CLAYTON - Mrs. Rachel Inez Sears Yates, loving wife and mother and devoted church nursery director, died Monday morning, April 18, 2010, at home with her daughter and son-in-law by her side.
She was born August 26, 1912, in Morrisville, N.C. to Frederick and Bertha (Searls) Sears, the third of nine brothers and sisters. During her lifetime, she remembered Wake County with no electricity or phone lines, she recalled riding to church with her family in a horse and buggy, and she marveled at the coming of computers and the Internet (sending e-mails to friends in Shelby when in her 90s).
She married Joseph Clair Yates of the Green Level community in Apex in 1933 and saw him safely return from active duty in the Navy during World War II. Rachel's firstborn, a daughter named Patsy Lorraine, was mentally handicapped, and she lovingly cared for her in the Yates home until her death at age 46 in 1988. After the war, Joe and Rachel moved to Shelby where their second daughter was born. The Yates family was active members of First Baptist Church in Shelby for over 50 years, and Rachel was director and nursery worker of the Preschool Department there for over 30 years. She delighted in teaching toddlers about Jesus, in reading Bible stories to them every Sunday, and in singing with them as she played the piano or auto-harp.
Following a crime in her neighborhood, Rachel decided to move to Clayton in 2003 to live with her daughter and son-in-law. She has made her home in Clayton for the past 7 ½ years, and has enjoyed being able to spend time with her brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews and their families. She was delighted to be friends with the many caring folks of Horne Memorial United Methodist Church. Although it was hard to leave her home in Shelby, Rachel made the move with grace and a positive outlook, one of her most charming qualities. She remained upbeat and positive, even as her health failed, and always had jokes or stories to share with her many gracious visitors.
Survivors include her daughter, Jo Anne and son-in-law Alan P. Swartz of Clayton; grandson, Joseph Paul Swartz of Clay-ton; grandson, John Mark and wife, Jennifer Upshaw, Swartz of Novato, Calif.; brother, Daniel H. Sears of Raleigh; sister, Mar-garet Ozie and husband, Clifton, Watson of Durham; brother John and wife, Maggie Belle, Sears of Apex; several nieces and nephews; and her caregiver (when her daughter was teaching school), Peggy Smith, is also listed with the family because her loving care was so appreciated by Mrs. Yates and the family.
As Rachel Yates is received into her heavenly home, her life of faith and loving service bears witness to these words of St. Paul: "...neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Funeral: Wednesday, April 21, 11 a.m., Horne Memorial United Methodist Church, Clayton
Officiated by: The Rev. Dr. Alan P. Swartz
Visitation: The family will receive friends one hour before the funeral, at the church.
Graveside service and burial: Thursday, April 22, 2 p.m., Cleveland Memorial Park
Funeral home: McLaurin at Pinecrest Memorial Park Funerals & Cremations, Clayton
She was born August 26, 1912, in Morrisville, N.C. to Frederick and Bertha (Searls) Sears, the third of nine brothers and sisters. During her lifetime, she remembered Wake County with no electricity or phone lines, she recalled riding to church with her family in a horse and buggy, and she marveled at the coming of computers and the Internet (sending e-mails to friends in Shelby when in her 90s).
She married Joseph Clair Yates of the Green Level community in Apex in 1933 and saw him safely return from active duty in the Navy during World War II. Rachel's firstborn, a daughter named Patsy Lorraine, was mentally handicapped, and she lovingly cared for her in the Yates home until her death at age 46 in 1988. After the war, Joe and Rachel moved to Shelby where their second daughter was born. The Yates family was active members of First Baptist Church in Shelby for over 50 years, and Rachel was director and nursery worker of the Preschool Department there for over 30 years. She delighted in teaching toddlers about Jesus, in reading Bible stories to them every Sunday, and in singing with them as she played the piano or auto-harp.
Following a crime in her neighborhood, Rachel decided to move to Clayton in 2003 to live with her daughter and son-in-law. She has made her home in Clayton for the past 7 ½ years, and has enjoyed being able to spend time with her brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews and their families. She was delighted to be friends with the many caring folks of Horne Memorial United Methodist Church. Although it was hard to leave her home in Shelby, Rachel made the move with grace and a positive outlook, one of her most charming qualities. She remained upbeat and positive, even as her health failed, and always had jokes or stories to share with her many gracious visitors.
Survivors include her daughter, Jo Anne and son-in-law Alan P. Swartz of Clayton; grandson, Joseph Paul Swartz of Clay-ton; grandson, John Mark and wife, Jennifer Upshaw, Swartz of Novato, Calif.; brother, Daniel H. Sears of Raleigh; sister, Mar-garet Ozie and husband, Clifton, Watson of Durham; brother John and wife, Maggie Belle, Sears of Apex; several nieces and nephews; and her caregiver (when her daughter was teaching school), Peggy Smith, is also listed with the family because her loving care was so appreciated by Mrs. Yates and the family.
As Rachel Yates is received into her heavenly home, her life of faith and loving service bears witness to these words of St. Paul: "...neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Funeral: Wednesday, April 21, 11 a.m., Horne Memorial United Methodist Church, Clayton
Officiated by: The Rev. Dr. Alan P. Swartz
Visitation: The family will receive friends one hour before the funeral, at the church.
