1895-1986
Sarah Elizabeth Collins Houston (usually went by Elizabeth, possibly because her mother was also Sarah Elizabeth) was the grandmother of Whitney Houston. She was born in California in 1896 but lived in Newark on Beach St by the time she was 14. Her father was minister at St. James AME Church.
Elizabeth graduated from East Side in 1914 and attended Trenton State, graduating in 1916. She lived in Newark until at least 1940, when she lived at 205 Second St. By 1950, the family moved to East Orange where Cissy and Whitney famously lived for many years.
Though she had a 43 year teaching career in New York City, she remained involved with many Newark causes. She was President of the Phillis Wheatley Literary Society and Boys Club. In 1944 it appears the book list for the Phillis Wheatley Society was created by her mother.
Elizabeth was also a member of the Urban League Guild, Phi Delta Kappa, the Newark Community Center for the Arts, the Newark Museum and Newark YM-YWCA. She was a member of the Nominating Committee and worked on education for the Sojourner Truth branch of the YWCA. She was Basuileus for Phi Delta Kappa.
Bibliography
Census records
“Newark NJ” July 2, 1914 New York Age
“Mrs. E Houston Retired Teacher” Star Ledger May 10, 1986
Commencements at High Schools, 1914
FindAGrave
Phyllis Wheatley Literary Club
“Mother of Militia Captain 78 Years Old” NJ Herald News July 23, 1938
Coming of Age, Sojourner Truth Branch YWCA, CFCNJIC, Newark Public Library