Mrs. Pauline Stanley Davis

Mrs. Pauline Stanley Davis, 94, of Dobson, NC died Friday morning, September 12, 2014 at home surrounded by her family. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother as well as always extending love and care to many other family members and a large host of friends. Mrs. Davis was born February 21, 1920 in the Copeland community, near Dobson, of Surry County, NC, the third child of twelve children, born to the late Ernest Howard and Lessie Harris Stanley. She was the granddaughter of the late Daniel Boone and Fannie Jane White Stanley and the late William C. "Bud" and Nicey Jane Marion Harris. Mrs. Davis was a descendant of some of the earliest families to settle in Surry County, NC. She was an active, seventy-five years member of New Home Church of Christ, currently being the eldest member and having the longest years of membership, and was involved with various church activities throughout her life. Mrs. Davis and her late husband were tobacco farmers for over thirty years until their retirement from farming. She was an assembler at Proctor-Silex in Mount Airy from 1967 to 1973. Mrs. Davis began a career as a food services employee at the Dobson Elementary School Cafeteria, of the Surry County School System in 1973. She thoroughly enjoyed working with all of the dedicated members of the cafeteria staff and the camaraderie shared with faculty, other staff members and students. A very special retirement luncheon was held in her honor in 1988. Mrs. Davis was an accomplished homemaker. She was an extremely talented cook who joyfully prepared countless, delicious meals for her family and friends at her home. Some of the dishes that Mrs. Davis was well known for include, fried chicken and gravy, homemade biscuits, chocolate, coconut and pumpkin pies, pound cake, fried apple pies, where she carefully dried her own apple slices, and "tea cakes" using a variation of a recipe held by at least three generations of the ladies in her family. She successfully cultivated large vegetable gardens during the whole of her life, and canned or froze the bounty yielded. Mrs. Davis also raised beautiful flowers all around her home including chrysanthemums, hibiscus, lilies and roses. In addition to her parents and grandparents, Mrs. Davis was preceded in death by her husband, Ervin William Davis, June 5, 1987, to whom she married January 6, 1940; their infant son, October 21, 1940; two sisters and three brothers-in-law, Pansy Stanley Kidd and Thomas (Wayne) Kidd, Rumell Stanley Whitaker and Troy Ellis Whitaker and James William "Jim" White; and eight brothers and one sister-in-law, George William Stanley, Billy Jack Stanley, Arthur Jay Stanley, Bobby Joe Stanley and Mattie Mae Moser Stanley Morton, Kenneth (Wayne) Stanley, Harold Lee Stanley, Jim Dan Stanley and Benny Ray Stanley. Survivors include two daughters and sons-in-law, Faye Davis O'Neal and husband, Fred, of Dobson and Gaynell Davis Dancy and husband, Thomas, of Mount Airy; two sons and daughters-in-law, Donald Gray "Donnie" Davis, Sr., and wife, Janice, of Dobson and Larry Ray Davis and wife, Theresa, of Mount Airy; five grandchildren, Fred Christopher "Chris" O'Neal, of Davidson, Thomas (Lee) Dancy, Jr., of Mount Airy, Amy O'Neal Thorne and husband, Cory, of Huntersville, Donald Gray Davis, Jr., of Dobson and Alisha Dancy Brown, and husband, Andrew, of Mount Airy; five great-grandchildren, Ammen Vincent Mounce, of Dobson, Olivia Grace Thorne and Parker Reid Thorne, both of Huntersville and Andrew Gray "Beau" Brown II and Isabella Alexis "Bella" Brown, both of Mount Airy; one sister, Mrs. Freeda Stanley White, of Dobson; three sisters-in-law, Mrs. Ruth Sparks Stanley, of North Wilkesboro, Mrs. Billie Jo George Stanley, of Mount Airy and Mrs. Betty Lou Watson Stanley, of Concord; and nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be held at New Home Church of Christ, Monday, September 15, 2014, at 2:00 p.m., and conducted by Timothy Smith, church pastor. Interment will follow in the New Home Church of Christ Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Sunday evening, September 14, 2014, from 7:00 until 9:00 p.m. at Moody-Davis Funeral Services of Dobson.