Zora Tilley Ward

Mrs. Zora Tilley Ward, a beloved mother, grandmother, sister, and aunt, passed away Tuesday, July 7, 2009, at Universal Health Care in King. She was born March 18, 1916, in Coldwood, WV, to the late Jiles Elliott and Betty Elizabeth Slate Tilley. She loved her family, her church, and her garden. If you ever visited "Granny Ward" or "Aunt Zora" as she was known to many, you left with some of her homemade canned goods or a homemade pie. She gave of herself without reservation and held a special place in the hearts of all she met. She is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Donna and Dunna Gant of Winston-Salem; a granddaughter and her husband, Anna and Brad Byrd of Winston-Salem; a grandson, Seth Gant of Winston-Salem; adopted grandchildren, Gary and Tammy Gant of Mount Airy; a sister, Nettie Hooker of Mount Airy; and a sister-in-law, Ernestine Tilley of Mount Airy. In addition to her parents, Mrs. Ward was preceded in death by her husband, Brunice V. Ward; three sisters, Laura Jessup, Lillian Martin, and Inez Jefferson; and three brothers, Clinard Tilley, Ted Tilley, and the Rev. Jiles Tilley. The funeral service will be held Thursday, July 9, 2009, at 2:00 PM at Mountain View Pentecostal Holiness Church in Claudville, VA, with the Rev. Tommy Smith, the Rev. Tommy Fuquay, and the Rev. Roger Collins officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends Wednesday from 6:00 until 8:00 PM at Moody Funeral Home in Mount Airy, where the body will remain until carried to the church to lie-in-state 30 minutes prior to the funeral service. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to Mountain View Pentecostal Holiness Church, c/o Golden Epperson, 263 Hatchers Chapel Road, Claudville, VA 24076. The family would like to extend their sincere appreciation to the caregivers, Nancy Martin and Polly Goins of Home Health Care Associates, Louise Harrison of Team Nurse, and the staff and administration of Universal Health Care in King.