After a lengthy illness, Ernestine Harris Atkinson transitioned into eternity, on Friday, February 18, 2022, at her Farmville, Virginia residence. She was born on August 9, 1945 to Dewey and Beatrice Mitchell Harris in Roxboro, North Carolina. Ernestine accepted Christ as her Savior, at an early age, and joined the Obies Chapel United Holiness Church, in her hometown of Roxboro. After graduating from high school, she continued her education at Winston–Salem State University (WSSU), in Winston-Salem, NC. There she became a member of the Gamma Phi Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. After graduating from WSSU in 1969, with at Bachelor and Masters Degrees in Education, she relocated to Buckingham, VA to begin her teaching career. She was passionate about teaching and the education of her students. She served as advisor for the Student Council Association for many years and won numerous awards for having 100% of her class to pass their academic tests. She retired from the Buckingham Public School System after 44 years of service.