Ralph Arthur Gregory

Mr. Ralph Arthur Gregory, 96, passed away Monday, January 9, 2017, at his residence.

A funeral service is scheduled for 2:00 pm Thursday, January 12, 2017, at Landis Baptist Church. Rev. Richie Honeycutt will officiate. Interment will follow at Carolina Memorial Park in Kannapolis.

The family will receive friends from 11:30 am - 1:30 pm Thursday at Landis Baptist Church.

Mr. Gregory was born Sunday, September 5, 1920 in Union County, SC. He was a son of the late James Thomas “Jim” Gregory and Samantha “Mantie” Davis Gregory, along with his older brother, and younger brother, his family moved to Kannapolis, where he quit school at age 16 and went to work in Cannon Mills Plant One in the #6 Weave Room.

He served in the US Army, stationed in Panama during World War II. He was a member of Landis Baptist Church and formerly attended North Kannapolis Wesleyan. He retired from the #6 weave room of Cannon Mills. He sold rockers and bar stools for many years and over the past numbers of years he was known by many for selling his bird houses and watermelons at street corners all around the area.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his first-wife of 36 years Esther Elaine Walker Gregory; his second-wife of 30 years Lois Parham Smith Gregory; son, Ralph A. Gregory, Jr.; and two brothers Thomas Otis “T O” Gregory and William Monroe “Bill” Gregory.

Mr. Gregory is survived by three children, Barbara “Bobbie” Gregory Garmon and husband Jesse of Elkin, NC, Linda Gregory Cheek of Landis, and Michael Scott Gregory of High Point; a very special niece, Marie Cook and many more nieces and nephews; seven grandchildren; 19 great grandchildren; and five great-great grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the Gideons International Kannapolis, 1440 Pom Orchid Lane, Kannapolis, NC 28081 or to the Missions Fund at Landis Baptist Church 110 North Kimmons Street, Landis, NC 28088.