Nancy Jernigan Newbern of Ahoskie passed away quietly at age 91 on December 10, 2009, in the home she so enjoyed.
She was preceded in death by her husband, George J. Newbern Jr. and is survived by sons, G. Judson Newbern III, (Susan Capehart) of Nashville, TN, and the Honorable Thomas R.J. Newbern (Margaret Hines) of Ahoskie.
Her grandchildren are Elizabeth Capehart Newbern, Powell Jernigan Newbern, Thomas Miles Newbern and Benjamin Hines Newbern.
She was the daughter of Roberts Harrell Jernigan and Jessie Garrett, and the granddaughter of T.R. Jernigan who was consul general to Japan and China, and Francis Sharp Jernigan. Her maternal grandparents were J.R. Garrett who was instrumental in the early development of Ahoskie, and Nancy Mitchell.
Mrs. Newbern represented the town she loved in becoming Miss North Carolina early in the pageant’s history in Winston-Salem in 1935. While attending St. Mary’s Junior College she was presented at the 1936 Terpsichorean Debutante Ball in Raleigh. She graduated from Duke University where she was a member of Kappa Delta sorority. Mrs. Newbern was a lifetime member of and very active participant in the congregation of St. Thomas Espiscopal Church of Ahoskie. She contributed many hours serving the community and sharing her life with a close community of friends while also focusing her devotion to her family.
A church service will held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, December 19 at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Ahoskie with a graveside service to follow. Memorial donations may be made to St. Thomas.