Whitesell-Somers Family Web Project - Person Sheet
Whitesell-Somers Family Web Project - Person Sheet
NameRachel Ione THOMPSON 
3, Rachel Ione Thompson Braxton ,470, Rachel Ione Thompson Braxton,3, Martha Braxton Pearsall,261, Dewey Garland Braxton
3, Rachel Ione Thompson Braxton ,470, Rachel Ione Thompson Braxton,3, Martha Braxton Pearsall,261, Dewey Garland BraxtonBirthMay 7, 19233, Rachel Ione Thompson Braxton ,470, Rachel Ione Thompson Braxton
DeathMay 3, 20153, Rachel Ione Thompson Braxton
BurialMoore’s Chapel Cemetery, Moore's Chapel Cemetery Road, Saxapahaw, Alamance County, North Carolina3, Rachel Ione Thompson Braxton ,470, Rachel Ione Thompson Braxton
FatherLonnie Albert THOMPSON (1902-1982)
MotherSara Ellen STAFFORD (1901-1975)
Spouses
1Cornelius Erwin BRAXTON 3, Rachel Ione Thompson Braxton ,470, Cornelius Erwin Braxton,3, Martha Braxton Pearsall,261, Dewey Garland Braxton
3, Rachel Ione Thompson Braxton ,470, Cornelius Erwin Braxton,3, Martha Braxton Pearsall,261, Dewey Garland BraxtonBirthMay 13, 1916470, Cornelius Erwin Braxton
DeathJul 11, 1988470, Cornelius Erwin Braxton
BurialMoore’s Chapel Cemetery, Moore's Chapel Cemetery Road, Saxapahaw, Alamance County, North Carolina470, Cornelius Erwin Braxton
MarriageJun 7, 1942, Alamance County, North Carolina404, Cornelius Erwin Braxton-Male-13 May 1916 – 11 July 1988- •-LVVD-L5R
ChildrenMartha Ellen (1950-2017)
Dewey Garland (1947-2025)
Obituary Online notes for Rachel Ione THOMPSON
5/6/2015
Rachel Ione Thompson Braxton
HAW RIVER — Rachel Ione Thompson Braxton, 91, was welcomed home by the smile of her Redeemer on a bright and glorious Sunday morning, May 3, 2015.
Rachel grew up the oldest of nine children of Lonnie and Sarah Thompson. She started to school at Cedar Cliff School at the age of 5 and completed three grades in two years. She moved to Saxapahaw School for fourth grade and went to Eli Whitney for high school. Rachel graduated from high school in 1938 at the age of
14.
After high school, she worked part time at her Uncle Onslow’s soda fountain in Graham, but mostly stayed at home helping Mama Sarah with younger siblings, learning to cook from Grandma Ellie, and sewing clothes for her siblings—life skills she would later apply to being the world’s greatest mother to her eight children. At age 18, she went to work in a hosiery mill.
Rachel met her future husband, C.E. Braxton, at the Eli Whitney Quilting Bee. A few years later she married at the age of 18. They boarded in Burlington before C.E. was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Corps and she joined him when he was assigned to Orlando, FL (after basic and technical training). Her first two sons were born while they were in Orlando; the final six children were all born after they moved back to Alamance County, North Carolina.
As a child and teenager, Rachel attended Bethel Methodist Church in Snow Camp. After she was married she attended both Bethel Methodist and South Fork Friends Meeting. In 1957, the family joined Moore’s Chapel Baptist Church where she was a member until her death. Miss Rachel taught Sunday School for both children and adult classes, was a leader for Sunbeams and G.A.s, was a teacher for many years of Vacation Bible School, and enjoyed many years of singing in the choir.
Rachel worked in various hosiery mills before and after her time in Orlando. She worked at S.H. Kress dime store while in Orlando. She left public work in 1962 and provided home day care for a multitude of children from the community who loving called her Mama Rachel, a term of endearment used by all her family after that time, both children and grandchildren alike. In 1973, she returned to public work at K- Mart on Maple Avenue in Burlington where she worked until she retired in 1987 to provide full time care for Daddy C.E. prior to his death. Her life’s focus was always on others whether it be her husband, her children, her extended family, or her church and community.
Mama Rachel is survived by her eight children, Bob (Beth) Braxton of Fairfax, VA; Elmer (Linda) Braxton and Dewey Braxton, both of Gibsonville; Martha (David) Pearsall and Bonnie (Jay) Smith both of Snow Camp; Sheila (John) Greeson of Haw River; Hope (Alan) Turney of Albuquerque, NM; and Sherrie (Richard) Elkins of Graham; 14 grandchildren, Peter (Jessica) Braxton of Burke, VA, Shelly Braxton of Normal, IL; Troy Braxton of Rantoul, IL; Zack Pearsall of New Bern; Jonathan (Elizabeth) Pearsall of Columbia, SC; Nathaniel Pearsall of Graham; Heather (Doc) Dougherty of Asheville; Hillary Griffin (Alex Yao) of Raleigh; John (Nicole) Greeson of Hillsborough; Sarah (Bryan) Black of Haw River; Brian Turney (James Carver) of San Diego, CA; Brad Turney of Alexandria, LA; Rachel Elkins of Greensboro; and Brandon Elkins of Graham; one step-grandchild, Julie Murr of Snow Camp; 12 great-grandchildren: James and Naomi Braxton; Alyx and Ashley Kennedy; Ryan Braxton; Ashleigh Pearsall; Lily and Olivia Dougherty; Brooke, Michael and Mia Greeson; and Elizabeth Black; one great-stepgrandchild, Crystal Isley; two brothers, Sam and Henry Thompson; three sisters, Dorothy Bunn, Mary Norwood, and Alice Hadley; and three sisters-in-law, Louise, Margaret, and Gladys Thompson.
