Catherine Holyfield White

Catherine Holyfield White, of Route 1, Elkin, died Thursday, May 12, 2011, at the Joan and Howard Woltz Hospice Home in Dobson after an extended illness. She was born March 7, 1923, in Rutherford County, to Raleigh Gilmer and Alma Burris Holyfield, and she grew up in Rockford. She graduated from Copeland High School and was employed at the selective service office during World War II, at Surry Central High School as secretary/finance officer until retirement, and the Winston-Salem Journal as a sales representative until she was eighty years old. She was a member of Salem Fork Baptist Church for over fifty years where she taught Sunday school and sang in the choir. Her Sunday school class named their class "The Catherine White Sunday School Class" in her honor. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Winfred S. White; and her brother, R.G. Holyfield. Surviving are her sister and brothers, Mary Margaret Bitting, Ted Holyfield and wife Edith (deceased), Joe Holyfield and wife Kay, her sisters-in-law, Anne Holyfield and Chris White, her children Bob White and wife Sandy of Dobson, Pat Widdowson and husband Bruce of Pilot Mountain, and Harry White of Elkin; four grandchildren, Jason White and wife Kim of Elkin, Sara McMillen and husband Josh of Dobson, Seth Widdowson of Charlotte, Hannah Widdowson of Pilot Mountain; five great-grandchildren, Hunter and Chacie White, and Nolan, Mia, and Tripp McMillen. Four family members were named in honor of Catherine White: Patricia Catherine White Widdowson, Sara Catherine White McMillen, Chacie Catherine White, and Mia Catherine White. A funeral service will be conducted at Salem Fork Baptist Church on Saturday, May 14, 2011. Visitation will be held in the fellowship hall from 6:00 to 7:00 PM with the funeral following immediately in the church sanctuary by the Rev. Tom Parker and the Rev. Van Brindle. Memorials may be made to the Salem Fork Baptist Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 491, Elkin, NC 28621 or flowers will be accepted. The family would like to extend a special thank you to the third floor staff at Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital, the staff of Hugh Chatham Skilled Care, the staff of Mountain Valley Hospice and Palliative Care/Woltz Hospice Home for their kindness and compassion. Moody-Davis Funeral Home is serving the White family.