Leola Dickerson Meador

Leola Myra Dickerson Meador, 80, left the bonds of earth to go to her eternal home on November 3, 2020. Leola was born June 17, 1940 in Ruffin, NC to the late James Wesley (Buddy) Dickerson and Minnie Thelma Davis Dickerson. She and her husband, Frank Meador, have been married 57 years. Their pride and joy was raising their three daughters and teaching them the principles of a happy life by working their farm in Ruffin while she also worked for Eden City Schools in various roles including teaching typing to 7th graders, and serving as an office administrator. Her parents started Corn and Tomato Clubs that became the 4-H program in Rockingham County and she wanted to continue that legacy. Leola was always serving on 4-H committees and boards and was a former NC State 4-H Adult Leader’s Association President. In her early years, she sold raffle tickets for an English Ford car to be raffled off to start Betsy-Jeff Penn 4-H Camp and served on the Penn 4-H Camp Advisory Board, as a member of the NC 4-H Honor Club and received the NC 4-H Lifetime Achievement Award. Leola and Frank have been promoters of the 4-H Electric Program and annual 4-H Electric Congress for the past 50+ years. Leola was also proud of her work and support of the Farm Bureau Women’s Program, Advisory Board and Scholarship Committee. Along with her parents, Leola is preceded in death by her brother, Harold Penn Dickerson, her sister, Ruby Moore and brothers-in-law, Joe Moore, Donald Edwards and Ken Blankenship and granddaughter Nikki Timmons. She is survived by her husband, Richard (Frank) Meador, three children and their spouses: Mary Jo Press (Tony) of Manteca, CA. Jane Barbour (Scott) of Benson, NC, and Nancy Norwood (John) of Ruffin, NC. She is also survived by her brother Claude Dickerson (Carrie) of Mechanicsville, VA, and sisters Louise Edwards of Monroe, NC and Lucille Blankenship of Reidsville, NC. She is known as Granola to her grandchildren: Garner, Cody and Cameron Press, Courtney Calhoun, Danielle Floyd, Aleena Shearin, John Richard Norwood and Lorrie Ellington. Great grandchildren are: Callie, Olivia, Jensen, Avalynn, Ozekiel, Kamden, Kensley and Anna as well as a large and loving extended family. Leola lovingly taught many students at school and in 4-H and called them all her kids. She loved passing along traditions and having “make and take” events at Thanksgiving and Christmas so we all could share goodies and items with those who needed a visit. She loved cooking items such as her famous banana pudding for those who were helping to work on the farm as well as taking food to neighbors. Her best friend Josephine Mabe brightened every day of her life with a happy phone call. She was never one to sit still and volunteered her time and energy to serve others. She spent years serving as Chairperson of various collections such as March of Dimes, Easter Seals, United Way, preparing meals, and other forms of personal service. Even in her late stages of Parkinson’s Disease when she needed help herself, she was still trying to organize from her bed, services for others to include the annual Turkey Bake for sick and shut-ins. Leola loved serving faithfully at Bethlehem United Methodist Church, started the organ and music fund and sung faithfully in the choir. Some of her best memories are serving on mission trips to Mexico and Alaska. A funeral service to celebrate Leola’s life will be held on Saturday November 7th, 2020 at the Eden Drive-In, 106 Fireman Club Rd, Eden, NC at 2 P.M. The family will gather to greet friends at 1 P.M. and requests that all attendees stay in their vehicles during the funeral service. Please adhere to social distancing guidelines. The committal will follow at Roselawn Memorial Park, 1821 Ashley Loop, Reidsville, NC. Both services will be accessible via FM Radio. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Frank and Leola Meador 4-H Electric Project Endowment - NC State University Gifts and Records Management, Campus Box 7474 Raleigh, NC 27695-7474, Rockingham County Hospice, PO Box 281 Wentworth, NC 27375, or Bethlehem United Methodist Church, 1891 Bethlehem Church Rd, Reidsville, NC 27320.