December 8, 2020, 88, La Grange
Mildred Lois Kennedy Whaley took the hand of her Savior and walked into eternity on Tuesday, December 8, 2020. Mildred was born in Duplin County to the late Veston and Sarah Kennedy on March 13, 1932. In addition to her parents, Mildred was preceded in death by her husband, Orvis Franklin Whaley; granddaughter, Catherine Anderson; brother; Raleigh Kennedy; and sisters, Irene Blizzard, Hazel Anderson, Evelyn Atkinson, Mable Sumner, Edna Futrell, Margaret Tiedeman, and JoAnn Kennedy.
Mildred’s quiet and laid back demeanor endeared her to everyone she met. Never easily angered and with a low-key personality, Mildred was the calming presence in her family. Her Christ-like spirit made her a wonderful representation of a Proverbs 31 woman. Mildred was a longtime member of Liberty Baptist Church in Snow Hill where she sang in the choir for many years. While at Spring Arbor she enjoyed singing with Kenny and entertaining the other residents.
With a talent for sewing and an ethic of hard work, Mildred worked at Blue Bell for 19 years. She took pride in her work and it showed. Not only did she sew clothing items at work, she also created many of her own outfits even into older age.
Of her many gifts and talents, perhaps her family’s favorite was her ability to cook. No one could cook collards and cornbread like Mildred. At their weekly Sunday dinners, mouths watered until the homemade biscuits were hot out of the oven and the butter was melting in. Mildred’s time in her garden provided many of the vegetables at her table. She annually grew and canned her own goods, working the earth with her hands.
A graveside service to remember and celebrate Mildred’s life will be held Saturday, December 12, 2020, at 10 a.m. at the Snow Hill Cemetery. The family will receive friends immediately following the service.
Mildred is survived by her children, Vickie Bright and husband, Steven, and Dean Whaley and wife, Susan; brother; Harold Kennedy and wife, Diane; grandchildren, Brad Whaley (Christy), Bobbi Wheeler (Kevin), Bryan Whaley (Leah), Christina Turner (Shannon), and Chrystal Rowe; and great-grandchildren, Mercedes Anderson, Colby Whaley, Jessie Whaley, Tony Jones, Dayton Lockridge, Michaela Lockridge, Victoria Whaley, Isabella Whaley, Alan Turner, Tyler Turner, Lexi Turner, Hannah Wheeler, Aiden Wheeler, and Austin Wheeler.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Liberty Baptist Church, 705 S.E. 2nd Street, Snow Hill, NC 28580. Online condolences may be expressed at www.rousefh.com. Arrangements are entrusted to Rouse Funeral Home, La Grange.
