Emma Yoti Endeley

Emma Yoti Endeley (née Lyonga), born January 27, 1952, in Kumba, Cameroon, was a beloved matriarch. She reconnected with childhood sweetheart Mr. Ernest Endeley at The Cameroon College of Arts & Sciences (CCAST Bambili), and they married in Chicago on August 16, 1975, after a traditional marriage in Buea.Ma Emma is one of the daughters of the renowned postmaster Mr. Francis Ngale Lyonga and Mrs. Francisca Enanga Monono both of blessed memory. She was one of the daughters of the renowned postmaster Mr. Francis Ngale Lyonga and Mrs. Francisca Enanga Monono both of blessed memory.

In 1975, Emma earned her undergraduate degree in English & French from Barat College and a Master’s in radio and television production from Governor’s State University. She returned to Cameroon, where she was known as an American-trained journalist, running the popular radio program "Beauty Heats" in Buea, and later teaching at Saker Baptist College in Limbe. She was a founding member of the women's group EDEL.

In the early 1980s, Emma and Ernest moved to Nigeria, where she returned to journalism as a manager at Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in Port Harcourt (1982-1997). She pioneered community groups like the "Bossom Sisters Association" and was an entrepreneur, opening Kon Tiki Pot, Her Royal Hotness, GreenEndly, and a tailoring shop.

When her children moved to the U.S. for education, Emma followed, starting a second career in healthcare. She trained as a Nursing Assistant at the California Red Cross (2006) and became a Licensed Vocational Nurse at Career Colleges of America (2009). She also served as Assistant office manager at her sister Dr. Doris Lyonga's oncology clinic (1998-2008). In later years, she became a political activist, justice seeker, and co-authored "Echoes of Women’s Tears" in 2021.

Her sister, Dr. Doris Lyonga, describes Emma as family-focused, impactful, always smiling, and passionate. Emma's unwavering Christian faith was central to her life. She passed away surrounded by family after a brief acute illness.

Emma and Ernest are survived by their son Mbela Ngale Endeley, daughter Gladys Mina Endeley (Mimi), daughter-in-law Mrs. Tamara Endeley, and grandchildren Zoe Aduke Endeley (20), Agala Blue Endeley (16), Samayah Yoti Mae Endeley (13), and Amari Masoma Endeley (3). She is also survived by her siblings Doris, Grace, Frida, Michael, Sylvester, and their families, as well as many loved ones in the Lyonga, Monono, and Endeley families.