GRACE E. BYNUM
Aug. 31, 1918-Jan. 18, 2008
STANTONSBURG -- Grace Edwards Bynum, 89, died Friday, Jan. 18, 2008. She was born in Stantonsburg in Wilson County on Aug. 31, 1918, daughter of the late Luther Kenneth Edwards Sr. and Blanche Ivey Edwards. Siblings include the late Kenneth Edwards and his wife, the late Howard Edwards of Stantonsburg and Tom Edwards and wife, Shirley of Wilson. She was the wife of the late James Wooten Bynum.
She graduated from Stantonsburg High School and attended Flora MacDonald College in Red Springs. She corresponded with her college friends throughout her life.
During Grace's youth and the years to follow, she often visited her Ivey aunts, uncles and cousins in the Seven Springs area of Wayne County, where her mother, Blanche Ivey Edwards, was born. The family faithfully attended the Ivey Renuion every summer at the Ivey homeplace near Seven Springs. The homeplace is noted as one of the oldest homes still standing in Wayne County. The story is told that there was a group of Union soldiers passing through near the homeplace who stopped and searched the house for food, silver and anything of value that they could take. The captain found a Mason's pin in the house. Being a Mason himself, the captain put back all he had taken from the house and left with no harm done. It is also said that the captain ordered some sentries to remain near the house in order to guard the Ivey property from other soldiers.
In 1938, Grace married James Wooten Bynum and transferred her church membership to Tabernacle United Methodist Church in Greene County where the Bynum family attended. From the very beginning, she took part in church activities. Through the years, she was a Sunday school teacher, a member of the Methodist Women's Missionary Group, and often a delegate to the Methodist Church State Conferences. Grace and her cousin, Sara Herring, would sell Claxton fruitcakes in the fall of the year to make money for special projects for the church.
Grace and James Bynum were the parents of Elizabeth "Betty" Ivey Bynum born on May 10, 1939. They were good parents and provided many special opportunities for their daughter. Grace enjoyed taking her daughter and her friends to the beach often in the summer when they were children. Later in life, Grace spent many happy times with her family and friends at her place at the beach. Betty married Frank L. "Buzzie" Walston Jr. of Walstonburg in 1959. They have one son, Wade Wooten Walston. Wade is married to Angel Combs Walston of Walstonburg; they have three children, Bynum, 9, Garrison, 3, and Lindy Grace, 6 months, who affectionately called their great-grandmother, "GG".
She will be missed by all who knew and loved her including her family, friends and church family. A special thank you is extended to all of her wonderful caretakers over the past several years.
Funeral will be held 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 21, at Tabernacle United Methodist Church. Interment will follow at the Stantonsburg Cemetery.
Mrs. Bynum will lie in state on Sunday until 5 p.m. at Taylor-Tyson Funeral Service, 117 N.W. Third St., Snow Hill, N.C. The family welcomes friends to visit with them on Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. at the home of Buzzie and Betty Walston, 5723 Walston Road, Walstonburg, N.C.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Tabernacle U.M.C., c/o William Bynum 385 Bynum Road, Stantonsburg, N.C. 27883.
Arrangements entrusted to Taylor-Tyson Funeral Service of Snow Hill.
(Pd)
Published in Obituaries on January 20, 2008 12:53 PM