James "Hal" Varner

Rev. James “Hal” Varner, 84, of Welcome, died at his home with his family by his side on Thursday, June 30, 2016, after an extended illness. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 2, 2016, at Center United Methodist Church in Welcome, officiated by the Rev. Eddie Evans. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Davidson Funeral Home, Lexington Chapel, and other times at the home. Rev. Varner was born in Farmer, N.C. on July 19, 1931, to Henry Alton Varner and Agnes Bright Varner. He served in the United States Army during the Korean Conflict. After graduating from Louisburg College and furthering his education at Duke Divinity School, he served as a minister in the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church for 36 years. He was ordained deacon in 1969 and ordained elder in full connection in 1972. His churches included Linwood and Cotton Grove in Lexington (1965-73), Mt. Olivet in Lexington (1973-81), Trinity/Bethel in King (1981-85), Bethel in Thomasville (1985-89), Messiah in Lincoln County (1989-91), Liberty/Concord in Mocksville (1991-94), First Church in Denton (1998-99), Mt. Carmel in Lexington, and Arcadia in Davidson County (2000-01). Throughout his ministry, he also felt the call to serve internationally as he led multiple mission trips to countries in need for over twenty years. He loved to be around his family and spend time laughing and socializing with friends. Especially in retirement, he enjoyed building, repairing, and refinishing furniture. He loved the outdoors, gardening and visiting his farm near Asheboro. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister Gladys Roberson, brother-in-laws Bill Roberson and Walter Byrd, sister-in-law Marie Varner, and a great-grandson, Jayden Anderson Gray. Surviving are his wife of 65 years, Martha Saunders Varner of the home; a son, Nathan Varner and wife Tippy of Lexington; three daughters, Rhonda Varner Smith of Lexington, Debbie Varner Parsons and husband Tony of Winston-Salem, and Karon Varner Wasson and husband Newton of Thomasville; six grandchildren, Joshua Anderson Gray, James Brendan Varner and wife Jenny, and Katherine Varner Shoaf and husband Reynolds, all of Lexington, Charles Taylor Turpin of High Point, Slade Anthony Parsons of Winston-Salem, and Sydney Diane Wasson of Thomasville; six great-grandchildren, James Holland Shoaf and Elizabeth Walton Shoaf, Jayven Anderson Gray and Jordan Anderson Gray, and James Brendan Varner, Jr. and Andrew Michael Varner, all of Lexington; two brothers Everette Varner and Homer Varner and wife Beverly, all of Asheboro; and two sisters Ruth Byrd and Virginia Russell and husband Devereaux, all of Asheboro. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Center United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 179, Welcome, NC 27374 or to Hospice of Davidson County, 200 Hospice Way, Lexington, NC 27292.