Lucille Stutts Kester

Lucille Stutts Kester, 94, of Salisbury, NC passed away peacefully Wednesday, March 14, 2012 at Rowan Regional Hospital in Salisbury, NC. Ms. Kester was an exceptional woman, wife, mother, homemaker, grandmother, volunteer and entrepreneur. She lived a life of dignity, love for simplistic beauty and self-disciplined work ethic. The youngest child and last survivor in a family of 10 children, she was born November 4, 1917 to the late William Lipscomb Stutts and Louella Horner Stutts in Seagrove, NC, a rural community in Randolph County. She was married for 49 years to William David (Billy) Kester who died August 17, 1988. Lucille and Billy founded and owned Kester's Auction and Realty Company which was located at Ellis Cross Roads in Rowan County. During the company's many years of operation she was involved with all aspects of the business: bookkeeper, clerk, auctioneer auditor, and notary public. But her greatest satisfaction came from the role of estate appraiser where she gained a reputation for honest accounting. In youthful adulthood Lucille possessed a kind of timeless beauty akin to that of her idol, Hedi Lamar, the 'then' and ageless "femme belle" of cinema. Blessed with unsurpassed physical stamina and vitality, a penchant for detailed planning and keen observational skills, she tackled each day's tasks with a kind of punctual motivation that lent hope to the vision that all things could be made better. As a survivor of the Great Depression and WW II, she was well acquainted with hard economic times that required prudent adherence to thrift. After high school graduation and her father's ensuing death, Lucille lived with her sister, Georgia Mabe, in Mooresville, NC. There, she found employment as a clerk in Roses Five and Dime and later, at Burlington Mills where she was a loom operator prior to promotion to payroll department. She married Billy in 1939 and when he entered the US Army in WW II, Lucille joined him in Ohio where he was stationed. While in Ohio, she aided the war effort as a fork lift driver in a munitions factory. Throughout life, she was gainfully employed in numerous job positions; to mention a few: medical records staff at Rowan Memorial Hospital (since renamed), sales clerk at Belk, a cosmetics company sales representative and district manager, and a real estate manager of rental properties in her local community. Ms. Kester contributed many hours of energetic service as volunteer for worthwhile projects. She was a guiding force in the formation of Ellis X Roads Garden Club and she applied learned gardening techniques toward beautification in her surrounding yards and gardens: gardening became her life-long hobby. She was an active participant in the Rowan Co. Home Demonstration Club and assisted fund-raising drives for initial construction of Ellis X Roads Fire Station. An active member of the past existent Spencer Elementary and High School P.T.A., she held officer posts at every level. She was a member of the Democrat Party of Rowan Co. and lent avid assistance to many fund raising and publicity drives. She participated in sundry activities offered by Rufty Holmes Senior Center and was an active member of the local Y.M.C.A. until the age of 89. A woman of staunch religious faith in God, she was a devoted member of Calvary Baptist Church at Ellis where she sang soprano in the choir, taught Sunday School, coordinated Children's Bible School and held offices in W.M.U. Ms. Kester is survived by one daughter, Jo Ann Kester Garrett and husband, Theodore Wilson Garrett of Charlotte, two grandchildren, Bartholomew (Bart) Van Garrett and wife Stephanie of Charlotte and Clarky Ann Garrett Sonnenfeld and husband Jeff of Branford, CT, two great grandaughters, Sophie Claire Sonnenfeld and Lauren Ann Sonnenfeld, and two step great grandchildren, Rhenna Diane Hatton and Sawyer Timothy Hatton and several nieces and nephews. The family expresses special recognition and heartfelt thanks to Lucille's grand niece, Terrie Koontz, who provided much love, friendship and comfort to her during a period of declining health. The family will receive friends Monday morning, March 19, 2012 from 10:30 am ttill 11:30 am at Summersett Funeral Home, 1315 W. Innes Street, Salisbury. A memorial service to celebrate the life of Lucille Kester will be conducted afterward in the funeral home chapel with Dr. Rick Cockerham and Reverend Dewayne Lambeth officiating. Burial will follow at Rowan Memorial Park. It was Ms. Kester's wish that memorials be made to Calvary Baptist Church new building fund, 2255 East Ridge Road, Salisbury, NC 28144. Condolences may be expressed at www.summersettfuneralhome.com.

Lucille Stutts Kester

November 4, 1917 - March 14, 2012