05/31/10 — SARAH R. MURRAY

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SARAH R. MURRAY

SARAH R. MURRAY

May 31, 1917-May 29, 2010

MOUNT OLIVE -- Sarah White Rhyne Murray, 92, passed away peacefully Saturday, May 29, 2010, at Wayne Memorial Hospital after a brief illness.

The family will receive friends in the Christian Life Center of First Baptist Church of Mount Olive Thursday from 1 to 2:30 p.m., with the funeral service following at 3 p.m. in the church sanctuary. Interment will be in Golden Grove Cemetery in Kenansville immediately after the service.

Mrs. Murray was a longtime resident of Mount Olive, and was a faithful member of First Baptist Church in Mount Olive.

She was preceded in death by her husband, William "Bill" Murray Jr. in 2001, and by her daughter, Linda M. McLaughlin in 2002.

Surviving are three children, William III and wife, Barbara, of Charlottesville, Va., Dan and wife, Ninevah, of Greensboro, N.C., and Joyce M. Thompson and husband, Linwood, of Goldsboro, N.C. Also, a son-in-law, Larry McLaughlin of Asheville, N.C.; nine grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.

Sarah was born and raised in Bessemer City, N.C., where she attended public schools. In her senior high school year, she was chosen as "Miss Bessemer City." She attended East Carolina College for two years, and also Lenoir Rhyne College, where she graduated in elementary education.

She taught second grade in Morganton for two years, and later at Brogden Primary School near Dudley for 12 years.

She married Bill in 1942, who served in the United States Army Air Corps for three years.

After living briefly in Florida and Kenansville, they moved to Mount Olive in 1946, where Bill began work with his brother Durwood, in operating a feed and grain mill, Murray Supply Co.

Sarah and Bill were married 59 years, until his passing in 2001.

Sarah enjoyed and loved her family and friends, and enjoyed gardening, oil painting, singing, whistling and playing the piano for her Sunday school class.

In addition to her husband and daughter, she was predeceased by her parents, Miles Luther and Nell White Rhyne, and her only brother, Ned Luther Rhyne.

Sarah appreciated the special care and support of her caregivers, including Lynn Roberts and Virginia Sanderson; her pharmacist, Preston Parker; and the doctors and medical staff at Mount Olive Family Medicine Center and Wayne Memorial Hospital.

The Murray family requests that, in lieu of flowers, memorial gifts be made to First Baptist Church of Mount Olive or to WAGES Nutrition Center.

A Tyndall Service, www.tyndallfh.com.

(Pd)

Published in Obituaries on May 31, 2010 1:47 PM