE!