Winola Miller Drye

Obituary: Winola Jean Miller Drye, 88, of China Grove, went home to her Heavenly Father, Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017. What a glorious reunion it must have been! If you ever had the opportunity to meet Winola you would have known immediately she was a child of God. Her heart for the Lord and her desire to be the hands and feet of Jesus were evident to everyone she knew and met. For all of her adult years, she used her kindness and talents to glorify the Lord. The daughter, of Reeves Sydney Miller and Arcie Bare Miller, she was also a loving wife, amazing mother, incredible grandmother and a blessed great-grandmother. What a full life she lived! Born and raised in the North Carolina mountains, Winola became a strong willed, resourceful, and independent woman. She was quite the entrepreneur, growing up to be one of Avon's top sales manager for over 30 years in the industry. Winola was a gourmet chef, mastering the art of chicken n' dumplings, and her pumpkin spice muffins should have won an award. There was always food at her house. If you stopped by, you knew you would get a delicious home cooked meal, no matter the time of day. If you visited on Monday, she wouldn't have been home because she and Lloyd went square dancing every Monday for years. We know she is doing that in Heaven today! Fridays and Saturdays, you would find her spending time with her grandchildren. Friday evening, she would have prepared a big meal then tucked her grandkids into bed while playing classical music. Saturday morning, she would have awakened them with a hot wash cloth and a spread of her world famous pancakes. Saturdays, then consisted of trips to Walmart, volunteering with Meals on Wheels, Tweetsie Railroad, and tea parties in the gazebo. Sundays, you would find her teaching Sunday school at First United Methodist Church in China Grove, as well as Porter Methodist Church in Norwood, one of her favorite things to do. You could always count on her wearing her Sunday best every day of the week and could guarantee she would have a piece of Juicy Fruit gum in her purse. Her skills as a wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother were unmatched. She was always kind, her doors always open, she loved relentlessly, she sought to understand others, and she never said a cross word about anyone. Her faith moved mountains and paved the way for those who came after her. Preceding her in death were her husband of 68 years, Lloyd George Drye; and a sister, Juanita Miller Comer. She is survived by sons, Stephen Lloyd Drye (Vera Little Drye) and David Mitchell Drye (Pat Parker Drye); grandchildren, Crystal Kirchbaum and husband, Jeff, Heath Drye and wife, Caroline, Megan Harper and husband, Michael, Katherine Gonzalez and husband, Matthew; and great-grandchildren, Gerin Hill, Aiden and Ian Kirchbaum, Huck and Griffin Harper, and Hampton Drye; and her sister, Eileen Miller Hess and husband, Jerry. The family will receive friends from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, November 24, at Whitley's Funeral Home. Services to remember and celebrate the life of Mrs. Drye will begin at 11:30 a.m., in the funeral home chapel, conducted by Catherine Ritch, Pastor. Mrs. Drye will be laid to rest with her husband at West Lawn Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice of Cabarrus County, 5003 Hospice Lane, Kannapolis, NC 28081.
Visitation: 10:00-11:30 am Friday November 24, 2017 Whitley's Funeral Home

Service: 11:30 am Friday November 24, 2017 Whitley's Funeral Home Chapel

Interment: West Lawn Memorial Park