Josephine Pierce

Josephine E. Pierce MERRY HILL - Josephine Adams Enright Pierce, the first of eleven children of Solomon Benjamin and Fannie White Adams, was born on their farm near Merry Hill, Nov. 17, 1911. She died Dec. 28, 2010, in Boise, Idaho, at the age of 99. Affectionately known as "Sis" to her eight brothers and two sisters; "Grandma Jo" to her five grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren; "Aunt Jo" to her 33 nieces and nephews; and "Jo" or "Ms. Josephine" to her friends, she was a woman of strong Christian faith and great moral character who was admired and loved by all who knew her. Josephine was a voracious reader of the Bible and books, and enjoyed and excelled at sewing, knitting, crocheting, basket making, and her favorite, flower gardening. Most of all, she loved the Lord and his many blessings. Many people said of her that she was a fighter, coming back time and again from several health maladies until the end when she was just too weak to go on. After graduating from North Carolina Baptist Hospital in Winston- Salem in 1933, Josephine worked as a registered nurse at hospitals and in the public health service in Virginia and North Carolina, retiring in her early 70s from Roanoke Chowan Hospital in Ahoskie. Throughout her life Josephine showed love, caring and compassion to her family and friends by staying in touch with them by telephone, especially during the past 3½ years when she resided 2,500 miles away in Boise. Her beautiful smile, gentle touch and soft and kind words of encouragement and love will be greatly missed. Josephine is survived by her two sons, Kenneth Enright (Jan) of Manitou Springs, Colo., Ronald Enright (Marsha) of Boise; sisters, Margaret Parker of Newport News, Miriam Wise of Williamsville, N.Y.; brothers, Frank Winston Adams of Windsor, William Jesse "Jack" Adams and George Truett Adams (June) of Colerain; brother, Phillip White Adams (Mae) of Columbia, S.C., and all previously mentioned descendants and kin. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her first husband, Kenneth F. Enright of Newport News; by her second husband, Thomas G. Pierce of Colerain; brothers, John Milton, Solomon Benjamin Jr., Spencer Harding and Max Gardner. Following a 7 to 8:30 p.m. viewing and receiving of visitors at Walker Funeral Home in Windsor Thursday, Jan. 6, services will be held Friday, Jan. 7, at 11 a.m. at Riverside Baptist Church on NC 45, south of Colerain. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made to any of the three area churches of which Josephine was a member: Riverside Baptist Church, Colerain Baptist Church or Ahoskie First Baptist Church.