CLAYTON — Nancy Evelyn Norris Small peacefully went to her heavenly reward on Thursday, June 23, 2022, surrounded by her loving family.

She was born Oct. 30, 1932, in Erwin to Herbert Rufus and Minnie Carr Cooke Norris. She attended Erwin High School and later received her GED from Aiea High School in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1975.

She worked for many years in the textile industry as a sewing machine operator, and later as department manager or customer service manager for department stores such as Woolco, Bradlee’s and Walmart. She also did volunteer work at the Food Closet in Smithfield and was buyer/coordinator for the Gift Shop at Johnston Medical Health in Smithfield — she had over 10,000 hours of volunteer service, and worked there for over 18 years.

She married her husband of 50 years, Thomas John Small of Clayton, in Bennettsville, South Carolina. She is survived by her husband and her four children from her first marriage, Diane Marie Forbes and husband Al of Wilson, Beverly Ann Gregory of Sanford, Richard Andrew Zahensky Jr. of Erwin and Deborah Jean Bentley and husband Mervin of Lebanon, Oregon. She is also survived by a sister, Shirley Pahl of Mooresville, North Carolina; seven grandchildren; and 18 great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Pauline Norris Temple of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; her brother, Walter Rufus Norris of Erwin; sister, Ruth Smith Temple of Brownsville, Kentucky; and by a beloved grandson, Jacob Mervin Bentley of Hebo, Oregon.

After traveling with her husband in the military, they retired to Colorado Springs where she spent three years caring for her mother-in-law, Bonner Lilvie Small, until her death.

She loved her family and God and was a member of the First Christian Church in Smithfield, where she had served as a deaconess and president of the Christian Women Fellowship. She was thrilled to find out that her ancestry dated back to the early days of America in Jamestown, Virginia. She enjoyed meeting new people that were in her family tree and doing research with the help of her husband.

Nancy’s family will receive friends and a viewing will be held at noon Tuesday, June 28, at First Christian Church in Smithfield, with a Celebration of Life being held at 1 p.m. at the First Christian Church in Smithfield with the Rev. Beth Burton-Williams officiating. Entombment will follow the services at Pinecrest Memorial Park Mausoleum in Clayton.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests you donate to First Christian Church, 1001 S. Crescent St., Smithfield, NC 27577, Attn: Capitol Campaign. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.mclaurinatpinecrest.com for the Small family.

Arrangements are with McLaurin Funeral Home, Clayton.

Other items that may interest you

“A newspaper’s first duty is to the public which it serves. That is the only justification for the existence of any such periodical.” Hoover Adams Founder

The Daily Record is published daily online and Tuesday & Friday in print by Record Publishing Company Inc.

99 W. Broad Street P.O. Box 1448 Dunn, NC 28334 (910) 891-1234