Bennett William Hemphill

Bennett William Hemphill, 96, of Morganton went home to be with his Lord and Savior on September 27, 2012 at Burke Hospice and Palliative Care. He was born on December 16, 1915 in Burke County, and was a son of the late Thomas T. Hemphill and Annie Shell Hemphill. Bennett was preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Emily Hildebrand Hemphill.He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Morganton where he had served as a Sunday school teacher and Deacon. Bennett was recognized by the Catawba River Baptist Association in 1996 for his 60 plus years of service as a Sunday school teacher.Mr. Hemphill was retired from Drexel Furniture Company as Product Development Manager. After his retirement, Bennett worked with his wife as owners of Morganton Florist. He was a past president and lifetime member of the Morganton Lions Club and had been honored as a Melvin Jones Fellow.Bennett is survived by a daughter, Emily Thompson and husband, Rev. W. Larry Thompson of the home; a grandson, William (Bill) Thompson, Jr. and wife, Allison; and great-grandchildren, Victoria (Tori) Brook Thompson and Grant Bennett Thompson, all of Knightdale, NC; and several nieces and nephews.In addition to his wife and parents, Mr. Hemphill was preceded in death by brothers, Ralph and Carl Hemphill; and sisters, Mary McGinnis, Effie Craig, and Grace Taylor.Funeral services will be held at 4:00 p.m., Sunday, September 30, 2012 at First Baptist Church with Dr. Thomas A. Bland, Jr. and Rev. W. Larry Thompson officiating. Burial will follow in Mount Home Baptist Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends Sunday from 3:00 until 4:00 pm in the church parlor. Memorial contributions may be made to the First Baptist Church, P.O. Drawer 459, Morganton, NC 28680, or to Calvary Baptist Church, 407 S. Green St., Morganton, NC 28655, or to Burke Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc., 1721 Enon Rd., Valdese, NC 28690. Sossoman Funeral Home and Crematory Center is assisting the family with the arrangements.