Lib Chappell

WILSON - Elizabeth Gayle Anderton Bradley Chappell, (or Lib, as she was fondly known by her friends in Wilson) of Parkwood Village, Wilson passed away on March 31, 2014.

Funeral, Wedneday, 2 PM, First United Methodist Church, 100 W. Green Street, Wilson with the Revs. Robert Bergland and Charles Robl, officiating. Burial will be in Maplewood Cemetery beside her first husband, Semo Bradley. The family will be at Wilson Memorial Service, Tuesday, 6 - 7:30 PM and other times at 4822 Lake Hills Drive.

She first came to Wilson, North Carolina in 1927 when she was only six years old -- after the death of her mother in Bohannon, Virginia, where Lib was born on March 5, 1921. She and her two older brothers were orphaned at that time as their father, Roland Crowder Anderton, Sr., had died when Elizabeth was only a year and a half old. Their mother's three married sisters -- none of whom had a child of their own - each sister took a child. The sisters who lived on farms in Virginia each took a boy so Elizabeth was brought to North Carolina to live with the sister who was a school teacher in Wilson - Lilly White Trevathan (who taught for over thirty years at Winstead School) and her husband, Lawrence Trevathan who was a local civil engineer and a Captain in the Army Corps of Engineers during WWI and WWII. Lawrence had long dreamed of having a daughter and he proved to be the best friend Elizabeth ever had, up until his death in 1945. Lib attended Woodard School throughout elementary school, spent her summers in Virginia with her brothers and graduated from Charles L. Coon High School in 1938. The following year was the first year Coon had twelve grades so she went an extra year to take courses in Chemistry and Bookkeeping. In 1939, Lib met Albert D. "Semo" Bradley - a debonair "older" (by six years) man who, after he finally got her attention, swept her off her feet with his smooth dancing (including the jitterbug), his wonderful sense of humor and loving ways. They were married on March 17, 1940 at the First Methodist Church in Wilson, just after her 19th birthday. After daughter, Gayle, was born, Semo enlisted in the Army/Air Corps in September of 1942, served more than two years overseas in England and was released from duty in August 1945. Over the years, Lib worked as a bookkeeper for Pike News Agency, was the manager of City News on Goldsboro Street, was trained to run the office by Bill Clark at Clark's Warehouse and was office manager at Bob's Warehouse - for a total of seventeen tobacco seasons. During all of those years, she was also a partner with Semo in A. D. Bradley's Tax Service - for more than 25 years. Lib and Semo attended First United Methodist Church in Wilson during their 46 years of marriage. Semo died in 1986. Five years later Lib was courted by another member of FUMC - Allen A. "Chappy" Chappell - a true Southern gentleman and her senior by 18 years. He proposed to Lib at a surprise birthday party he arranged for her on her 70th birthday - he was 88 at the time! Two months later, on May 11, 1991, Chappy and Lib were married at FUMC. He promised her ten years - and almost made it. Chappy died in September 2000 at age 97, a year after the flood (Hurricane Floyd) destroyed the house (and his spirit) that he had built in the 60's. Chappy was buried beside his first wife, Thelma, in Evergreen Memorial Park in Wilson. Lib always said she was so lucky to have had two such fine husbands!

At FUMC, Lib was a member of the Vanguard Sunday School Class and the #5 Circle for decades. She also, since marrying Chappy, was a member of the Wilson Evening Lions Club - winning the "Lion of the Year Award" in 1999 and organizing many of the chapter's fund-raising activities. Over the years, Lib was an avid bridge player and volunteered to figure income taxes for elderly (when she herself was in her 80's!) and low income persons at the Wilson County Public Library, and also in Farmville and Smithfield for several years. For many years, she delivered Meals on Wheels. She was also a caregiver to her Aunt Lilly, who raised her; her brother, James Anderton; and both Semo and Chappy -- in their last months, weeks and days.

In 2008, Lib moved in with her son, Lawrence Bradley & his wife, Debbie, here in Wilson - she had her own little wing with a sitting room, bedroom and bath. She was there for four years before moving to the Parkwood Village Assisted Living facility when it became evident that she could no longer be in that big home alone during the day while Lawrence and Debbie worked. In March, 2013, she moved into their Memory Care Unit. It is so sad to see Mama, who was so social and vibrant -- just sit there and not participate in the conversation any more -- and she's not even sure who you are. Dementia is a kind of death in itself -- an unkind one at that.

Lib was predeceased by her parents, both of her brothers and both of her husbands.

She is survived by a daughter, Elizabeth "Gayle" Bradley Weiss (Michael) of Boulder, CO; a son, William "Lawrence" Bradley, Sr. (Debbie) of Wilson; six grandchildren: "Bradley" Susan Gayle Brigham (Ghaith Alomari) of Washington, DC; "Tracy" Lynne Brigham of Seattle, WA; William Lawrence "Brad" Bradley, Jr. (Rachel) of Asheville, NC; "David" John Brigham and his wife, Katy Rudder of Harare, Zimbabwe; "Heather" Nicole Bradley Moore (Todd) of Greensboro, NC; "Erin" Elizabeth Weiss Leininger (Jeff) of Fountain, CO (Fort Carson - Jeff is currently an Army Doc on active duty); and fifteen great-grandchildren: Marlee, Peyton & Bryson Moore of Greensboro; William & River Bradley of Asheville, and Miles & Eliza Brigham of Harare, Zimbabwe; Sebastian Brigham-Alomari of Washington, DC; Zavion & Esayas Brigham of Seattle, WA; Lindsay, Jenia, Joshua, Ben & Bekah Leininger of Fountain, CO.

Elizabeth/Lib/Mama/Grandmommie/Greatmommie will be sorely missed by her loving family and her numerous friends and relatives both in North Carolina and Virginia.

Memorial gifts may be made to the Choir Memorial Fund at First United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 1423, Wilson, NC 27894.