Ralph Stilwell

Ralph Stilwell, 98, a very unique and proud man, died Tuesday morning, April 7, 2009, at the Gordon Hospice House in Statesville. Ralph experienced the love, life and history of this country from 1911 to the present time. Some of these early years were difficult times. He was molded with strong family Christian roots, tempered with hard work and high ethical standards. He raised his family proudly and enjoyed being a witness to their individual growth. Mr. Stilwell was born March 4, 1911, in Mecklenburg County and was the son of the late Samuel Roscoe Stilwell and Beulah Duncan Stilwell. He was a 1929 graduate of Statesville High School and retired in 1977 as the office manager of Acme Metal Slide Co. He was married to the late Catherine Bost Stilwell, who passed away July 26, 1993. He was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church where, in his earlier years, he was the Treasurer of the Church and of the Men's Bible Class. He also was a member of the United Commercial Travelers. Mr. Stilwell is survived by two daughters, Patricia Mills and husband, Frank, of Lexington, and Sue Hinson and husband, Carroll, of Statesville; eight grandchildren, Tammy Combs (Wesley), Angie Prevette (David), Wendy Harrington, Tony Hinson (Wendy), Laura Remissong (Mark), Jenny Mills (Susan Pleasant), Ralph Mills (Joni), Cathy Sescourka (Ed); 17 great- grandchildren; a sister, Josephine Wasson, of Statesville; a brother, Roscoe Stilwell, of Lexington, S.C.; and two sisters-in-law, Hazel Green Stilwell, of Columbia, S.C., and Nell Bost Croft, of Fayetteville. In addition to his parents and wife, Mr. Stilwell was preceded in death by three brothers, Duncan Stilwell, William E. Stilwell and George W. Stilwell and by two sisters, Helen S. Graf Sharpe and Peggy S. Pratt. Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Thursday, April 9, at St. John's Lutheran Church with the Rev. Peter Setzer officiating. Burial will follow in Oakwood Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 10 to 11 a.m. on Thursday at the church. Memorials may be made to St. John's Lutheran Church, 740 N. Center St., Statesville, NC 28677, Hospice and Palliative Care of Iredell County, 2347 Simonton Road., Statesville, NC 28625, or to the charity of the donor's choice. Nicholson Funeral Home is serving the Stilwell family.