Rachel was preceded in death by her parents Lonnie Albert and Sarah Stafford Thompson, husband Cornelius Erwin Braxton, and brothers Albert, Sabert, and Elmer Thompson.
The family would like to thank Sheila Greeson for all her time, energy, and excellent care provided to Mama Rachel over the last few years; her great doctor, Dr. Samuel Weir; and multiple UNC Hospice caregivers, especially nurse Emily.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to UNC Hospice, P.O. Box 1077, Pittsboro, NC 27312-1077.
The family will receive friends at Rich & Thompson Funeral Home and Crematory in Graham from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 8. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 9, at Moore’s Chapel Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. Carson Wiggins and the Rev. Henry Thompson, interment immediately following at Moore’s Chapel Cemetery. At other times, the family will be at the home of Sheila Greeson, 4093 Salem Church Road, Haw River.
Condolences may be offered at www. richandthompson.com. 3, Rachel Ione Thompson Braxton
Rachel Ione Thompson Braxton
HAW RIVER — Rachel Ione Thompson Braxton, 91, was welcomed home by the smile of her Redeemer on a bright and glorious Sunday morning, May 3, 2015.
Rachel grew up the oldest of nine children of Lonnie and Sarah Thompson. She started to school at Cedar Cliff School at the age of 5 and completed three grades in two years. She moved to Saxapahaw School for fourth grade and went to Eli Whitney for high school. Rachel graduated from high school in 1938 at the age of
14.
After high school, she worked part time at her Uncle Onslow’s soda fountain in Graham, but mostly stayed at home helping Mama Sarah with younger siblings, learning to cook from Grandma Ellie, and sewing clothes for her siblings—life skills she would later apply to being the world’s greatest mother to her eight children. At age 18, she went to work in a hosiery mill.
Rachel met her future husband, C.E. Braxton, at the Eli Whitney Quilting Bee. A few years later she married at the age of 18. They boarded in Burlington before C.E. was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Corps and she joined him when he was assigned to Orlando, FL (after basic and technical training). Her first two sons were born while they were in Orlando; the final six children were all born after they moved back to Alamance County, North Carolina.
As a child and teenager, Rachel attended Bethel Methodist Church in Snow Camp. After she was married she attended both Bethel Methodist and South Fork Friends Meeting. In 1957, the family joined Moore’s Chapel Baptist Church where she was a member until her death. Miss Rachel taught Sunday School for both children and adult classes, was a leader for Sunbeams and G.A.s, was a teacher for many years of Vacation Bible School, and enjoyed many years of singing in the choir.
Rachel worked in various hosiery mills before and after her time in Orlando. She worked at S.H. Kress dime store while in Orlando. She left public work in 1962 and provided home day care for a multitude of children from the community who loving called her Mama Rachel, a term of endearment used by all her family after that time, both children and grandchildren alike. In 1973, she returned to public work at K- Mart on Maple Avenue in Burlington where she worked until she retired in 1987 to provide full time care for Daddy C.E. prior to his death. Her life’s focus was always on others whether it be her husband, her children, her extended family, or her church and community.
Mama Rachel is survived by her eight children, Bob (Beth) Braxton of Fairfax, VA; Elmer (Linda) Braxton and Dewey Braxton, both of Gibsonville; Martha (David) Pearsall and Bonnie (Jay) Smith both of Snow Camp; Sheila (John) Greeson of Haw River; Hope (Alan) Turney of Albuquerque, NM; and Sherrie (Richard) Elkins of Graham; 14 grandchildren, Peter (Jessica) Braxton of Burke, VA, Shelly Braxton of Normal, IL; Troy Braxton of Rantoul, IL; Zack Pearsall of New Bern; Jonathan (Elizabeth) Pearsall of Columbia, SC; Nathaniel Pearsall of Graham; Heather (Doc) Dougherty of Asheville; Hillary Griffin (Alex Yao) of Raleigh; John (Nicole) Greeson of Hillsborough; Sarah (Bryan) Black of Haw River; Brian Turney (James Carver) of San Diego, CA; Brad Turney of Alexandria, LA; Rachel Elkins of Greensboro; and Brandon Elkins of Graham; one step-grandchild, Julie Murr of Snow Camp; 12 great-grandchildren: James and Naomi Braxton; Alyx and Ashley Kennedy; Ryan Braxton; Ashleigh Pearsall; Lily and Olivia Dougherty; Brooke, Michael and Mia Greeson; and Elizabeth Black; one great-stepgrandchild, Crystal Isley; two brothers, Sam and Henry Thompson; three sisters, Dorothy Bunn, Mary Norwood, and Alice Hadley; and three sisters-in-law, Louise, Margaret, and Gladys Thompson.
Rachel was preceded in death by her parents Lonnie Albert and Sarah Stafford Thompson, husband Cornelius Erwin Braxton, and brothers Albert, Sabert, and Elmer Thompson.
The family would like to thank Sheila Greeson for all her time, energy, and excellent care provided to Mama Rachel over the last few years; her great doctor, Dr. Samuel Weir; and multiple UNC Hospice caregivers, especially nurse Emily.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to UNC Hospice, P.O. Box 1077, Pittsboro, NC 27312-1077.
The family will receive friends at Rich & Thompson Funeral Home and Crematory in Graham from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 8. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 9, at Moore’s Chapel Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. Carson Wiggins and the Rev. Henry Thompson, interment immediately following at Moore’s Chapel Cemetery. At other times, the family will be at the home of Sheila Greeson, 4093 Salem Church Road, Haw River.
Condolences may be offered at www. richandthompson.com. 3, Rachel Ione Thompson Braxton