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AULANDER – Rebecca Taylor Askew, age 99, of Bonners Bridge Road, passed away on Tuesday, December 1, 2020 at the Vidant Chowan Hospital of Edenton, NC.

Mrs. Askew was born on June 9, 1921 to Lynton Yancey Taylor and Rosabelle Phillips Taylor in Halifax County, NC. She was raised in Ahoskie and baptized in Ahoskie United Methodist Church where she attended services with her family. After her marriage, she attended Ahoskie Baptist Church.

She loved her family dearly and was a wonderful housewife. She loved to prepare meals for family and the people that helped on the farm. She also did her share of work on the farm, but her passion was art and sharing her vision with others. She was involved in the Ahoskie Arts Council, Ahoskie Woman’s Club, teaching art in the community, photography, and was always enjoying nature walks searching for the right photo to paint or looking for Native American arrowheads.

She presented in many local and out of town art shows and was a member of the Watercolor Society from 1970 until 1980. Her painting “The Quest”, a watercolor of a sailboat that had sailed to Europe three times and found its final voyage at the bottom of the Edenton Bay, was chosen to be shown throughout the United States. The Ahoskie Woman’s Club asked her to paint a pocketbook to be presented to Lady Bird Johnson, wife of the president elect, Lyndon B. Johnson. The pocketbook was presented during a campaign train trip in 1964. She was chosen to be on UNC-TV channel showcasing her artwork in 1999. The picture chosen was the watercolor “The Sunflower”.

Rebecca was loved by many and will be greatly missed by all that knew her.

Along with her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Oquinn Askew; a daughter, Priscilla Askew Kowalski Barrett; sisters, Emerald Dahl, Iris Johnson, Joyce Vann, Louise Cummings, and Amy Harp; and brother, Len Taylor.

Rebecca is survived by a daughter, Rebecca Askew Lowe of Tyner, NC; sister, Sally Beaman of Newport News, VA; two granddaughters, Catherine Langfitt and husband Dean of Jamestown, NC and Janice Cox and husband David of FL; two grandsons, Anthony Kowalski and friend Marie Ayers of Aulander, NC and Quinn Lowe and wife Nancy of Cary, NC; four great-grandsons, Colin Lowe, Kelton Langfitt, Jesse Cox and Jackson Cox; two great-granddaughters, Kyndahl Langfitt and Kerri Langfitt; along with other nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life memorial graveside service will be held on Saturday, December 12, 2020 at 2 p.m. at the Ahoskie Cemetery, Ahoskie, NC, with Rev. Betty B. Willis officiating.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Vidant Home Health & Hospice, 521 West Myers Street, Ahoskie NC 27910 or online by visiting tmcfunding.com/search fund, type: Rebecca Askew.

Garrett-Sykes Funeral Service – Ahoskie Chapel is handling the arrangements for the Askew family and online condolences can be directed to the family by visiting www.garrettsykesfs.com.