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By Shirley Thorne

County Line Correspondent

This Monday is Christmas Day – the day kids of all ages have been anxiously awaiting to see what Santa Claus brought them.  As photos show, folks are also enjoying church fellowship meals.

Most importantly, our community focuses on celebrating the birthday of Jesus Christ, who was born in Bethlehem of Judea. Our community has two events celebrating His birth this weekend.

Clarksbury Methodist Church will have the annual children’s Christmas program at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 23. Church members invite everyone for this special service followed by refreshments and fellowship plus a visit with Santa before he begins his world-wide trip on Christmas Eve.

The Society Baptist Church sanctuary choir will present the cantata “The Greatest Story” during the 10 a.m. worship service Sunday, Dec. 24.  Everyone is invited.  There will be no Sunday school and no evening worship service.

Upcoming community events: country ham and sausage breakfast sponsored by the V-Point Ruritans from 7-10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 6 at the V-Point Building and Women’s Bible study at 6 p.m. Sunday, January 7, at Clarksbury Methodist.

Our community extends sympathy to the family of Alice Cartner Waugh, who died unexpectedly Wednesday of last week at Davie Nursing and Rehabilitation. The 10th of 11 children, she was born in 1945 in Iredell County to the late Clayton and Mildred Anderson Cartner of Old Mocksville Road near Cartner Road.

Alice attended Clarksbury Methodist with her family and helped on the family dairy and crop farm. In 1963 Alice graduated from Harmony High;  where she was a bus driver and active in Future Homemakers of America, Future Teachers of America, 4-H, and Future Business Leaders of America.

In March 1976 Alice married Bobby Ray Waugh of Iredell, and the couple settled on the Cartner family farm. He joined her in attending and supporting events in our community.

Alice was a dedicated entrepreneur.  She owned and operated Expressions Florist off Davie Avenue in Statesville for many years.  She was then director of the non-profit Matthew 25 Ministries of Harmony and managed fundraisers for a new larger building. She became disabled and had to retire before the new building opened.

A service celebrating her life was last Sunday afternoon at Clarksbury, where she was a lifetime member and had served as youth leader and on committees.  She was laid to rest in the church cemetery beside her beloved Bobby, who died September 2012.

Jake Koontz has improved and is recuperating at home. Caleb Williams continues   medical treatments at Wake Forest Brenner Children’s Hospital. Caroline Jones has completed her chemotherapy treatments and will begin radiation treatments at Chapel Hill.

Join us in prayer for the Lord’s divine healing and blessings upon the above residents and others who are having health problems. Pray for the Lord’s blessings and comfort upon the family of Alice as they deeply miss her. Remember in prayer Paul and Shirley Brendle; his sister Lucille Brown died Dec. 6 at Jurney’s Assisted Living 15 days short of her 100th birthday.

Here’s wishing everyone a blessed and safe Christmas filled with the peace, joy, and love of the birth of Jesus Christ that Holy Night in Bethlehem.