Guy T. Swain (1925-2014)

Guy T. Swain's obit from last May

Guy T. Swain, Sr., Ed. D. of Greenville, NC died Friday May 16, 2014 at his home.

A graveside funeral service will be held 2 PM Tuesday May 20, 2014 at the Boyd-Redditt Cemetery of Edward, NC officiated by Pastor Bobby Smith.

The family will receive friends following the service at the cemetery.

He was born October 28, 1925 in Tyrrell County son of the late William C. Swain and Cleora Smithwick Swain. He graduated from Aurora High School in 1943, and served in the U.S. Navy during WW II followed by 20 years of active-inactive service in the Naval Reserve.

Dr. Swain was a graduate of High Point University, Appalachian State University and Duke University. He began his career teaching in Surry County and was the first principal of East Rowan and Southern Nash High Schools. He was also principal of Stony Point (Alexander), Jonesville (Yadkin), J.H. Rose (Greenville), and Pinecrest (Moore) High Schools. He felt that his greatest reward as a principal was to see Southern Nash Senior High School students and faculty totally integrated safely and with a broad curriculum including vocational education and student activities, provided for a majority of the students.

Dr. Swain was professor of Education at Appalachian State University for seventeen years and taught school administration and school law. He was elected co-teacher of the year in his department in 1974 and teacher of the year in 1975. He was also selected Professor Emeritus of Education at Appalachian following his retirement in 1986.

He was a member of the Methodist Church, Aurora Masonic Lodge, Winston-Salem Scottish Rite Bodies and the American Legion.

Survivors include his wife, Bobbie Redditt Swain and son, Guy T. Swain, Jr. of Greenville; sisters, Laura Matthews and husband Jack of Richmond, and Ann Scott and husband Bill of Glenn Burnie, MD and sister-in-law Sophie Swain of Ernul. He was predeceased by two sisters, Grace Spruill and Mary Lee Mencin and two brothers, Ras Swain and David L. Swain, Sr.

--- Posted by Lavon

a bit of trivia

Here's a challenge: Can anyone tell me how many honor grads there were
at our graduation and who they were? I remember that we had no
valedictorian nor salutatorian, but instead had, I think, ten honor
grads.

I know I was one and I remember Lavon being one and it seems like I
remember Lawrence Misenheimer. And there was Barbara Holshouser I think.
That's all I can remember -- and don't be insulted if you were in that
group and I don't remember it. Just help me figure out who all it was.

Beverly

post by Beverly

Though I remember the name Jean Wilmotte, I don't remember the person. I
don't think I knew her very well. The G Q people with whom I shared
classes those first two years but who didn't go on to take all those
college prep classes we took at East our two years there, are the people
I remember the least. For instance, a few years ago when I went to my
uncle's funeral (Duard Gardner), there was a pastor at the visitation
from the UCC church in Faith (Shiloh) His name was Wayne Trexler and we
began chatting and discovered we'd graduated together. I didn't remember
him at all and I'm not sure he remembered me either.
Beverly

Jean Willmotte

Those of us who went to elementary school at Granite Quarry were classmates of Jean Willmotte for 12 years. Faith students were classmates during the four years of high school, and we all knew her at East Rowan for the last two years of high school.

My brother Nelson, with his usual thoroughness of combing the Rowan County obits, discovered that Jean has lost both her younger sister and and her dad in the past few months. Her mom had passed away in 2007. Here's what Nelson passed along on Jean's family. According to her dad's obituary, Jean and her husband are still living in the Salisbury area. Do any of you have contact with Jean? Does she still attend church at Wittenburg?

-- Lavon

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William Arthur Willmotte, 96

GRANITE QUARRY - William Arthur Willmotte, 96, formerly of Granite Quarry, passed away Monday, Feb. 16, 2015, at Novant Health Rowan Medical Center.

Born Feb. 12, 1919, in Bladen County, he was the son of the late Walter Raleigh Willmotte and Bessie Richard Willmotte.

He was educated in the Bladen County schools and attended Kelly High School. Mr. Wilmotte was a veteran of the U.S. Navy during World War II where he served as a Pharmacist First Mate and a corpsman on the hospital ship USS Sanctuary.

Mr. Willmotte was employed for Rowan Cotton Mills and served as a substitute mail carrier on Route 1 for the Salisbury Post Office for 14 years.

He was a member of Wittenburg Lutheran Church, served on the Church Council, David Lohr Sunday School Class, Peeler-Wood-Livengood American Legion Post 448 and served as a volunteer fireman for Granite Quarry Fire Department.

He cared for his wife at home before her passing and enjoyed fishing, gardening, his children and grandchildren.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Fannie Elizabeth Trexler Willmotte, on Jan. 6, 2007; daughter Daphne "Gail" Ralston on Sept. 19, 2014; and his sister, Bessie Willmotte Chason on Dec. 28, 2000.

