Andrew Jackson

Ruffin – Andrew Jackson “AJ” Strader, Jr., 86, of 115 Guerrant Springs Road, passed away Monday, November 2, 2009 at his home.Funeral services will be held 1:00 PM Thursday, November 5, 2009 at Lawsonville Road Baptist Church with Rev. Ron Tuck, Rev Garfield Doss and Rev. Wayne Smithey officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. Pallbearers will be Jerry Stewart, Larry Lucas, Tommy Perkins, Bob Mays, Rick Evans and Daryl Bailey.Mr. Strader was born in Rockingham County to the late Andrew Jackson Strader, Sr. and Ollie Martin Strader and was retired from Fieldcrest Mills. He served his country in the US Navy during WWII aboard the USS Benner (DD807), stationed in the Pacific Theater of operations. He was a faithful member of Lawsonville Road Baptist Church for over 40 years and served as a deacon and former Sunday School Superintendent for many years. Along with his parents, he was also preceded in death by his brother, Percy M. Strader; sisters, Ollie Jane Strader Lawrence and Inez Strader Dickerson and grandchild, Stephanie Midkiff.A J. is survived by his wife, Gracie Hall Strader; daughters, Carolyn Cooper and husband, Freddie, Nancy French and husband, Danny and Kathy Midkiff and husband, Mike; grandchildren, Tammy French, Blake Cooper and wife, Jennifer, Karla Webb, Kourtney Walker, Melinie Curry and husband Byron and Matthew Midkiff; great grandchildren, Bishop Collier, Drew Collier, Alyssa Curry, Dakota Cooper and Colby Cooper and a large extended church family who he dearly loved.The family will receive friends on Wednesday evening from 6-8 PM at Lawsonville Road Baptist Church and other times at the home.Memorial contributions may be made to Lawsonville Road Baptist Church Building Fund, c/o Julia Somers, 2646 Grooms Road, Reidsville, North Carolina 27320.