Graveside service and burial: Thursday, April 22, 2 p.m., Cleveland Memorial Park
Funeral home: McLaurin at Pinecrest Memorial Park Funerals & Cremations, Clayton
CLAYTON - Mrs. Rachel Inez Sears Yates, loving wife and mother and devoted church nursery director, died Monday morning, April 18, 2010, at home with her daughter and son-in-law by her side.
She was born August 26, 1912, in Morrisville, N.C. to Frederick and Bertha (Searls) Sears, the third of nine brothers and sisters. During her lifetime, she remembered Wake County with no electricity or phone lines, she recalled riding to church with her family in a horse and buggy, and she marveled at the coming of computers and the Internet (sending e-mails to friends in Shelby when in her 90s).
She married Joseph Clair Yates of the Green Level community in Apex in 1933 and saw him safely return from active duty in the Navy during World War II. Rachel's firstborn, a daughter named Patsy Lorraine, was mentally handicapped, and she lovingly cared for her in the Yates home until her death at age 46 in 1988. After the war, Joe and Rachel moved to Shelby where their second daughter was born. The Yates family was active members of First Baptist Church in Shelby for over 50 years, and Rachel was director and nursery worker of the Preschool Department there for over 30 years. She delighted in teaching toddlers about Jesus, in reading Bible stories to them every Sunday, and in singing with them as she played the piano or auto-harp.
Following a crime in her neighborhood, Rachel decided to move to Clayton in 2003 to live with her daughter and son-in-law. She has made her home in Clayton for the past 7 ½ years, and has enjoyed being able to spend time with her brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews and their families. She was delighted to be friends with the many caring folks of Horne Memorial United Methodist Church. Although it was hard to leave her home in Shelby, Rachel made the move with grace and a positive outlook, one of her most charming qualities. She remained upbeat and positive, even as her health failed, and always had jokes or stories to share with her many gracious visitors.
Survivors include her daughter, Jo Anne and son-in-law Alan P. Swartz of Clayton; grandson, Joseph Paul Swartz of Clay-ton; grandson, John Mark and wife, Jennifer Upshaw, Swartz of Novato, Calif.; brother, Daniel H. Sears of Raleigh; sister, Mar-garet Ozie and husband, Clifton, Watson of Durham; brother John and wife, Maggie Belle, Sears of Apex; several nieces and nephews; and her caregiver (when her daughter was teaching school), Peggy Smith, is also listed with the family because her loving care was so appreciated by Mrs. Yates and the family.
As Rachel Yates is received into her heavenly home, her life of faith and loving service bears witness to these words of St. Paul: "...neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Funeral: Wednesday, April 21, 11 a.m., Horne Memorial United Methodist Church, Clayton
Officiated by: The Rev. Dr. Alan P. Swartz
Visitation: The family will receive friends one hour before the funeral, at the church.
Graveside service and burial: Thursday, April 22, 2 p.m., Cleveland Memorial Park
Funeral home: McLaurin at Pinecrest Memorial Park Funerals & Cremations, Clayton
She was born August 26, 1912, in Morrisville, N.C. to Frederick and Bertha (Searls) Sears, the third of nine brothers and sisters. During her lifetime, she remembered Wake County with no electricity or phone lines, she recalled riding to church with her family in a horse and buggy, and she marveled at the coming of computers and the Internet (sending e-mails to friends in Shelby when in her 90s).
She married Joseph Clair Yates of the Green Level community in Apex in 1933 and saw him safely return from active duty in the Navy during World War II. Rachel's firstborn, a daughter named Patsy Lorraine, was mentally handicapped, and she lovingly cared for her in the Yates home until her death at age 46 in 1988. After the war, Joe and Rachel moved to Shelby where their second daughter was born. The Yates family was active members of First Baptist Church in Shelby for over 50 years, and Rachel was director and nursery worker of the Preschool Department there for over 30 years. She delighted in teaching toddlers about Jesus, in reading Bible stories to them every Sunday, and in singing with them as she played the piano or auto-harp.
Following a crime in her neighborhood, Rachel decided to move to Clayton in 2003 to live with her daughter and son-in-law. She has made her home in Clayton for the past 7 ½ years, and has enjoyed being able to spend time with her brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews and their families. She was delighted to be friends with the many caring folks of Horne Memorial United Methodist Church. Although it was hard to leave her home in Shelby, Rachel made the move with grace and a positive outlook, one of her most charming qualities. She remained upbeat and positive, even as her health failed, and always had jokes or stories to share with her many gracious visitors.
Survivors include her daughter, Jo Anne and son-in-law Alan P. Swartz of Clayton; grandson, Joseph Paul Swartz of Clay-ton; grandson, John Mark and wife, Jennifer Upshaw, Swartz of Novato, Calif.; brother, Daniel H. Sears of Raleigh; sister, Mar-garet Ozie and husband, Clifton, Watson of Durham; brother John and wife, Maggie Belle, Sears of Apex; several nieces and nephews; and her caregiver (when her daughter was teaching school), Peggy Smith, is also listed with the family because her loving care was so appreciated by Mrs. Yates and the family.
As Rachel Yates is received into her heavenly home, her life of faith and loving service bears witness to these words of St. Paul: "...neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Funeral: Wednesday, April 21, 11 a.m., Horne Memorial United Methodist Church, Clayton
Officiated by: The Rev. Dr. Alan P. Swartz
Visitation: The family will receive friends one hour before the funeral, at the church.
Graveside service and burial: Thursday, April 22, 2 p.m., Cleveland Memorial Park
Funeral home: McLaurin at Pinecrest Memorial Park Funerals & Cremations, Clayton
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