Ray Adam Cline

Ray Adam Cline

CONCORD - Ray Adam Cline, 84, of Concord, passed from this life on Monday, Dec. 11, 2006, at NorthEast Medical Center.

Mr. Cline lived on the farm on which he was born on Aug. 30, 1922. He was the son of J. Paul and Bessie Fink Cline. A 1940 graduate of Mount Pleasant High School, he worked in the grocery business for two years and then at Cannon Mills in the cotton class room.

He was drafted by the U.S. Army on Dec. 31, 1942, and served in the Army Air Corps in World War II in B-17 and B-29 bombers. He was discharged in March 1946.

Ray attended North Carolina State University and taught in the Veterans Farm Training Program at Mount Pleasant and Winecoff schools from 1946 to 1952. He became a part-time agent for Lutheran Brotherhood Insurance in 1952. He was appointed Cabarrus County Tax Collector from 1953-1956. In 1956, he joined Lutheran Brotherhood full-time. In 1958, he was appointed General Agent for the state of North Carolina, where he helped develop one of the most successful agencies in the company. His agency was awarded Agency of the Year in 1973. He retired from Lutheran Brotherhood in 1985.

Ray met his future wife, Adelaide Ridenhour, who taught school at Mount Pleasant High School, and they were married Aug. 5, 1950, in a double ceremony with her twin sister, Alice, by their father, the Rev. Charles E. Ridenhour, in Dallas, N.C. Adelaide preceded him in death on Oct. 5, 2006.

Active in many community activities, Ray served on many boards and agencies in the county and state. An active member of St. John's Lutheran Church, he served on the council and taught Sunday School for 40 years. He was elected president of the state Luther League in 1948 and elected president of the National Luther League of America in 1950 and 1951. He served on many boards in the N.C. Synod, including N.C. Lutheran Homes, Lutheran Southern Seminary, Lutheran Outdoor Ministries and numerous other committees. He was an active member of St. John's Grange and N.C. State Grange, where he served as chaplain for 25 years.

Survivors include a son, Donald Ray Cline and wife Teresa of Concord; daughter Anne Cline Johnson and husband Ron of Fort Mill, S.C.; grandchildren Kaity and Will Johnson of Fort Mill; sister Doris Wade and husband Jack of Concord; brother Ned Cline and wife Linda of Greensboro; sisters-in-law Romania Cline of China Grove and Alice Wise of Hickory; and a number of nieces and nephews.

Mr. Cline was preceded in death by brothers Leroy and Gene Cline.

Visitation: The family will receive at Hartsell Funeral Home in Concord tonight from 6-8.

Service: The funeral will be at St. John's Lutheran Church on Saturday at 11 a.m. conducted by Pastor Mark Ericson, the Rev. Ted Goins and the Rev. Donald Deal.

Memorials: In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. John's Lutheran Church, Heritage Building Fund, 100 St. John's Church Road, Concord, NC 28025; or donor's choice.

Hartsell Funeral Home of Concord is serving the family. Online condolences may be made at www.hartsellfh.com.