Kathie Haynes Strader

The family of Kathie Haynes Strader, 69, of Ruffin, NC, is saddened to announce she went home to be with her Lord and loved ones on Friday, November 20, 2020 following a lengthy battle with chronic health issues for over 12 years. The love of her life was by her side holding her hand as she departed this world and entered her heavenly home peacefully.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM Tuesday, November 24, 2020 at Wilkerson Funeral Home with Pastor Lee Eggers officiating. Burial will follow at Hickory Grove United Methodist Church Cemetery in Pelham, NC. The family will be receiving friends one hour prior to the service and other times at her residence, 1212 Gravel Hill Road, Ruffin, NC.

Kathie was a loving wife, a caring mother, a sweet mother-in-law, a very proud grandmother mostly known as “Nannie”, a little sister, a caring soul to numerous relatives, and a kind friend to so many. She had a heart of gold. She was a member of Hickory Grove United Methodist Church and of Baptist faith. She was a hard worker and did upholstery work for many years. Her greatest passion was taking care of her family and spending time with them, especially with her grandchildren. She loved to cook, bake, help others, to sew, arrange flowers, and do crafts. There was nothing she could not cook and nothing she could not make beautifully. Her grandchildren always told her that she should open a restaurant because she cooked so well. Kathie was always very active in her girl’s lives as they grew up by being an excellent example of a wonderful mother, and helping others. She helped with the leadership of her daughter’s Girl Scout Troop for many years. Kathie was always ready to lend a helping hand, first in the kitchen to start cooking when it came time to do a fundraiser for a family in need, or for the church. Kathie was always ready to help by volunteering to help clean, do a cookbook, organize Mother-Daughter Banquets, or just help do whatever was needed to get the job done. Then she was blessed with the opportunity to be a Nannie, and she passed on her many talents to her grandchildren. They have many memories of being in the kitchen baking cakes, cookies, cupcakes, meals, doing crafts, sewing, or anything the babies wanted to do, Nannie was “willing to give it a whirl” as she would say. She would do anything for her grandbabies. She was also known in her family as “Mrs. Witty” because she always knew the correct and appropriate answer to any question anyone asked. She will be missed dearly by many, and this world will not be the same without Nannie.

One of the most favorite things Kathie enjoyed was to go on a picnic. She shared two of her fondest memories with anyone that would listen. The first memory was the time her youngest brother Ed and his wife, Mignon, took her to the mountains for a short day trip and a picnic. The second memory was a more recent trip. All Kathie wanted for her birthday this year was a picnic with her sweetheart. So Larry made arrangements and she was taken to a very special, beautiful place for her birthday. She had a huge picnic birthday bash complete with cake and flowers she tells everyone. She just smiled every time, and a small tear would come down her cheek when she shared these memories because they meant so much to her. Thank you to each of you that had a part in these memories that meant so much to her.

Along with her parents and step-father, she is preceded in death by her sister, Deborah Sue Haynes, and her loving daughter, April Strader Sharpe Kelley.

She will be lovingly remembered by her devoted, loving husband, best friend (of over 51 years) and caretaker, Larry, who constantly referred to Kathie as God’s gift to him and as his true angel, her daughter Renee Strader Windsor (Robert) of Reidsville, NC, and her grandchildren (three of the greatest blessings of her life): Austin Sharpe (Brian Sharpe - Austin’s dad) of Reidsville, NC, Skylar Kelley & Addison Kelley of Graham, NC, brothers Gerald Haynes (Carol) of Madison, NC, and Ed Haynes (Mignon) of Oak Ridge, NC, sisters-in-law Rachel Geddings (Larry) of Sumter, SC, Faye Soyars of Eden, NC, and Gail Strader of Eden, NC, numerous nieces and nephews, as well as other numerous family members, and so many dear friends.

Kathie loved Hickory Grove United Methodist Church, Preacher Lee & Gail Eggers and all of the church members dearly. She would love for memorial donations be made in Kathie Haynes Strader’s name and be mailed to Hickory Grove United Methodist Church, 9983 NC Highway 700, Pelham, NC 27311.

The family wishes to send a special thank you to the following for the exceptional care, concern, and compassion each of you have shown Kathie and Larry during Kathie‘s illness: Dr. Edward Hawkins and his entire staff, Dr. Najeeb Rehman and his entire staff, to Dr. Michael Rourk, Dr. Paul Hayashi at UNC Chapel Hill, to all of the nurses and staff of Hospice Care of Burlington Alamance County for their care while Kathie was at home, Authora Care Hospice of Alamance County, Palliative Medicine Team of Cone Health, all of the numerous doctors, nurses, nurse techs, staff, nutrition, and housekeeping at Cone Health that God allowed our paths to cross over the last 12 years. We thank you for all of the exceptional, hard work each of you gave to help selflessly. A very special thank you to Preacher Eggers for all of your calls, texts, visits, scripture readings, and most of all, for all of your heart-felt prayers you have prayed with us and for us during this time. We would also like to thank all of our family and friends who have helped us along this journey. All of your kind gestures from the calls, cards, and texts really brightened our days. A very special thank you to everyone who has extended so many acts of love and kindness by going above and beyond by showing us how much you care from volunteering to sit with Kathie to bringing multiple food items on numerous occasions. The family can never express in words how much each of these have meant to them. May God bless each of you.