Jerri Sue Staton

Jerri Sue Staton

1947-08-31 2025-04-21

Class of 1965

Jerrie Sue Staton (77) passed away at her home at 113 Labans Lane, Lincolnton, NC, on Easter Monday, April 21,2025. Her passing concluded a lengthy illness with Alzheimer's Disease. Her two children were present, and her husband held his arm around her. Hers was the life of loving, giving, and especially of encouraging and supporting others. She was a cherished wife, mother, and grandmother, an engaging sister, an extraordinary schoolteacher.

To remember and honor Jerrie Sue, a private gathering of family and especially close friends was held at the home on Saturday, April 26. Her husband David shared memories from their life together in 55 years of marriage. A spiritual homily was provided by Pastor Dale Petersen, retired minister from Cedar Grove Lutheran Church in Vale, NC. Voice and piano solos were provided by Lisa Phipps of Cherryville, NC, who has assisted part-time in Jerrie Sue's care-giving for nearly seven years.

The family intends also to provide a celebration-of-her-life event sometime in the next two to six months, to be open to her many friends, former coworkers, and former students. Detailed information of this event will be appended to this obituary as plans are firmed up.

Jerrie Sue was born in Gamble Hospital in Lincolnton, NC, to Susie Inez Finger Hartman and Eugene Gold (“Jerry”) Hartman, Sr. She grew up living at 608, Sherrill Avenue in Lincolnton, NC. She is preceded in death by both her parents, and by her half-sister L. JoAnne Dellinger Whitesides and brother-in-law G. Elliott Whitesides. She is survived by her sister Libby G. Hartman Baxter and brother-in-law Kenneth Martin Baxter of Vale, NC; and by her brother, Eugene G. (“Buzzy”) Hartman, Jr. and sister-in-law Jackie Carpenter Hartman of Lincolnton, NC; and by her husband for 55 years, Wm. David Staton, and their children--which she adored “off the scale”--son Matthew David Staton (and his children Beatrice “Bebe” Staton and Archer “Archie” Staton) of Raleigh, NC, and daughter Erin Kelly Staton, also of Raleigh.

Even at the most difficult time of her illness, in her brief involvement with Via Hospice of Lincolnton, three different hospice personnel individually commented on how striking or beautiful her smile was. Her high school superlative was “Friendliest.” She was a cheerleader at Lincolnton High School, and she remained actively a “cheerleader” for others all her life--encouraging and supporting students, friends, and family in whatever challenges, activities and projects engaged them. Jerrie Sue knew from her first grade days on that she wanted to become a schoolteacher, and she obtained both her bachelors and masters degrees at Appalachian State University in pursuit of that professional calling. She taught Algebra and Geometry for three years at Jordan High School in Durham, and for 34 years at Lincolnton High School (including a brief time at Lincolnton Junior High School). New teachers loved her as their mentor. She was twice a Teacher of the Year for the entire Lincoln County Schools system, and numerous times more at LHS. Her special gift was the ability to see her subject matter from the naive points of view of the individual students, enabling her to tailor her instruction and encouragement in a way that fit them and they could more easily grasp (this, according to comments heard in many chance encounters with parents and former students in restaurants, grocery stores, and ball games over the years, some even as recently as just last December). She served as sponsor for the cheerleader squads and later became a co-sponsor for the LHS Quiz Bowl teams, teams which placed high in local and regional competitions, resulting in team invitations to tournaments attended in St. Louis, Orlando, and Washington, DC. She was an active member and an officer of the teacher's sorority, Alpha Delta Kappa.

Jerrie Sue loved music, having studied piano as a youth with Louise Whetmore which imparted to her skills that livened family gatherings and often blessed her husband in a very special way. She loved to sing and participated in more than once in Lincoln Arts Council's Singing Christmas Tree. She delivered for the local Meals on Wheels program run by Christian Ministries of Lincolnton. She delighted in entertaining friends, family, and various groups in her home, and loved the decorating, preparing meals. She and her sister Libby often were a formidable team at hosting such gatherings.

For all these reasons, and so many more, Jerrie Sue Staton will be missed terribly by so many friends and family. She was truly beloved and cherished.
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Memorials for Jerrie Sue may include donations to:

Alzheimer's Association
4600 Park Rd., Suite 250
Charlotte, NC 28209
https://www.alz.org

Bright Focus Foundation / Alzheimer's Disease Research
22512 Gateway Center Dr.
Clarksburg, MD 20871
https://www.brightfocus.org/stopAD




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