Jessie Douglas Thurman

Rev. Jessie Douglas Thurman, 89 went home to be with his heavenly Father and those loved ones who had gone on before him, on Saturday, September 24, 2010. Funeral services will be held on 2 pm Tuesday at Pleasant View Baptist Church with burial to follow in Ridgeview Memorial Gardens. Rev. Thurman was a member of King Memorial Baptist Church and attended Pleasant View Baptist Church since 2002. During his tenure at King Memorial he served as a Sunday School Teacher, Superintendent of the Sunday School , Treasurer of the building committee and was an ordained Deacon and became an ordained minister in the mid seventy's. He was a volunteer for the Council on Aging serving four nurtrition sites in Rockingham County. Rev. Thurman attended the sites on a monthly basis providing devontionals and prayers. He also was the first recipient of the Spirit & Intergrity award in honor of Cass Forkin, the founder of The Twilight Wish Foundation located in Doylestown, Pa. in 2007. Rev. Thurman retired from Ridgway Clocks at the age of 76 where he was involved in engineering and design. After his retirement, he built grandfather clocks and repaired clocks in his spare time. During his entire career of working in the furniture industry, he continued his education and designed and created the Woodworking Classes availabel in N.C. colleges. He was preceded in death by his wife of 61 years, Cornelia Smith Thurman, son; Richard Alton Thurman , two brothers; Robert and Carnice Thurman of Martinsville, Va. and parents John Henry Tazwell Thurman and Ada Blankenship Thurman also of Martinsville. He is survived by daughters; Eunice Rice and Glenda Seigner and husband Connie, son; Roger Thurman and wife Gail all of Eden, sisters; Kat Spencer and Edna Keys of Martinsville and Mamie Ross of Rocky Mount, Va. His remaining survivors are grandchildren Tanya Smith and husband Ken, Sonya Vernon and husband Jerry, Chris Rice and wife Angie, all of Eden, Jennifer Parish and husband Winfield of Yanceyville, Contessa Seigner of Holly Springs, Rodney Thurman and wife Mandy of Surprise, Arizonia, Tiffany Morrison and husband Ryan of Cary, Cynthia Hubbard of Hildebran, N.C., L. J. Thurman and wife Brandi of Conover, N.C., and Jesse Thurman of Charleston, S.C., great grandchildren, Heather Crawford and husband Willie, Kayla & Kaysi Vernon, Josh & Christoher Rice, Ryan Burroughs and husband Brook, MaKenna Jones, B.J. Smith all of Eden, Frankie Burroughs II and Brandon Benge of Greensboro, NC, Josh and Jacob Thurman of Surprise Az, Yves, Alyssa & Kyra Morrison of Cary, Jacob, Serena and Emily Thurman of Conover, great-great-grandchildren; Maddy Crawford, Ryalyn and Bentley Burroughs and Jaylon Warren all of Eden, Macy Chrismon of Greensboro, and numerous nieces and nephews throughout the United States. Visitation will be held on Monday evening from 6-8 pm at Fair Funeral Home and other times at his home on 924 Overlook Ave. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.fairfuneralhome.com