Pearl Stone

Pearl Sykes Stone, age 96, of 128 Johnson Street died Wednesday, January 3, 2007, at Autumn Care Nursing Home in Waynesville. She was born in Seagrove, NC on June 26, 1910, and was the daughter of the late Eneas and Emma Auman Sykes. In addition to her parents, she was also preceded in death by a sister, Helen Woodley and two brothers, Elmer and Earl Sykes. She was a graduate of the University of North Carolina Greensboro with a BA degree in education and began a 40-year teaching career in Randolph and Mecklenburg counties. After her marriage in 1936, she moved to Canton where she taught in the old Pennsylvania Avenue Elementary School for over thirty years. Her love of teaching started early when as a child she arranged a make-believe schoolroom in her parent's home to teach her neighborhood friends. She and her late husband William J. "Bill" Stone shared a 62-year marriage until his death in 1998. Mr. Stone served as mayor of Canton from 1949 until 1953. A member of Central United Methodist Church of Canton, Mrs. Stone was devoted to her church and her community with much love for her family and friends. She is survived by a daughter, Emily S. Owen of Atlanta, GA and a son, William J. Stone, Jr., and his wife, Patricia, of Columbia, SC; five grandchildren, Kristin Smith and her husband, Curtis, of Atlanta, GA, Charles L. Owen, Jr. and his wife, Jurine, of Atlanta, GA, Kim Gavlak and her husband, Bill, of Atlanta, GA, Julia Stone of Asheville, and Daniel Stone of Columbia, SC; and six great-grandchildren. The family wishes to acknowledge their grateful appreciation for Mrs. Stone's two devoted caregivers, Sarah Branson and Marie Sutton. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 6, 2007, at the Canton chapel of Wells Funeral Home with the Reverend David Christy officiating. Burial will follow at Crawford/Ray Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends from 12:30 until 2:00 p.m. prior to the service at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to Central Untied Methodist Church of Canton, 34 Church Street, Canton, NC 28716.

Previous Events