Winnie Straughan

On Thursday, September 24th, Winnie Straughan, 97, passed away at home in the loving circle of her family and found peace in heaven.
Born to Joseph and Maria Simpson on December 15, 1917, she was the 3rd child of 6 children (Louise, Olive, Edith, Joe and Marie), married Weldon Straughan in 1936 and moved to Elizabethtown NC.
She raised children, ran the "office" for their Tile and Plastering business, taught Sunday School at Elizabethtown Baptist Church of Elizabethtown, prayed for family and cooked - a lot. Her life was filled with laughter, service to others and some sorrow. The accidental death of her 18 year old son, Charles, was the saddest moment in her life. Winnie overcame this tragic loss through her faith in Jesus and dependency on prayer.
Winnie became "Granny" and her home served as a hub for years of Thanksgivings and was a favorite gathering place. She and sister-in-law Lucille spent years creating masterpieces with their needles and sewing machines.
Widowed in 1979, Winnie moved to Roanoke, Va in 1995 to be closer to her daughter. She became a faithful member of Vinton Baptist Church. With her health failing in 2006 Pat and Emil became her loving, and relentless caretakers for 9+ years until her death.
Winnie is preceded in death by her parents, Maria and Joseph Simpson; son, Charles; her spouse of 43 years, Weldon; siblings: Louise, Olive, Edith, Joe and Marie; grandson, Keith and daughter-in-law, Joyce.
Winnie is survived by her daughter, Pat Kuelz and husband, Emil; son, Joe; Grandchildren: Karl (wife, Kathy); Kurt (wife, Grace); Kathy (husband,Don); Doug (wife, Melissa); Lori (husband, Chris). Beloved great grandchildren are Elliott (wife Amber), Erica (husband Jon), Ashley, Zachary, Mackenzie, Sydney, Peyton, Alex, Adam, Cameron and Caitlin, and many cousins, nieces and nephews along with many friends.
A special thanks to Pearl St. Clair, Lois Wayne (deceased), Gentle Shepherd Hospice and Pam Hinkle. Their loving care brought peace and comfort during Winnie's final days.
Visitation (12:30 pm), funeral service (1:15 pm) Saturday, September 26, 2015 at Bladen-Gaskins Funeral home in Elizabethtown, NC. A Burial Service will follow at Bladen Memorial Gardens.
Funeral arrangements are by Bladen-Gaskins of Elizabethtown
910-645-2600.
A guest book is available online by visiting www.bladenfuneralhome.com