Nadine Lawson Cunningham

Mrs. Nadine Lawson Cunningham, age ninety-nine, of Granville County, departed this life and entered into eternal rest early Sunday morning, September 24, 2023 at her residence. She was born August 5, 1924 in Person County to the late Elder Franshaw and Otelia Green Lawson and was a member of Blue Wing Missionary Baptist Church.
At an early age, Nadine joined Vernon Hill Baptist Church where she remained a faithful member until her husband was ordained deacon at Blue Wing Missionary Baptist Church. She then moved her letter and continued attending Vernon Hill on third Sundays with Ossie, Jr. and the girls.
Nadine graduated from the segregated public schools of Person County, proud that her father had been instrumental in securing bus transportation for rural black students. She enrolled in Shaw University to study math but changed to home economics. It was in the 1950's that she returned to Shaw and North Carolina College (now NCCU) to complete her degree. She began teaching Home Economics at Joe Toler School and as directed by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, made home visits and directed home projects. Her all-female students learned various homemaking skills, most notably, childcare, food preservation and sewing. Her twenty-eight year teaching career ended at J.F. Webb High School in 1986, but she became a regular and dependable substitute teacher for many years.
On March 2, 1947, Nadine was joined in Holy Matrimony to Ossie Cunningham, Jr. To this union, three daughters were born. Nadine's sewing skills allowed her to dress the girls like triplets and her homemaking background had her dress the girls in "Sunday-go-to-Meeting" hats and gloves for church services. She was also an excellent cook, serving on the line with the early Blue Wing ladies under the outdoor serving shelter. Later, she assigned the food preparation to her girls. Nadine was an active member of the Willing Workers' Club and served as its treasurer.
She was also diligent in teaching the girls, and later the grands, poems for Christmas, Children's Day and scriptures for Sunday School Unions. Enjoying yard work, her flowers provided cut floral arrangements for services many years for the church.
In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband of seventy-five years, Ossie L. Cunningham, Jr.; daughter, Johnsie Collettee Cunningham; and siblings: Frankie Hinchen, Cleotis Lawson, Sr., Ola Whitt, Johnnie Lawson, Effie Moten and Donnie Lawson.
She leaves to cherish precious memories, daughters: LaRue Phyllis of Winston-Salem, North Carolina and Ossie Prattsie of Durham, North Carolina; grandchildren: Minister LaDessa Cunningham Pearson, also of Winston-Salem, Adam L. Cunningham of Orlando, Florida and Yared C. Cunningham of Greensboro, North Carolina; sisters: Jaynette Lawson-Jordan (Rubin) of Brooklyn, New York, Mazel Winston of Washington, D.C., and Lawanda Laventure and Martha Ann Eubanks, both of Durham; a special "daughter," Vickie Williams of Oxford, North Carolina; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other loving relatives and friends.
The funeral service will be held Saturday, September 30, 2023 at 1:00pm at Blue Wing Missionary Baptist Church, 597 Blue Wing Road, Roxboro, North Carolina 27574 with the Rev. Gregory Jones, Pastor, officiating and the Rev. Dr. Dorwin L. Howard, Sr., Pastor of First Cosmopolitan Baptist Church, Raleigh, North Carolina, providing the eulogy. Entombment will follow in the Blue Wing Memorial Gardens, 575 Blue Wing Road, Roxboro, North Carolina 27574. Visitation will be Friday at Cunningham and Nelson Funeral Home from 1:00pm to 6:00pm with the family present during the last hour from 5:00pm to 6:00pm.
At other times, the family will receive visitors at the home, 9168 Charlie Stovall Road, Roxboro, North Carolina 27574.
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