THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 24, 1994 TAG: 9406240447
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: PENDLETON
DATELINE: 940624 LENGTH: Medium
Miss Stephenson, 84, died June 22, 1994, in Durham Regional Hospital, Durham, N.C.
{REST} The daughter of the late Emma Lee and W. Harry Stephenson, Emma Gay Stephenson had retired to her native Pendleton, N.C., after having lived more than 35 years in Durham. She was a 1931 graduate, magna cum laude, of Chowan College and attended Wake Forest University and the Walsh School of Business.
After some years as a public schoolteacher in North Carolina, she was employed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, later by Riverside Manufacturing Company, Murfreesboro, N.C., Carey Lumber Co. and Erwin Mills in Durham.
For 15 years she served as administrative manager for the Bureau of Business Services in the School of Business Administration, UNC Chapel Hill. She retired in 1974.
An active clubwoman, Miss Stephenson served in every post in the Durham Woman's Club, which in 1979 named her Clubwoman of the Year. For the North Carolina Federation of Women's Clubs she held the offices of district president, first vice president, recording secretary, chair of various committees and chair of the Board of Trustees. She worked on the North Carolina Clubwoman magazine and wrote a history of NCFWC. In addition to several service awards, she received honorary lifetime memberships in both the Durham Woman's Club and North Carolina Federation of Women's Clubs.
Recently she had been an active member of the Ahoskie Woman's Club, the Northampton County Historical Association and the Murfreesboro Historical Society. She had also been president of the Kirby Music and Literary Club. She was a charter member and officer in the Henry Lee Society, a national genealogical organization, which in 1986 gave her its Distinguished Service Award.
She received the Chowan College Distinguished Alumni Award in 1985. She had served on the Chowan Board of Trustees as the first woman member of the Chowan Executive Committee, and on the Chowan Development Campaign Committee.
Miss Stephenson was formerly a member of Rand Sunday School Class of the First Baptist Church, Durham, and recently of Roberts Chapel Baptist Church, Pendleton. In both, she worked as Sunday school teacher and pianist and was active in the Woman's Missionary Union. She was co-author of a centennial history of Roberts Chapel Baptist Church.
She is survived by her sister, Ruth Stephenson Phillips, and her brother-in-law, the Rev. Randolph Phillips; a nephew, Harry Stephenson and two grand-nephews, David and Bobby Stephenson, all of Pendleton.
Memorials may be made to Chowan College, Murfreesboro, N.C. 27855, or Roberts Chapel Baptist Church, Pendleton, N.C. 27862. Bridgers Funeral Home of Conway is in charge of arrangements.
{KEYWORDS} DEATH OBITUARY
by CNB