Bertha B Whitley

BERTHA BRADSHAW WHITLEY, AGE 91, PASSED AWAY ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2015. SHE WAS BORN ON NOVEMBER 10, 1923 TO THE LATE KING RICHARD BRADSHAW AND LESLIE VIVERETTE BRADSHAW.
SHE WAS PREDECEASED IN DEATH BY HER HUSBAND, PAUL DAVID WHITLEY, JR. IN MAY OF THIS YEAR, HER DAUGHTER, JUDY CAROL WHITLEY WORRELL AND HER TWO SISTERS, GLORIA BRADSHAW MASTELLI AND MAE BRADSHAW DAWES.
GROWING UP ON THE FAMILY FARM, IT WAS NO SURPRISE THAT BERTHA WOULD FIND HERSELF AS BECOMING A FARMER’S WIFE. SHE MARRIED PAUL, JR. AND DEDICATED HER LIFE TO CARING FOR HER FAMILY AS HE TENDED TO THEIR FARM AND REMAINED FAITHFUL FOR 71 GLORIOUS YEARS UNTIL HIS PASSING. A WONDERFUL WIFE AND CARING MOTHER, SHE ENSURED THAT THERE WAS ALWAYS A MEAL WAITING ON THE FAMILY TABLE AFTER A LONG DAY WORKING THE CROPS. LATER IN LIFE, BERTHA CONTINUED TO GIVE OF HERSELF BY ATTENDING NASH COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND BECOMING A CERTIFIED NURSING PRACTITIONER WHERE SHE WOULD THEN CARE FOR AND CONSOLE MANY OTHERS. SHE WENT TO WORK FOR NASH GENERAL HOSPITAL AND ATTENDED TO CHILDREN IN THE PEDIATRICS WARD UNTIL HER RETIREMENT AFTER 20 YEARS.
AS HER FAMILY;S LOVE FLOURISHED, SO DID BERTHA’S GARDENS OF MIXED FLOWERS. KNOWN FOR HAVING A GREEN THUMB, SHE COULD TAKE ANY SEED, FLOWER, OR PLANT AND BREATHE LIFE INTO IT WITH LOVE AND WARMTH, THIS ESPECIALLY WAS A UNIQUE BOND SHE AND HER HUSBAND SHARED FOR MANY YEARS. INSEPARABLE, AS HUSBAND AND WIFE SHOULD BE, EVERYONE CAN REMEMBER HER AND PAUL ALWAYS HOLDING HANDS WHEN ENTERING AND LEAVING SUNSET AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH, OF WHICH TOGETHER THEY WERE LIFELONG MEMBERS. A WOMAN OF STRONG FAITH, SHE GAVE OF HERSELF TO HER CHURCH AS OFTEN AS SHE COULD AND SHARED HER LOVE OF HER LORD AND SAVIOR WITH HER MANY FRIENDS. BERTHA ESPECIALLY ENJOYED TRAVELING WHETHER IT WAS WITH HER FAMILY OR WITH VARIOUS CHURCH GROUPS, EXPERIENCING THE WORLD AND SHARING HER MANY STORIES WITH HER CHILDREN.
SHE LEAVES BEHIND TO CHERISH HER MEMORY, HER SON PAUL RICHARD WHITLEY, SR.; HER SON-IN-LAW, KEN WORRELL OF BEDFORD, TX; HER GRANDCHILDREN, ALICIA WORRELL PROBASCO AND HER HUSBAND SCOTT; JENNIFER WORRELL AND PETER MACK, SARA WORRELL BERG AND HER HUSBAND CHARLES, ERIN WHITLEY HAWKS AND HER HUSBAND MICHAEL, AND PAUL RICHARD WHITLEY, JR.; HER GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN, CAROLINA, CATHERINE, AND MARY CLAIRE PROBASCO AND MACKLIN BERG. ALSO SURVIVING ARE HER NIECE, THERESA BARNHILL AND HER NEPHEW BRUCE DAWES.
A FUNERAL SERVICE WILL BE HELD AT 2:00PM ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2015 AT WHEELER & WOODLIEF FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION SERVICES, 1130 N. WINSTEAD AVENUE, ROCKY MOUNT, NC 27804 WITH REV. STEVE ROBERSON, ASSOCIATE MINISTER OF SUNSER AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH, OFFICIATING. BURIAL WILL FOLLOW AT ROCKY MOUNT MEMORIAL PARK. A VISITATION WILL BE HELD ONE HOUR PRIOR TO THE SERVICE BEGINNING AT 1:00PM AT WHEELER AND WOODLIEF FUNERAL HOME & SREMATION SERVICES.
THE WHITLEY FAMILY WOULD LIKE TO ESPECIALLY THANK BERTHA’S SISTER-IN-LAW, MARY LOUISE DAUGHTRIDGE, LEE AND JACKIE WALTERS FROM SUNSET AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH, HER TWO CARE GIVERS LOIS AND WEEZIE, AND COMMUNITY HOME CARE AND HOSPICE NURSES ANGELA, ANGIE, AND TELLY FOR THEIR DEDICATION, LOVE, COMFORT AND SUPPORT IN WHICH THEY SHOWED BERTHA.
IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, DONATIONS MAY BE MADE TO SUNSET AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH, 3732 SUNSET AVE., ROCKY MOUNT, NC 27804 OR THE COMMUNITY HOME CARE AND HOSPICE, 2479 HURT DRIVE, ROCKY MOUNT, NC 27804.
ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN ENTRUSTED TO WHEELER & WOODLIEF FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION SERVICES, 1130 WINSTEAD AVE., ROCKY MOUNT, NC 27804. YOU MAY SHARE MEMORIES AND CONDOLENCES WITH THE FAMILY BY VISITING WWW.SHEELERWOODLIEF.COM