Grace Butler Payne

Grace Butler Payne, age 84 of Denton, formerly of Thomasville died Saturday, October 27 at Wake Forest Baptist Health Lexington Medical Center following a short illness. Funeral service for Mrs. Payne will be 3:30 pm Tuesday, October 30 at Briggs Funeral Home Memorial Chapel with Rev. Roy Cantrell officiating. Burial will follow in Holly Hill Memorial Park in Thomasville. The family will receive friends from 2:30 to 3:30 Tuesday, prior to the service, at Briggs Funeral Home in Denton. Mrs. Payne was born July 27, 1928 in Pender County, the daughter of Oscar and Ollie Woodcock Butler. She graduated from Atkinson High School and went on to East Carolina Teachers College and a 40 year career in education. Many of her years were spent with the Davidson County Schools. She had a profound impact on the developing minds of the young people of Davidson County. Her family was always being approached and told how she had made a difference on someone’s life. She was a devoted worker in the church. She accepted the responsibility of many roles during her life-long membership in the Baptist faith. Mrs. Payne was preceded in death by her husband, James C. Payne who died in 2001 and by one brother and three sisters. She is survived by two sons, Clifton Payne and wife Kim of Denton and Gary Payne and wife Patricia of Thomasville. She is also survived by three grandchildren, Phillip Payne, Sarah Madison and John Payne. Memorials may be sent to Mountain Vista Health Park, P. O. Box 1547, Denton, NC 27239 in memory of Mrs. Grace Payne. .