Pansy Blanton Leonhardt

Pansy Blanton Leonhardt, 101, of Morganton, NC passed away Thursday, December 26, 2013 after a long life. Born in Lincoln County, NC on April 25, 1912, she was the daughter of the late A.C. and Sarah Blanton. Pansy was an active member of North Morganton United Methodist Church where she was currently the oldest member. For several years she was the House Mother for the Nursing Dorm of the Lenoir Rhyne / Grace Hospital School of Nursing. She had also worked at the North Carolina School for the Deaf.Pansy is survived by her son, Howard Leonhardt of Morganton; daughters, Sylvia Gill and her husband, Herb, of Charlotte, NC and Sarah Keeling of Roswell, GA; eight grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.In addition to her parents, Pansy was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas Everette Leonhardt; a daughter, Hazelene Bailey; and three brothers, Cletus, Ernest, and Clyde Blanton.The funeral will be held at 1:00 p.m., Monday, December 30, 2013 in the Colonial Chapel of Sossoman Funeral Home and Crematory Center with the Rev. Neill Shaw officiating. Burial will follow in Forest Hill Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 12:00 until 1:00 p.m. prior to the service.Memorial contributions may be made to North Morganton United Methodist Church, 990 Sanford Drive, Morganton, NC 28655 or to Burke Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc., 1721 Enon Road, Valdese, NC 28690.The family would like to extend a special thanks to the hospice caregivers.