Melba Sloan Avent, of Southern Pines, died at Magnolia Gardens, Murray Hill Road in Southern Pines, on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009. She was preceded in death by her husband, John S. Avent.
Avent was a native of Harnett County, where she was born to Robert and Annie McLean Sloan in 1917. She was named for Dame Nellie, an Australian soprano who was famous at the time. She was educated in the Harnett County Schools and at Flora McDonald College from which she graduated 1937 with a double major in vocational home economics and chemistry. In 1964, she received a master's degree in education from the University of North Carolina in Greensboro. She was an active member of the American Society of University Women. Prior to her marriage to John Sheppard Avent on 27 Aug 1941, she taught in the Lillington school system and later in Pinehurst. She also served on the faculty of Salem Academy in Winston-Salem where she and her husband resided until 1976 when they moved to Southern Pines.
A funeral service will be held at 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, at Antioch Baptist Church in Mamers, N.C., with the Rev. Martin Groover officiating. Burial will follow at the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 4 to 5 p.m. before the funeral service in the church fellowship hall.
Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church of Southern Pines or to Antioch Baptist Church.
Avent is survived by a son, Neil McLean Avent, of Sanford; three grandchildren, Dawn Sturdivant, Karl Avent and Valorie Libby; two great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Obituary retrieved from "The Pilot" posted on 30 Sep 2009.
Avent was a native of Harnett County, where she was born to Robert and Annie McLean Sloan in 1917. She was named for Dame Nellie, an Australian soprano who was famous at the time. She was educated in the Harnett County Schools and at Flora McDonald College from which she graduated 1937 with a double major in vocational home economics and chemistry. In 1964, she received a master's degree in education from the University of North Carolina in Greensboro. She was an active member of the American Society of University Women. Prior to her marriage to John Sheppard Avent on 27 Aug 1941, she taught in the Lillington school system and later in Pinehurst. She also served on the faculty of Salem Academy in Winston-Salem where she and her husband resided until 1976 when they moved to Southern Pines.
A funeral service will be held at 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, at Antioch Baptist Church in Mamers, N.C., with the Rev. Martin Groover officiating. Burial will follow at the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 4 to 5 p.m. before the funeral service in the church fellowship hall.
Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church of Southern Pines or to Antioch Baptist Church.
Avent is survived by a son, Neil McLean Avent, of Sanford; three grandchildren, Dawn Sturdivant, Karl Avent and Valorie Libby; two great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Obituary retrieved from "The Pilot" posted on 30 Sep 2009.
Melba Sloan Avent, of Southern Pines, died at Magnolia Gardens, Murray Hill Road in Southern Pines, on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009. She was preceded in death by her husband, John S. Avent.
Avent was a native of Harnett County, where she was born to Robert and Annie McLean Sloan in 1917. She was named for Dame Nellie, an Australian soprano who was famous at the time. She was educated in the Harnett County Schools and at Flora McDonald College from which she graduated 1937 with a double major in vocational home economics and chemistry. In 1964, she received a master's degree in education from the University of North Carolina in Greensboro. She was an active member of the American Society of University Women. Prior to her marriage to John Sheppard Avent on 27 Aug 1941, she taught in the Lillington school system and later in Pinehurst. She also served on the faculty of Salem Academy in Winston-Salem where she and her husband resided until 1976 when they moved to Southern Pines.
A funeral service will be held at 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, at Antioch Baptist Church in Mamers, N.C., with the Rev. Martin Groover officiating. Burial will follow at the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 4 to 5 p.m. before the funeral service in the church fellowship hall.
Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church of Southern Pines or to Antioch Baptist Church.
Avent is survived by a son, Neil McLean Avent, of Sanford; three grandchildren, Dawn Sturdivant, Karl Avent and Valorie Libby; two great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Obituary retrieved from "The Pilot" posted on 30 Sep 2009.
Avent was a native of Harnett County, where she was born to Robert and Annie McLean Sloan in 1917. She was named for Dame Nellie, an Australian soprano who was famous at the time. She was educated in the Harnett County Schools and at Flora McDonald College from which she graduated 1937 with a double major in vocational home economics and chemistry. In 1964, she received a master's degree in education from the University of North Carolina in Greensboro. She was an active member of the American Society of University Women. Prior to her marriage to John Sheppard Avent on 27 Aug 1941, she taught in the Lillington school system and later in Pinehurst. She also served on the faculty of Salem Academy in Winston-Salem where she and her husband resided until 1976 when they moved to Southern Pines.
A funeral service will be held at 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, at Antioch Baptist Church in Mamers, N.C., with the Rev. Martin Groover officiating. Burial will follow at the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 4 to 5 p.m. before the funeral service in the church fellowship hall.
Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church of Southern Pines or to Antioch Baptist Church.
Avent is survived by a son, Neil McLean Avent, of Sanford; three grandchildren, Dawn Sturdivant, Karl Avent and Valorie Libby; two great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Obituary retrieved from "The Pilot" posted on 30 Sep 2009.
Inscription
Front: AVENT, John and Melba, both born in Lee County, NC, both died in Southern Pines, NC. They had one son Neil McLean Avent, born 9 Oct 1949 in Winston-Salem, NC. Back: John Sheppard AVENT, 8 Oct 1913, 7 Jun 2003, Married 27 Aug 1941, Sanford, NC. Melba Mary SLOAN, 24 Mar 1917, 27 Sept 2009, Dau of John Robert Sloan.
Gravesite Details
Most public ancestry trees has Melba's middle name as "Morris". Her middle name was "Mary" as stated on her gravestone.
