Rev. Marler Starnes' Obituary
Rev. Marler Clay Starnes, 71, went to be with the Lord Saturday, March 22, 2014, at his home.
A funeral service will be held at 1:00 pm Thursday, March 27, 2014, at Friendship Freewill Baptist Church. Rev. George Morris and Rev. Jim Couick will officiate. Interment will follow at Carolina Memorial Park.
The family will receive friends from 7 to 9:00 pm Wednesday, March 26, 2014, at Friendship Freewill Baptist Church.
Rev. Starnes was born May 26, 1942 in Concord, NC. He was a son of the late Eli W. Starnes and Josephine Aycock Starnes. He organized Friendship Freewill Baptist Church in 1987 and served as their pastor for 27 years.
A wonderful husband, father and grandfather, but first he was a man of God. All he ever wanted people to say about him was, “He was what he said he was,” a Christian and that he was.
He was a humble and simple man and God was always first in his life. Marler loved spending time with his grandsons on the golf course. He had numerous nieces and nephews whom he loved dearly. He loved his wife more every day and was so thankful to God for bringing them together and for her always standing beside him in ministry. He loved his daughter and son-in-law and was so proud to be their father.
Most of all he loved God above everything and looked forward to his eternal home with Him, but he will be greatly missed.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two brothers, Gerald Starnes and Worth Starnes; sister, Janie Starnes; and grandson, Cameron Reid.
Rev. Starnes is survived by his wife, Barbara Honeycutt Starnes; daughter, Sherry S. Reid and husband Mark of Harrisburg; two grandsons, Justin Reid and Matt Reid; brother, Gary Starnes and wife, Nadine of Kannapolis; two sisters, Joann Phillips and husband L.T. of Cayce, SC and Rachel Mincey of West Palm Beach, FL.
Memorials may be sent to his church, Friendship Freewill Baptist Church, 509 West 22nd Street, Kannapolis, NC 28081.
The family wants to thank Hospice, especially his nurse, Sharon Holt, who was such a blessing to him.
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