Kathleen Pethel

Obituary: Kannapolis, NC-Kathleen Correll Pethel, age 106, died Monday, November 19, 2012 at CMC-NorthEast, Concord, NC. She was born December 23, 1905 in Rowan County, NC, the daughter of the late Charles Edward Correll and Annie Lujean Kluttz Correll. Kathleen was employed with the former Cannon Mills Company, Plant # 1, Sewing Room and Cloth Room for forty-eight years until her retirement. She was an active member of St. John's United Church of Christ, Kannapolis, NC where she had served as a Sunday School teacher. Kathleen was known as a devoted and beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother to her family right up until the end of her life. Some of her favorite times were having her family come for visits. She loved to travel and her visits included Arizona, California, Florida, Maryland, Mexico, England, France, and Belgium. When not visiting her family, she was preparing delicious meals for their visits to see her. She was noted for her delicious chicken and dumplings that were a favorite dish to be carried to the Correll family reunions. Her apple and sweet potato pies were famous. All of these delicious foods were cooked even past 100 years old, using her mother's Pennsylvania Dutch recipes. Kathleen was blessed with a wonderful memory and had the ability to recall many things from her childhood. There were the simple pleasures of horse-drawn wagon rides to her church with the family when they lived in the country. She talked of sledding in the snow with her brothers and sisters. During her working years at Cannon Mills, she was known to be the first "jogger of Kannapolis." She literally ran to work during those early years after staying up late to sew and prepare beautiful handwork for her family, including her two sisters. She was a woman of a by-gone era and yet modern to the end in her gracious and loving ways, acknowledging the power and influence of the computer in peoples' lives. She saw many "firsts" for this Nation. She leaves a powerful legacy not only to the citizens of Kannapolis but to all those whose lives she touched during her almost 107 years. She will never be forgotten. In addition to her parents she is preceded in death by her husband, Frank Colby Pethel, Sr. who died in 1951; two sons, Frank Colby Pethel, Jr., Charles Richard Pethel; a sister, Mary Stiller. The funeral service will be held at 2:30 P.M. Saturday, November 24, 2012 at St. John's United Church of Christ, Kannapolis, NC officiated by Dr. H. Warren C. Casiday. Burial will follow at Carolina Memorial Park, Kannapolis, NC. The family will receive friends from 1:00 to 2:30 P.M. Saturday at the church prior to the service. Survivors include her daughter, Lou Jean Correll (Gene) of Kannapolis, NC; a daughter-in-law, Betty Pethel of Annapolis, MD; Grandchildren, Lynn Correll (Mary), Kathy Cook, Marty Pethel, Shane Pethel (Renee), Michele Cottrill (Chris), Matt Pethel, Carla Pethel, Pam Boyles (Lacy); Great-grandchildren, Kara Cook, Phillip Cook, Taylor Cook, and Madison Cook; Jimmy Correll, Sara Pethel, Jennie Pethel, Jared Pethel, Megan Pethel, Ben Cottrill, Elizabeth Cottrill; Keith Pethel, Matt Boyles, and Jason Boyles; Great-great-grandchildren, Nikolis Smith, Dakota Smith, Cole Correll, and Jaiden Correll. And special people in her life, Belva Baldwin and her grandson, Juleen Parker, Dovie Goodnight, Harriett Britt, and Carolyn Pagen. Memorials may be made to St. John's United Church of Christ, 901 N. Main Street, Kannapolis, NC 28081. On-line condolences may be left at www.whitleysfuneralhome.com.
Visitation: 1:00 to 2:30 PM Saturday November 24, 2012 at St. John's UCC

Service: 2:30 PM Saturday November 24, 2012 at St. John's UCC

Interment: Carolina Memorial Park