Frances Lee Marion Holder

Frances Marion Holder, 93, passed away on Tuesday afternoon, April 23, 2024 at the Joan and Howard Woltz Hospice Care Home in Dobson after a long illness.  Frances was born to Gurnie and Carrie Badgett Marion on February 21, 1931.  She was the wife of Robert B. Holder for 77 years.  In her early years she attended Rockford Street Methodist Church but upon her marriage she became a faithful and loyal member of Highland Park Baptist Church.  She served in the music program for 64 years at various times serving as pianist, organist, choir director, music director, and choir chimes leader.  She served also as Director of the Children’s Sunday School Department for forty years.  In addition to her music and Sunday School leadership at Highland Park Church she served also as a Certified Sunday School worker for the North Carolina Baptist State Convention conducting numerous conferences in places such as Lexington, Greensboro, North Wilkesboro and Caraway  Conference Center.  She also was a Certified Sunday School worker for the Southern Baptist Convention conducting Sunday School conferences in Greenville, South Carolina, Houston, Texas, and Ridgecrest Conference Center.  Her heart was in mission Sunday school work. She served as a member of a church mission team in Summersville, West Virginia for five years and for many years was involved with her church in mission vacation bible school work in numerous areas around Mount Airy.  In addition to her work in Highland Park Church and other Sunday School projects, on one occasion she served as Choir Director for five years at First Baptist Church in Dobson.  Frances retired as secretary from Surry Baptist Association after fifteen years’ service.  Frances was a loving and devoted wife, and grandmother who adored her grandchildren and was constantly planning some kind of activity for them.  She loved having them in her home for days-on-end.  To the end she was planning music activities for her grandchildren and was striving to get well so that she could once again teach children.  She loved to celebrate birthdays and other special occasions, especially for the grandchildren.  She wanted to give gifts on every holiday to them and to her family.  Frances enjoyed spending time with her friends.  She mailed numerous cards to people on special occasions and when they were sick.  She was an avid painter and gave numerous of her paintings to her family and friends.

Frances was preceded in death by an infant son, Robert B. Holder Jr., her parents, Gurnie and Carrie Marion, a daughter-in-law, Melissa Holder, two uncles, Stentz Badgett and Bobby Badgett, her father and mother-in-law Gurney and Ada Holder, and two brothers-in-law, James Holder and George Holder, aunts, Kate Badgett and Aljean Badgett. She is survived by her husband of 77 years Robert B. Holder, two children, Anne (Tommy) Collins, Joey Holder, eight grandchildren, Angela (Kevin) Rogers, Tommy (Julie) Collins, Travis Collins, Amanda (Jonathan) Bryant, Amber (Josh) Lyons, Savannah (Justin) Nunn, Maddison (Dillon) Faulkner, David (Hannah) Holder. Eighteen great grandchildren, four step-great grandchildren and one great-great grandson with another to be welcomed into the family in June, sisters-in-law Carol (Ray) Hawks and Lillian Holder and several cousins. Visitation will be held from 4 to 6 o’clock followed by her funeral and 6:00 PM at Highland Park Baptist Church on Friday, April 26, 2024. It is suggested that memorials be made to the Robert B. Holder Honor Society Scholarship fund at Mount Airy Senior High School, 1011 North South Street, Mount Airy, NC 27030 or to Mountain Valley Hospice and Palliative Care, 1427 Edgewood Drive, Suite 101, Mount Airy, NC 27030.  The Holder family is being served by Moody Funeral Home in Mount Airy.   Online condolences may be made at www.moodyfuneralservices.com.