MURFREESBORO, NC – On Thursday April 18th, 2019 in the early hours of the morning surrounded by her loved ones, Zoa Bates Stephenson King peacefully left this earth to be reunited with her loving husband, Claud Marion King in Heaven. It only took her 3 months to decide to spend the rest of her life with Claud, her husband of 79 years. Only 44 short days after his passing she went to spend eternity with the man she has loved all of her life.

Bates started and closed the chapters of her earthly life in Hertford County, NC with many places to call home in-between, as the wife of a Navy Chief Petty Officer. Bates was known to always leave the house with lipstick and a matching purse and pair of heels, as any fine southern lady would. She filled her days in the kitchen baking and taking the best care of her family.

Besides her parents, Bates was preceded in death by her husband, Claud; and sisters, Katherine Freeling, Ella Demyer DiPietro, Betty Fred Crane, Rebecca Walker, and Blanche Stephenson; as well as her brother Tony Stephenson and wife Shirley.

Bates is survived by her only daughter, Betty King Braxton and husband Ted of Murfreesboro; two granddaughters, Cindy Braxton Sanders and husband Todd of Windsor, VA, and Betty Jo Braxton Merritt and husband Jeffery of Fayetteville, NC; two great-grandsons, Clay Darden, and Andrew Darden and wife Amanda, both of Carrsville, NC; two great-granddaughters, Mary Darden Leitner and husband Cullen of Suffolk, VA, and Emily Merritt of Fayetteville; and three great great-grandchildren, Blake, Harper, and Bennett.

A special thanks goes out to Vanessa, Ella, and many other caregivers who filled Bates’ final years with love and laughter.

Funeral arrangements have been made for Saturday, April 20th at 2:00 p.m. at Mt. Tabor Baptist Church with visitation to follow in the Fellowship Hall. There will be a burial following the visitation at Riverside Cemetery in Murfreesboro. Donations may be made to Mt. Tabor Baptist Church in Bates’s memory directly at 112 East, Mt Tabor Church Rd, Ahoskie, NC 27910 or online by visiting tmcfunding.com/search fund; then type Bates King.

Garrett-Sykes Memorial Chapel, Murfreesboro, NC, is assisting the King family with arrangements and online condolences may be directed to the family by visiting garrettsykesfs.com.