Phyllis Huskey Bemisderfer

Phyllis Huskey Bemisderfer, age 90 of East Center Street, Lexington passed away Sunday January 4, 2015 at Lexington Medical Center. A service will be 11:00 am Wednesday January 7, 2015 at First Baptist Church of Welcome, where she was a member conducted by Revs. Mark Blair and Jonathan Goodman and burial to follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends at Davidson Funeral Home, Lexington Tuesday from 5-7 pm and at other times at the home. Phyllis was born February 11, 1924 in Cherokee County, SC, to Clyde and Zula Allison Huskey. Although her mother died when she was only three years old, she loved growing up on the farm surrounded by a close-knit extended family. In February of 1942, she fulfilled her life's goal to become a nurse; she entered Nurses Training for her RN at Spartanburg General Hospital. It was during her senior year there that she met her future husband, Glenn, a soldier who was her blind date to the senior prom. They were married September 1, 1947 and were married for 59 years until Glenn's death in 2006. Phyllis continued nursing until she retired at an amazing 85 years old after 67 years of caring for others. Over that time, she nursed in hospitals in Gaffney SC, Lexington, NC, Camden, SC and at the Veterans Hospital in Salisbury, NC. While there, she received a special commendation from President Eisenhower for her invention of what became known as the butterfly bandage. Phyllis also worked as an industrial nurse for PPG Industries, as a mental health nurse for Davidson County, and in her later years, she cared for the elderly at Buena Vista, the Bryan Center, and Liberty Wood assisted living facilities. Phyllis was proud of her work as a teacher. She trained scores of nursing assistants through Davidson County Community College and left a legacy of highest quality patient care combined with compassion. Phyllis loved her family and many friends, nature, yellow roses because those were always Glenn's gift to her, adventurous travel, nursing, her church family at First Baptist -- especially Pastor Mark Blair and her Sunday School class, and many new and old friends at Senior Services Nutritional Site. Phyllis was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Glenn (Mr. B) and a daughter Teressa Hutchins. Surviving are Sons: William (Bill) Bemisderfer (Vicki) of Rocky Mount and Bruce Bemisderfer (Carol Cartwright) of Columbia, TN. Daughters, Becky Gilmore of St. Petersburg, Florida and Elaine Canterbury (Nathan) of Lexington, 8 Grandchildren and 11 great Grandchildren. Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church, in support of the Senior Services Nutritional Site P.O. Box 269, Welcome, NC 27374 Online Condolences may be made at www.davidsonfuneralhome.net