Individual Details

Death

Sadie Lucille Riddle Furr, 94, of Salisbury and most recently of Mooresville, passed away Tuesday, January 7, 2014, at Emeritus at Churchill Assisted Living Center in Mooresville, NC, after several weeks of serious illness. She was born April 30, 1919, in Yancy County, NC, to Thomas Kelse Riddle and Mary Lucinda Wilson Riddle. A graduate of Fairview High School and Lees-McRae School of Nursing in Banner Elk, NC, she was employed by Rowan Hospital in the OB Department until becoming head nurse of the Pediatric Floor until retirement in 1979. She was a member of Dunn’s Mountain Baptist Church. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Albert Furr, who passed away January 1, 1997; a grandson, Ernest Wayne Furr; and a granddaughter, Bridgette Aimee Barry Boudle. Survivors include her children Charles Albert Furr, Jr. of Chula Vista, CA; Mary Susan Barry of Johnson City, TN; Neil Blake Furr (Karen) of Statesville, Jo Ella Earnhardt (Gary) of Salisbury; Gordon Kelse Furr (Tonia) also of Salisbury; a sister, Frances Riddle Brinkley of Mebane, NC; 11 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. Mrs. Furr is widely remembered for her years as a “baby nurse” in the very busy obstetrics department at Rowan Memorial during the post-World War II baby boom. There were so many babies that her nurse’s cape was equipped with multiple pouches to carry them in case of an emergency. Following her retirement, she applied her medical training by taking blood pressure readings for the American Red Cross at bloodmobile visits. Her other passions included being an avid collector of Depression Era glass; accompanying her husband to yard and garage sales to search for antique radios; family forays to Holden Beach, NC; and her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and other relatives all across the country. Visitation: 10-11 a.m. Saturday, January 11, 2014, at First Baptist Church, 223 N. Fulton St., Salisbury, NC, 28144. Service: 11a.m. Saturday, January 11, 2014, at First Baptist Church with the Rev. Brian Farmer officiating. Burial follows at Brookhill Memorial Gardens, 8625 Hwy 52 Rockwell, NC 28138. Memorials: Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell County, 2347 Simonton Rd., Statesville, NC 28625 and Elder Center, 248 Davie Avenue, Statesville, NC 28677. The family would like to thank the staffs of Emeritus at Churchill Assisted Living, Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell County, the Mooresville Center of Genesis Healthcare, and The Elder Center of Statesville for the warm, loving, and compassionate care provided to Mrs. Furr.