Mrs. Voida Belle Earley Hilton, 88, formerly of Kannapolis, went to be with her Lord on Saturday, April 13, 2013.
She was the youngest daughter of the late Charlie Lee Earley and Emma Belle Dayvault Earley of Kannapolis. Mrs. Hilton was a graduate of J. W. Cannon High School in the class of 1943. She was employed at Cannon Mills Plant 1 in the Sewing Room for 45 years as a folder until her retirement due to ill health in 1987.
A lifetime resident of Kannapolis, Mrs. Hilton was an active member of Central Baptist Church since 1965 up until illness prevented her from attending. There she had many friends and loved her church. She was a member of the choir, treasurer of the flower fund and missions in the Andrews Sunday School class for many years and chairman of the funeral meals in her church for over twenty years. It was a love and an inspiration she could not give up until she was forced to due to her health.
Mrs. Hilton loved God, her family, church, pink dishes and pink flowers and was known by her closest friends and family for her chicken dinners, coconut cakes, pear preserves and canned dill pickles. One seldom left her house empty handed as she was quick to just give you a little something that she had canned to take home with you.
She rarely traveled or saw much of the world outside of North Carolina. She was quick to tell you she was "just a country woman". She lived to give to others - no matter how small that gift was - it from the heart. She leaves her family with a legacy of love for working the soil, preparing comforting meals and giving to others from the heart.
Life was not always rosy, most times hard. Upon the death of her first husband, she worked three jobs for years to help take care of her young daughter as a single mother. She garnered her strength from family, church and an unwavering faith in God. She never complained that life had been unfair to her but praised God for the blessings that she had.
In February 2012, upon the death of her last husband, Mrs. Hilton moved to Apex to live with her daughter and son-in-law, where she was surrounded by love and laughter. While she was able, she spent many hours at their shop �The Rusty Bucket� and become a cherished sight for many of the shop�s customers who would come in to visit and chat with her. It always brought a smile when she would greet them with - "My name is Voida Belle. I bet you never heard a name like that".
All too soon, her body continued to weaken due to heart and kidney failure and she died peacefully in her sleep at her daughter and son-in-law�s home.
Mrs. Hilton was preceded in death by her first husband, Carl J. Lambert who died in June 1960; her second husband, Jim Freeland, who died in November 1982; her third husband, Shelby Hilton, who died in February 2012; five brothers, Robert, Walter, Billy, George and Charles Earley; and two sisters, Della Mae Litaker and Mary Price.
Mrs. Hilton is survived by her daughter, Pamela Lambert Huelsman Thorpe and son in law, Mack Thorpe of Apex, NC; two precious grandsons that she adored, Tony Silas Huelsman and wife Leigh of Wake Forest and Charles John �CJ� Huelsman and fiancé Kate of Charlotte; two great-grandsons, Landon Huelsman and Austin Huelsman, both of Wake Forest; two brothers, Joe Earley and wife Margaret of Landis and Gene Earley and wife Maxine of Naples, Florida.
Other survivors include seven step-children, Jerry Freeland and wife Carol of Statesville, Phyllis Freeland Grubb of Spencer, Barbara Gaskins and husband Jerry of Kannapolis, Becky Cline and husband Sonny of North Myrtle Beach, SC, Peggy Barnett and husband Jimmy of China Grove, Terry Hilton and wife Kelly of Concord and Mike Hilton of Kannapolis; and too many beloved nieces, nephews and step-grandchildren to count.
She was a special mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend and a Special Angel to Patricia, Shirley, Nikki and Caleb.
A funeral service is scheduled for 2:30 pm Friday, April 19, 2013, at Central Baptist Church in Kannapolis. Rev. Curtis Parker and Rev. Gene Edwards will officiate. Interment will follow at Carolina Memorial Park in Kannapolis.
The family will receive friends from 12:00 NOON � 2:00 PM Friday at the church prior to the service.
The family requests that those attending the service wear pink in honor of Voida Belle as it was her favorite color.
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