Those left to cherish his memory are his daughters, Jean Willmotte Stirewalt and husband Buddy of Salisbury, Joan Willmotte Gasque of Salisbury; grandchildren Jeannie Bailey and husband Michael of Clemson, S.C., Veronica Hobbs and husband Mike of Salisbury, Josh Lesley and wife Tiffany of Salisbury, Cody Gasque of Salisbury, Cadie Gasque of Salisbury, Clay Stirewalt and wife Michelle of Rockwell; great-grandchildren Caleb, Gabrielle, Cortlinn, Haven, Hadley, Hunter, Henley, Caleb, Shelby and Landon; a special cousin, Leona Owen; and several loving nieces and nephews.

Salisbury Post, 18 Feb 2015

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Daphne "Gail" Ralston

SALISBURY - Mrs. Daphne "Gail" Ralston, 65, of Salisbury, passed away Friday, Sept. 19, 2014, at her residence.

She was born Sept. 28, 1948, in Salisbury to William Arthur Willmotte of Granite Quarry and the late Fannie Elizabeth Trexler Willmotte of Granite Quarry. Mrs. Ralston was a graduate of East Rowan High School. She worked at Dr. Kenneth T. Washko's Dental office as a receptionist and insurance coordinator.

Mrs. Ralston was a member of Wittenberg Lutheran Church and of the American Legion Auxiliary Peeler Wood Livengood Post 448. Mrs. Ralston was a beloved caregiver of her father, Arthur Willmotte. Her life was her husband, daughter and granddaughters.

Surviving are her husband of 45 years, Ronald David Ralston; daughter Veronica Gail Ralston Hobbs and her husband Charles Michael Hobbs of Granite Quarry; father William Arthur Willmotte of Granite Quarry; sisters Jean Willmotte Stirewalt and husband Buddy of Salisbury and Joan Willmotte Gasque of Salisbury; and granddaughters Haven Alexis Hobbs and Hadley Ralston Hobbs.

Salisbury Post, 21 Sept 2014

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Elizabeth Trexler Willmotte

GRANITE QUARRY - Elizabeth Trexler Willmotte, 87, of Granite Quarry, died at Rowan Regional Medical Center after several years of declining health. She was cared for by her loving husband and daughters at home until the last three weeks of her life.

Born Jan. 12, 1919 in Rowan County, Mrs. Willmotte was a daughter of the late Fannie Ida Cauble Trexler and Charles Adam Trexler. She was a 1938 graduate of Granite Quarry High School. She was last employed at Palmer's Stationary. She spent much of her life as a loving wife, mother and grandmother. She enjoyed painting, needlepoint and flower gardening. As long as her health permitted, she spent many days gardening and cuddling all of her "babies."

Mrs. Willmotte was a member of Wittenberg Lutheran Church where she attended faithfully until declining health. She loved singing in the choir and participated in Welca and served on the Altar Guild. She had been active and was a current member of the Livengood Peeler Wood Post 448 American Legion Auxiliary, where she served in several offices. Mrs. Willmotte was a member of the Rowan Art Guild and enjoyed painting many of the places she traveled.

Salisbury Post, 8 Jan 2007

Interesting person in the family of Dixie Bonds

Everette Frick, John Wyatt, Dixie Bonds, Robert Stoner -- Morgan School Alums

Dixie Bonds has been at many class reunions. The photo here is from the 2006 reunion. My brother Nelson (who mines obits daily) came across some interesting info about the family that Dixie's son married into via the obit of Dixie's son's father-in-law (see if you can wrap your mind around that).

Turns out that Dixie's son married a girl whose father came from the least populated county in the state of Wyoming (Niobrara County in eastern Wyoming). Less than one person per square mile in Niobrara County. His name was Barney Conrath, and he died recently in Charlottesville VA (a place that I know well since I went to graduate school at UVA in the 1960s). Barney's obit appeared in the Charlotesville newspaper. I've included an excerpt below.

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Barney J. Conrath

Barney J. Conrath of Charlottesville, Virginia, died at home on Wednesday, April 23, 2014. Born on June 23, 1935, in Quincy, Illinois, he was the son of the late Frederick and Jayme Conrath.

Barney was an astrophysicist, working at NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center and Cornell University. His studies of planetary atmospheres included experiments on the Voyager 1 and 2 missions, Mars Global Surveyor, and most recently on the NASA/European Space Agency Cassini mission. He has won several awards, including the Kuiper Prize, 1996, from the Division of Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society.

Barney was also an avid amateur fine art black and white photographer. He recently had a showing of his work at the Firefish Gallery in Charlottesville, and was a member of the James River Arts Council in Scottsville, Virginia.

The Daily Progress, Charlottesville
25 Apr 2014

-- Posted by Lavon