Gracie Marie Marion Atkins

Mrs. Gracie Marie Marion Atkins, 80, of 439 Little Mountain Church Road, Ararat, passed away Tuesday, December 11, 2007, at Golden Living Center - Surry Community in Mount Airy. Mrs. Atkins was born December 5, 1927, in Surry County, to the late Coley Lee and Nancy Lettie Atkins Marion. She retired from Spencer's Inc. after 25 years of service and was a lifetime member of Piney Grove Baptist Church, where she was a member of the Bertha Chilton Sunday School Class. Although Gracie loved fishing and playing rook, she was an avid Carolina basketball fan and an Atlanta Braves baseball fan. Mrs. Atkins was a special friend to her roommate, Tavie Shumate, at Golden Living Center. Their relationship was very special since they were childhood friends. Most importantly, she was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and sister. She is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Linda and Sam Marion of Pinnacle; a son and daughter-in-law, Michael and Frances Atkins of Ararat; five grandchildren and spouses, Brian and Sonya Marion of Winston-Salem, Cindy and John Foley of Kernersville, Gina and Shane Gammons and Mindy and Tim Chilton, all of Ararat, and Tommy Marion of Pinnacle; five great-grandchildren, Chloe Marion and Ainsley Marion, both of Winston-Salem, Abram Gammons and Maria Chilton, both of Ararat, and Brayden Foley of Kernersville; two sisters, Daisy Robertson Smith of Dobson and Sylvia Johnson of Mount Airy; several sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law; and numerous nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents, Mrs. Atkins was preceded in death by her husband, Calvin Ray Atkins; a son, Timothy "Tim" Marion Atkins; three sisters, Bertha Chilton, Mamie Marion, and Stella Lewis; and five brothers, Melvin Marion, Gratsie Marion, Ray Marion, Billy Marion, and Coy Lee Marion. The funeral service will be held Friday, December 14, 2007, at 11:00 AM at Piney Grove Baptist Church. The service will be conducted by the Rev. Kermit Gray and the Rev. Bill Watson, and burial will follow in the Little Mountain Baptist Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends Thursday from 7:00 to 9:00 PM at Moody Funeral Home in Mount Airy. Flowers will be accepted, or memorials may be made to the Little Mountain Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, c/o Verla V. Phillips, 930 Siloam Road, Mount Airy, NC 27030. The family would like to express their heartfelt appreciation to the staff of Golden Living Center - Surry Community, especially Gina Gammons, for the many acts of kindness and love shown to Gracie since July 2005.