Fleta Mae Hohn

HOHN KERNERSVILLE - Fleta Mae Hohn, 84, of Kernersville passed away Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2007, at Kate B. Reynolds Hospice Home. She was born March 8, 1923, to Martin Luther and Martha Ella Davis Hohn on a farm in Guilford County. Many times she spoke of her happy childhood, a young life of study, worship and work. There she developed skills for a lifetime of service. She learned piano to the point at which she could play anything as a boogie-woogie. Fleta developed a sense of color and theme in her sewing and crochet work, which she brought into her vocation as a teacher. On graduation as valedictorian at Sumner School in Greensboro, she went on a partial scholarship to Guilford College, from which she transferred to Woman' s College (now UNC-G), graduating with a degree in elementary education. Fleta continued her support for these institutions as an alumna. She returned to Sumner during World War II to teach fourth grade and also taught at Union Hill in High Point and Ardmore in Winston-Salem. She also toured the Piedmont as the piano accompanist for the gospel quartet, the Vickrey Boys. In her marriage she opted to devote full time to a reduced class size -her children, Roger Kirkman and Alice Kirkman Kunka. At their graduation, Fleta turned again to fulltime teaching as the kindergarten teacher at Sedge Garden United Methodist Church in Kernersville for several years. Many now know Fleta from her subsequent vocations, as activities coordinator for 25 years at Bradford Village in Kernersville and as pianist for 17 years at Colfax Baptist Church in Colfax - as she called it, her missionary work in Guilford County. Her eye for color was seen everywhere at Bradford Village in table decorations, theme bulletin boards for holidays and in activities. Her enjoyment of music, especially old-time hymns, poured forth every week at Colfax for many years. In retirement she has enjoyed her children; their spouses, Connie Kirkman and Bob Kunka; her grandchildren, Ben and Emily Kunka; her sister Lois Williams; and many cousins in Guilford and Randolph Counties; her dear friend, co-worker and caregiver, Pat Vogler; and her many friends from Colfax, Bradford Village, Sedge Garden and the Piedmont; as well as former students across the country. Her deep faith sustained her throughout her life and final illness. At last she has put down her crochet hooks and quilt patterns, her sheet music and hymnals, but we still see her Thanksgiving motifs everywhere and hear the old hymns played with a boogie-woogie beat. Her former students, who are all of us who knew her, are her legacy. In lieu of visitation, the family will be at Fleta' s home at 1060 Foothills Drive, Kernersville, to receive friends between 2 and 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 23. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 24, at Sedge Garden United Methodist Church, 794 Sedge Garden Road, Kernersville. The family will greet friends after the service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Sedge Garden United Methodist Church or Colfax Baptist Church.