Frances Boyett Mclendon

Frances Boyett McLendon, a resident of Piedmont Crossing in Thomasville, went to sleep in the arms of her family and woke up in the arms of God on November 3, 2014. She was born December 26, 1929, in Tampa, Florida, to Willie N. and Clarice Turner Boyett, who predeceased her. On April 18, 1949, she married the love of her life, Joseph Parker McLendon, who survives of the home. She was predeceased by a daughter, Novella Tyler, in 1996. She is survived by two daughters, Martha Hutchens (Terry) of Raleigh, and Sheryl Mohn (Terry) of Millers Creek, two granddaughters, Donna Hood of Mooresville and Cindy Pike (Robert) of Clayton, and five great grandchildren, Zachery, Nathan and Benjamin Ziros and Joshua and Ella Pike. These details are facts about Frances, but they don’t tell you who she was. Proverbs 31:10-29 will give you a perfect description, as it could have been written about her. It’s too lengthy to quote here, but please take a moment to read it. Frances met Parker while attending Stetson University. After their marriage, she delayed completing her education and devoted herself to her three daughters as they came along. When her youngest enrolled in first grade, Frances resumed college, graduating from Atlantic Christian (now Barton) College in 1963. She was a strong believer in and champion of the public school system, where she taught for 27 years. Her last position was teaching third grade at Colonial Drive School in Thomasville. She “retired” from teaching to begin a second career as a licensed real estate broker with Century 21 in Lexington. This second career lasted another 15 years. She chose to be a pastor’s wife, but did not merely stand in her husband’s shadow. Instead, she created her own place in every community they served, finding her own ways to work for the church and the Lord she loved so much. She sang in the choir, taught Sunday School, led Vacation Bible School, chaperoned youth trips, sewed choir robes, served on countless committees, was ordained as a Deacon and served a term as Chair of the Diaconate and Moderator of the Congregation of First Baptist Church, Lexington, where she was a member for 37 years. She had enough maternal instinct for a dozen women. She was a devoted mother to her daughters, working tirelessly as she raised them. She was a second mother to every friend her daughters ever brought home and a loving grandmother and great grandmother to her two granddaughters and five great grandchildren. During Parker’s tenure at Baptist Children’s Home in Thomasville, she was a surrogate mother to every child on the Mills Home campus. The number of kids who were comfortable enough to show up in her kitchen unannounced was a testament to her unconditional love for all of them. She was a great cook in the Southern tradition, and there was always more than enough food on her table for whoever was around at meal time. She was a talented seamstress, custom making everything for her three girls from their baby clothes to Easter, prom and wedding dresses. When the Boy Scout troop at Mills Home obtained new uniforms, she sewed the official insignia on the boys’ uniforms herself—all 27 shirts! She had a green thumb and spent hours outdoors working on her flowers. During the time she and Parker lived at High Rock Lake, she was a familiar figure at sunset, cutting across the wake at the end of a ski rope. She was an enthusiastic Carolina fan (to the dismay of her daughters, who pull for other teams), and was known to drive to Charlotte by herself to score a single ticket in the coliseum parking lot so she could watch the Tarheels in the NCAA regionals. She taught her daughters many things: how to converse with adults when you’re the only child in the room; how to perform necessary domestic tasks, not because they are “women’s work” but because knowing how to do all those things is essential to being self sufficient; how to work hard until a task is completed even if you feel like quitting long before; that your family is a gift from God to be cherished and that sisters are very special treasures; that you share your abundance with those less fortunate; that graciousness and good manners never go out of style; that you show up for funerals even when you don’t particularly feel like going; and that sometimes the only reason to do something is because it is the right thing to do. She was active in her community, working in various volunteer capacities: serving on the Davidson County Adult Home Care Community Advisory Committee, teaching English as a Second Language classes at First Baptist Church, tutoring students in the GED program at Davidson County Community College and serving 15 years as a Hospice volunteer. She continued her volunteer activities as long as her health allowed. Even in her final illness, she became a witness to the benefits of Hospice and graciously received assistance from the organization she served for so many years. The family wishes to thank all of Frances’ friends who were so supportive during her illness, especially the staff and volunteers with Hospice of Davidson County and Hinkle Hospice House and the staff of Piedmont Crossing. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to First Baptist Church, Lexington (PO Box 436, Lexington, NC 27293), or Hospice of Davidson County (200 Hospice Way, Lexington, NC 27292). A memorial service will be held at First Baptist Church, Lexington, on Friday, November 7th at 2:30 p.m. Visitation with the family will be in the church fellowship hall from 1:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. prior to the service. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. Online condolences may be made at www.davidsonfuneralhome.net