Sarah Ruth Currie Thompson

Sarah Ruth Currie Thompson, 93 of Jackson Springs passed away peacefully at her home on Monday, April 20, 2015 after a brief period of declining health. A celebration of her life will be held at the Jackson Springs Presbyterian Church, where she was a lifelong member at 11:00 AM on Saturday, April 25, 2015. Sarah was the daughter of Ernest and Jeanette Seawell Currie of Jackson Springs and the wife of the late W. M. Thompson. She is survived by a daughter, Annette of Jupiter, Florida; a son, Kenneth and wife Sandra of Jackson Springs; grandsons Kenneth Scott Thompson and fiancée Antonietta Corvinelli of New York, NY and Jeremy (Kasey) Thompson of Carthage, NC; and great grandson, Fletcher Thompson. Also surviving are her sister, Nancy Ray Blue of Jackson Springs; brother, Dr. Joe Currie (Nancy) of Seven Lakes, sister-in-law, Wilma Thompson of Carthage, NC; and numerous nieces and nephews. For 38 years Sarah was a beloved educator in the Moore County School System; first as an English and French teacher at Farm Life and West End High Schools; and later as librarian and media specialist at West End Elementary School. She received her undergraduate degree from LSU and began teaching in 1941 at the age of 20. And in 1969 she received a Master’s Degree in Library Science from UNC-Greensboro. Both during her academic career and in retirement Sarah contributed to her profession, church and community in a variety of leadership and service positions. She was an active member and officer of Delta Kappa Gamma, honorary educators’ society; a charter member of the Moore County Genealogical Society; a member of the Board of Trustees of the Moore County Library and of the Board of the Sandhills Regional Library system; and member of the Moore County Board of Elections. In her local community Sarah Ruth held numerous offices in Jackson Springs Presbyterian Church and in Presbyterian Women. She was the editor of the church newsletter for over twenty years and the church historian for over 50 years. In addition she established a fully functioning library for the church consisting of hundreds of volumes. She also has been an active member of the Jackson Springs Community Club and a founding member and member of the Board of the Jackson Springs Historical Preservation Foundation. In 2006 she edited a book, “Coming Home to Jackson Springs--Where Healing Waters Flow,” a genealogical history of the families settling the community from 1750 through 1950. Throughout the years she made numerous presentations to a variety of school and community groups on the history of Jackson Springs and genealogy. Sarah Ruth’s honors include being given a Life Membership in Presbyterian Women and being nominated as an “Outstanding Older Adult” in Coastal Carolina Presbytery. In 2004 she was recognized as the “Citizen of the Year” by the Jackson Springs Community Club. She was inducted into the Moore County Graduates Hall of Fame in 2013 by the Public Education Foundation of Moore County. And in 2014 she was presented the Judah P. Benjamin Award for community service by the John Blue Chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy. The family will receive friends at Briggs Candor Funeral Home on Friday from 6 to 8 PM. Memorial contributions may be made to Jackson Springs Presbyterian Church Library Fund, P. O. Box 7, Jackson Springs, NC 27281 or to the W. M. Thompson Scholarship Fund, c/o Mary Hale, Treasurer, Jackson Springs Community Club, 112 Hotel Street, Jackson Springs, NC 27281.