MOZELLE R. GURLEY
July 1, 1917-Sept. 21, 2009
CLINTON -- Mozelle Ricks Gurley, 92, departed this life for her heavenly home Monday evening at Mary Gran Nursing Center in Clinton.
Funeral services will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Princeton Baptist Church, with the Rev. Dwayne Batten officiating. Burial will follow in Wayne Memorial Park.
Mozelle was born in Johnston County July 1, 1917, and was raised in Wayne County by her parents, the late Claude Clarence Ricks and Effie Woodard Ricks.
She was married for 61 years to Russell C. Gurley, who preceded her in death June 3, 2008.
Mozelle was a graduate of Grantham High School and received her Bachelor of Science degree from Atlantic Christian College. She received her Master's in Education from East Carolina University and was an elementary school teacher, having taught for 20 years at Nahunta School. She later became the director of elementary education for Wayne County Public Schools and served in this role for 19 years.
Mozelle was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, a professional honor society of women educators, the Wayne County Retired School Personnel and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. She was a life member of the North Carolina Association of Educators and the National Education Association. Mozelle was listed in the Marquis Who's Who Publication of Child Development Professionals.
She was a member of Nahunta Extension Home-makers Club, where she served in a number of roles including president. She was the author of the book "A History of the Nahunta Community," a project of the extension homemakers, for which she was awarded The History Book award by the North Carolina Society of Historians in 1991.
Mozelle was always serving in her community and was a member of the local, state and national grange and served as a leader in the juvenile grange.
She was an active member of Princeton Baptist Church and had served the church as a deacon. Mozelle had a special love for children and served as the pastor for children's church for 10 years and as an adult Sunday school teacher for 40 years.
Mozelle is survived by her son, Dan Gurley of Clinton; her brother, the Rev. Horace W. Ricks and wife, Nettie, of Selma; her grandson, Adam Daniel Gurley and wife, Ashley Nelson Gurley, of Phoenix, Ariz.; and a number of dear nieces and nephews.
In addition to her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by her daughter-in-law, Cindy Gurley; her sisters, Mildred Ricks Scott , Ruby Ricks Sutton and Elizabeth Ricks Thigpen; and her brothers, C.C. Ricks Jr. and Raymond Ricks.
The family will receive friends at Seymour Funeral Home Friday from 6 to 8 p.m.
Flowers are welcome or memorials may be made to Princeton Baptist Church, 201 S. Pearl St., Princeton, NC, 27569.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.seymourfuneralhome.com.
(Pd)
Published in Obituaries on September 24, 2009 1:47 PM