SALISBURY, NC- Mary Louise Slaughter, aged 95, passed peacefully into the Lord's presence in her sleep during the late evening of April 7th, 2012.
Born a coal miner's daughter in Rimersburg, PA, on Aug. 13, 1916, Mary Louise Carr was raised by her foster parents, Walter & Pearl Gilham, who named her Dorothy. The Gilham's moved frequently but Dorothy spent a great deal of time on her Grandma Johnson's farm near Newcomerstown, Ohio.
Dorothy graduated from high school in Coshocton, playing on the girls basketball team and playing the violin in the symphony orchestra. A senior prom date with Donald Slaughter set Dorothy on her future path. They were married soon after and settled in Coshocton, Ohio where their six children were born. Dorothy enjoyed family gatherings as well as sewing and quilting. She was a devoted Christian, serving the churches she attended, from teaching Sunday School to cooking for church dinners.
She is survived by five of her children, Donald L. (Mary Ann) of Delaware, OH, Joseph T. of Garden Valley,ID, Rachel C. (Richard) Evans of Bowdoinham, ME, Rosemary K. of Chicago, IL and George M. (Harriet) of Concord, NC, 13 grandchildren, many great and great, great grandchildren.
Her husband of 52 yrs., Donald J., son Charles T., and granddaughter Kim Harm preceded her in death.
Funeral services to celebrate her life will be held Friday, April 13, 2012 at 12:00 p.m. at Calvary Baptist Church, Coshocton, Ohio. The family will receive friends at the church one hour prior to the service. Burial will be in Valley View Cemetery, Warsaw, Ohio. The Fischer Funeral Home in Warsaw is handling arrangements. www.fischerfuneralhome.com
Memorials may be made to North Kannapolis Baptist Church, 312 Locust St., Kannapolis, NC, 28081, where Mary (Dorothy) was a member.
