MYRNA LANCASTER NOWELL
April 10, 1925-Jan. 24, 2018
Myrna Lancaster Nowell, 92, Southwood area of Goldsboro, died peacefully at her home Jan. 24, surrounded by her children.
She was born in Clayton, N.C., to McKever and Lela May Hinton Lancaster.
Her father and mother died while they were young, and she and her two brothers, C.M. and Kenneth Lancaster, were raised in Archer's Lodge by her grandparents, Herbert and Mattie Hinton.
After graduation from high school, she attended Kings Business College in Raleigh, and then moved to Washington, D.C., and began working as a clerk-typist at the Pentagon during World War II.
After the war, she moved back to Archer's Lodge, where she met the love of her life, Milton Nowell Sr., who had returned home to Wendell, N.C., after having served in the United States Marine Corps in the South Pacific.
After they were married in 1950 and began their life together, Milt went to college at Atlantic Christian College in Wilson, N.C., and Myrna began work at the North Carolina Department of Agriculture.
Milt graduated college, and began working, but really wanted to go to law school. He began in 1957, and she worked two and three jobs to sacrifice and send him to law school, and he graduated in 1960 from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.
After Milt passed the bar exam, they moved to Mount Olive in 1960, and she loved living there and making lifelong friends.
She was active in many civic organizations, and enjoyed raising her family. She just thoroughly enjoyed being a wife and mother.
After Milt was elected to a judgeship in 1970, they moved to Southwood just outside of Goldsboro, where she resided until her death.
After his death in 1978, she knew she had to provide for her family, and began taking classes at Wayne Community College and working, and did so until she could no longer physically do it.
After that, her children made sure she never wanted for anything.
She loved flowers, and was a master at growing them. Her home always had flowers and plants, and she loved them all, but was a champion at growing African violets.
She also loved arranging flowers and wreaths, and this was one of her great joys, and she was excellent at it, as she was most things.
She was a wonderful seamstress, and in the early years, made her clothes and her daughter's clothes. She really could do almost anything.
She remained a member of First Baptist Church in Mount Olive since 1960, and over the years, served in many areas of the church, as long as her health would allow. She loved her church family, and they loved her.
She also was a longtime member of Wayne County Democratic Women and the American Legion Auxiliary.
Myrna, or Myrn, as she was known later in life, never met a stranger, and just about everyone that met her fell for her. She was easy to love, and she gave love easily. She loved her friends and her family unconditionally, and even young people loved to engage her. She was special, and made others feel so.
She was preceded in death by her parents and grandparents; her beloved husband, Judge William Milton Nowell; brothers, Kenneth and C.M. Lancaster; and an infant son, Scott.
She is survived by her children, William Milton Nowell Jr., Marsha Nowell Rehm (Charles) and Ralph Mark Nowell, and grandchildren Adam Rehm (Hannah), Allyson Rehm, Zakk Nowell and Charlie Nowell.
She felt the need to donate her body for medical research to East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine, and did so proudly.
A memorial service will be held at a later date at First Baptist Church in Mount Olive, N.C., and all family and friends will be notified of the date and time.
In lieu of flowers, memorials or gifts may be made to First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 239, Mount Olive, N.C., 28365.
(Pd)
Published in Obituaries on January 28, 2018 3:05 AM