Viola Gillispie Rutledge

Viola Gillispie Rutledge, age 86 of 1183 Garrett Road, went to her heavenly home on Saturday, October 11, 2014.

A funeral service will be held 2 pm Monday, October 13 at Fair Funeral Home Chapel with burial to follow in Overlook Cemetery.

Viola was born September 26, 1928 in the Endicott community of Franklin County, VA to the late Eslie and Ellen Hale Gillispie. Her mother taught her the value of hard work. She left school after the eighth grade to begin working in textile mills in Virginia and North Carolina. She returned to school in the 1970s to earn her GED. While working in Draper, she met and married Clifford Rutledge in 1945. He preceded her in death in 1971. In 1976, Viola married Hardy Rutledge. After retiring from Fieldcrest Mills, she and Hardy bought and operated New System Dry Cleaners in Madison, NC for many years. Among her many talents, Viola was an expert seamstress. Her handiwork will be cherished by her family for many years. She was a member of Osborne Baptist Church for more than 50 years and served in many capacities there.

Surviving are her daughter, Rita Rutledge Hunt; granddaughters, Dee Dee Hunt Dishmon and husband Steve, Debra Hunt Johnson, Deanna Hunt and Danielle Mulligan Hale; great grandchildren, Gene Johnson III, Caroline Fraser Inman and husband Christian, Austin Dishmon, Madelynne Mulligan and Sydney Johnson; brother, Glen Gillispie and wife Mary; special niece, Lovviner Scott and husband Dub, along with many other cherished nieces, nephews and cousins. In addition to her parents and husbands, she was preceded in death by her son-in-law, Grover Hunt; sisters, Helen Shively and Marie Shelton; and her brothers, Euell, Herman and Roy Gillispie.

The family wishes to extend a special thank you to her wonderful caregivers, Barbara Carter, Courtney Dillard and Latoya Dillard.

The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service from 1 until 2 pm at Fair Funeral Home and other times at the home.

Online condolences can be made to www.fairfuneralhome.com