Celeste Carson Blackburn, 96, died on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016.

She was born May 3, 1920 in Iredell County to the late Henry Harold Blackburn and Daisy Carson Blackburn.

She was also preceded in death by: her sisters, Vivian Smith, Cora Lee Sturdivant, Helen Blackburn, Dorothy Evella Foote; brothers, Newman Blackburn, Gilvin Blackburn, James Blackburn, and Harold Blackburn.

She found her passion for teaching after graduating from Morningside High School in Statesville. She earned a bachelor’s odegree from Winston Salem Teachers College (WSSU).  Most of her graduate work was done at A&T College and N.C. Central. She found her true passion for teaching as a student teacher in college and turned into a full-time position with the Iredell County School System that had nurtured her own interest in education. She will be remembered for her tenacity, warmth, and dedication. She was a no-nonsense kind of teacher who had high expectations, relished the gifts she saw in students and drew on those gifts to enhance learning. Through this skill she was able to be a major organizer in the church choir.

Survivors: several cousins, nieces, nephews, and other family members.

Her funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church by the Revs. Tyrone Redmon and the Reggie Redmon. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.  The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6 at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church.

Condolences: www.gentryfuneralservice.com.