Dorothy Mae Murphy Proffitt

DOROTHY MAE MURPHY PROFFITT - Dorothy Mae Murphy Proffitt, age 91, resident of 150 Old Home Place, Kings Mountain, NC died October 10, 2011 at Kings Mountain Hospital. She was born in Black, Alabama to the late James Thomas Murphy and Daisy M. Floyd Murphy. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Omett M. Proffitt, 3 brothers and 1 sister. She was retired from Tropicana, Bradenton, FL after 15 years of service. A lifelong Methodist who was active in church activities.

SURVIVORS: Sons: Wendell S. Proffitt, Richmond, VA Steve M. Proffitt and wife Diane, Kings Mtn. NC Sister: Leona M. Powell, Camden, AR 5 Grandchildren: Melissa Nicholson and husband Matt, Charlotte, NC Shelley Eagan and husband Brian, Kings Mtn. NC Stuart Proffitt and wife Kasey, Charlotte, NC Kimberly Foster and husband Pete, Williamsburg, VA Matthew Proffitt and wife Christen, Providence Forge, VA 12 Great Grandchildren.

FUNERAL SERVICE: Ollie Harris Memorial Chapel, Saturday, October 15, 2011 4:00 P.M. Rev. Eddie Gray, officiating

VISITATION: 2:30 - 3:30 P.M. Saturday, October 15, 2011 prior to the service at Harris Funeral Home, Kings Mtn. NC

INTERMENT: Lakeside Cemetery, Locust Bayou, AR GRAVESIDE SERVICE: Tuesday, October 18, 2011 2:00 P.M.

GUEST REGISTER AVAILABLE AT WWW.HARRISFUNERALS.COM

ARRANGEMENTS: HARRIS FUNERAL HOME, KINGS MOUNTAIN, NC

Dorothy Mae Murphy Proffitt died on October 10, 2011 in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. She was born on May 17, 1920 in Black, Alabama, to James Thomas Murphy and Daisy Mae Floyd Murphy. As a young child she moved with her family to Louann, Arkansas, to be with her father who was working in the booming Arkansas oil fields. She lived in Louann until she was a young woman and graduated from Louann High School. She played on the Louann High School basketball team and wore her high school graduation ring all her life. After graduation from high school she moved to Camden, Arkansas, to work for the International Paper Company. She married Omett Minor Proffitt in 1940 in Smackover, Arkansas. She and Omett resided in Locust Bayou then Camden. She had two sons Wendell Stanly born 8/24/41and Steve Murphy born 10/25/44. Omett was killed in an accident in 1945. Dorothy later moved'to Bastrop, Louisiana, to be close to her sister, Leona Murphy Powell. In Bastrop she married Menice M. Rawls and added his two children to her family: Shirley Rawls Evans, and Menice M. Rawls jr. She lived in the Log Cabin area near Bastrop. During this time she worked at the Oak Grove Elementary School Cafeteria. She attended church at the Bartholmew Methodist Church. She had an excellent singing voice and played the piano (by ear) in church. She had a great love for music of all kinds especially the 1940' s era swing music. She was a great dancer, and would rather dance than anything. She often mentioned that as a small child her father thought it great fun to get her to dance the "jitterbug" on the sidewalk in town, while people tossed her coins. In her last years, she could often be heard singing gospel music loudly in the nursing home.

In 1957 Dorothy and Menice divorced and she moved back to Camden for a short time then to Pensacola, Florida with her sister Leona and Leona's children, James Preston Powell and Anoel Powell. She worked at Chemstrand Nyon Plant (later Monsanto) for about 5 years. She lived in Ensley, 10 miles north of Pensacola She enjoyed working in factories and was always a hardworking capable person who could be relied on to get the job done. In 1961 she married James Harrelson and moved with him and her family to Ingolstadt, Germany. She loved the German people and their culture. She returned to Pensacola in 1962.

She loved to cook and always tried to make her food a little special. Home made biscuits, fried chicken, and special desserts like Sour Cream Pound Cake, Lemon Lush pies, and Mississippi Mud Cake. Fond memories would include road trips between Bastrop, Louisiana, and Camden, Arkansas. We always left early in the morning in a 1947 Nash with a cardboard box offresh fried chicken on the back floor board covered with a cloth. The car smelled like fried chicken and the snacking was great all the way, with no stopping except for gas and restrooms. She would drive fast, I know for a fact, that old Nash would go over 90 MPH.

She later lived in Dennison, Texas, where she worked for the Pilsbury Company's biscuit making plant and in various convenience stores. After a couple of years, she moved to Bradenton, Florida, where she worked at the Tropicana Orange Juice plant. She retired from this job about 1980. After retirement she lived for a few years back in Pensacola, Florida, then Camden, Arkansas, and finally in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. She had a life long friend and kindred spirit in a fine and lovely lady named Louise Bowen. They grew up from childhood together in Louann, Arkansas. Over the many long years of life, they shared trials and troubles with long talks and a cold beer. They also shared the happy and fun times in the same way, but with much added laughter. Her sister Leona was her base of support from birth. She had three brothers and two sisters, but Leona was always in her thoughts. They could fight and argue, to the point it would make you cringe, but they also felt an enduring love for each other which would over come any obstacle, and always did. Dorothy was a strong willed, good looking woman, who knew no fear. She was stubborn, hard headed, and could not be reasoned with,when she felt she had been wronged. She had no tolerance for condescending treatment. She could be right or she could be wrong, but she never wavered, and you always knew where she stood. She felt things deeply. Her love was strong if you could get it. Her life was marked with high points and low points. But she was never dull or unnoticed. I never understood her, but I was always awed by her spirit.