Pearline Ensley Forester

Pearline Ensley Forester, 94, of Chattanooga, passed away peacefully on Thursday, July 18, 2025.

She was born on Dec. 1, 1930, in Chattanooga. Between 1950 and 1970 Pearline attended the East Chattanooga Church of God and sang in the Ladies’ Choir from about 1963 until 1967. She continued to consider herself a Pentecostal for the rest of her life, she was of the Church of God faith.

She and her second husband, John were active members of Dallas Bay Baptist Church, and she and John oversaw the bus ministry. Pearline worked as a cashier at Elder’s Ace Hardware on Highway 58 for many years.

Pearline also had many personal joys—she loved crocheting and knitting, and in her younger days she enjoyed ballroom dancing. She was also an accomplished seamstress. Her biggest joy was spending time with family and friends.

She was preceded in death by her first husband, Alvin Ensley and her second husband, John Forester, her parents, James and Dexter Forrester, and her sister, Christine Davis.

She is lovingly remembered by her daughters, Sonjia Lee Hunt (Walter) and Eleandra Van Hooser (Gary), her granddaughters, Alana Haney (Charles) and Yahna Latham (Logan), her great-grandson, Elliot Latham and her soon-to-arrive granddaughter, Maggie Grace. She has many nieces and nephews and grand-nieces and nephews who along with her children and grandchildren —she has prayed for all their lives.

A Celebration of her life will be held at the East Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home on Monday, July 28, at 6 p.m. The family will receive friends prior to the service beginning at 5 p.m. She will be laid to rest alongside her husband, John, in the Hamilton County Memorial Park on Tuesday, July 29, at 10 a.m.

Please share your thoughts and memories of Pearline at www.ChattanoogaEastChapel.com.

Chattanooga Funeral Home East Chapel, 404 S. Moore Road, East Ridge, has been entrusted with the arrangements.