Merial Elaine Black Holland

Merial Elaine Black Holland, 95, passed away April 24, 2022.  She was born in Springfield, SC, November 16, 1926, the daughter of the late Moses Elijah Black and LouBelle Cooper Black of Springfield, SC.  She graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1946 with a degree in journalism.  In 1955, she and her family moved to Winston-Salem.  She worked at Western Electric as a technical editor.  She served as the Registrar at Forsyth Tech as well as an Intake Interviewer at the Employment Security Commission in Forsyth County.  She retired after fifteen years as a Social Worker from the Forsyth County Department of Social Services.

Mrs. Holland most enjoyed being a wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.  She also enjoyed her church, volunteering, stamp collecting, sewing, traveling, and geneology.  Mrs. Holland was a member of Ardmore Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, NC, for 67 years, where she served in many ministry areas.  Her civic activities and volunteer work included the American Association of University Women, the Apothecary Club, the Girl Scout Council, and the Heart Fund. 

She was preceded in death by her husband, John Sibert Holland (born in Ninety-Six, SC) who was a pharmacist at Eckerd's Thruway Drug Store.  She is survived by her daughter, Elaine Holland Royster of Mount Airy, NC; her son, John Sibert Holland, Jr. and his wife Judy of Lexington, NC.  Also surviving are her six grandchildren, Josh Royster and his wife Heather of Raleigh, NC; Matthew Royster and his wife Valorie of Cherokee, Iowa; Drew Holland and his wife Heather of Winston-Salem, NC; Chris Holland of Clemmons, NC; Meghan Cook, DVM of Lexington, NC; and Mitch Cook of Lexington, NC.  She is also survived by fifteen great-grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews, including a loving niece, Susanne Black of West Jefferson, NC, and her special family friend, Lynn Ballard Fleishman of Winston-Salem, NC. 

She was also preceded in death by her brothers Henry Cooper Black of Elloree, SC, and Swift C. Black, MD of Dillon, SC; her devoted sister-in-love, Susanne Geist Black, MD of Dillon, SC and West Jefferson, NC; and her grandson, Michael Holland.

The family extends a special thanks to Candy Gunter, Nancy Smith, and their staff at RidgeCrest for their amazing care of Mrs. Holland, as well as the caregivers of Mount Valley Hospice.

A celebration of life will be held in the Chapel at Ardmore Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, NC on May 1, 2022, at 2pm.  In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Ardmore Baptist Church Preschool, 501 Miller Street, Winston Salem, NC, 27103, or Mountain Valley Hospice, 401 Technology Lane, Suite 200, Mount Airy, NC 27030.