Nannie Barbee Morton

Nannie Ervin Barbee Morton went to be with her Lord and Savior on June 22, 2008 at the age of 94. Born August 23, 1913 in Richlands, NC, she was the oldest daughter of Bessie and Cader Barbee. She lived most of her life in Asheboro, NC where she and her husband, the late Leven Morton, reared their children. She graduated from East Carolina Teachers College with a two year normal certificate in 1932 and a four-year degree in 1938. She taught school in Kellum, North Carolina where she met her husband. They married after she finished school and moved to High Point where he operated an electrical motor rewinding company. In 1947, they moved to Asheboro and that is where she lived until 2007 when she went to live with a daughter in Beaufort, NC. Having grown up on a farm, she loved gardening, canning vegetables and fruits, and sharing them with friends and family. She enjoyed sewing and making quilts for her children and grandchildren. Reading was a passion of hers and she particularly enjoyed reading classics, inspirational books, and magazines. An avid writer, she corresponded with her friends daily as a way of encouraging them and sharing her wisdom with them. Education was very important to her. She taught at Balfour School for many years where she nurtured and cared for her students as well as instructed them. Friends created a garden at Balfour School to honor her. Her entire extended family with whom she was reared had instilled in her the value of giving back to others as she herself had been blessed. With this in mind, she established a scholarship, the Nannie Barbee Morton Scholarship at East Carolina University for an elementary education major from Richlands High School. To honor her husband, she established a scholarship at Coastal Community College in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Her church family at Central United Methodist was "central" in her life where she was a Sunday school teacher for many years. She was active in the United Methodist Women and the Good Times Club. Her faith sustained her and God was the guiding force in every aspect of her life. When she moved to Beaufort, she found another church home at Ann Street UMC, participating in Sunday school, United Methodist Women, and helping to make lunches for Habitat for Humanity. She loved everyone, her family, her neighbors, her friends unconditionally. And everyone loved her. She will be greatly missed. She is predeceased by brothers Everitte Barbee and Gordon Barbee of Richlands, NC. She is survived by her son, Leven Ervin Morton and wife Barbara of Greensboro; daughter Ann Morton Davis and husband Darryl of Beaufort; and daughter Janet Morton Peterson and husband Mark of Raleigh; grandchildren, Archie Davis and wife Gwen of Beaufort; Robert Morton, Patrick Morton and wife Christy, and Nicholas Morton of Greensboro; Elizabeth Morton Hutchby and husband Eric of Mooresville; and Andrew Peterson and Alex Peterson of Raleigh; and great grandchildren, Jessica and Nicole Davis of Beaufort, Kate, Emily, Jack, and Charlie Hutchby of Mooresville, Logan and Carsyn Morton of Greensboro; her sisters Martha Hodnett and Grace Frazier of Richlands, and a host of nieces and nephews. The family will receive friends Wednesday from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM at Pugh Funeral Home. The memorial service will be at 11:00 AM Thursday at Central United Methodist Church, 300 Main Street, Asheboro, NC In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Central UMC building fund.