Elsie Lewis Clements

Mrs. Elsie Lewis Clements, 95, of Monroe, NC passed away peacefully at her home on Saturday, January 29, 2022. She was born, at home, in Sweet Water, Alabama on July 30, 1926, the youngest child of the late Leo Dove Lewis and Vera Mae Agee Lewis. She is also preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, Dr. William Webster Clements and her eight siblings, Milton, Clifford, Buford, Doris, Clara Mae, Elma, Lamar and Lillie Merle.

Funeral services will be held at Central United Methodist Church, Monroe, NC at 2:00 PM on Saturday, February 5, 2022. Burial will follow at Lakeland Memorial Park. The family will receive friends on Friday evening from 5:30-8:00 PM at Gordon Funeral Service, 1904 Lancaster Avenue, Monroe, NC.

Elsie enjoyed growing up in a large family and being surrounded by extended family in the community. She discovered at a young age that she could play the piano by ear. She had a lifelong love of music and shared her talents by playing the pump organ at her home church, Paynes Chapel UMC near Sweet Water. She played the mellophone and saxophone in the school band and got to march in the Mardi Gras parade in Mobile in high school. She was a faithful member of various church and community choirs through the years and sang with the Singing Seniors from the Ellen Fitzgerald Senior Center well into her 90s. Prior to that, she and Mrs. Ruth Quirk shared a weekly music ministry at Guardian Care and Union Park.

Elsie completed several business/secretarial courses at nearby Livingston State Teacher’s College. She then moved to Auburn and took a job in the Dean of Women’s Office at Alabama Polytechnic Institute (now Auburn University). She followed in the footsteps of several sisters and cousins by moving to Auburn to find work. She lived in Ms. Berta Dunn’s boarding house on Toomer Street and really enjoyed the five years she spent in Auburn. She met Bill during his final year of vet school and they married on his graduation day, June 3, 1950.

They briefly lived in Crossville, TN and Albertville, AL, before ultimately settling in North Carolina when Bill took a state job as the veterinarian over the poultry lab in Monroe. Elsie was a homemaker and was involved in all of her children’s activities. Once the children were older, she worked for nine years as a Library Clerk at the Union County Public Library in Monroe until her retirement in 1988.

Bill and Elsie joined Central United Methodist Church on the first Sunday after they arrived in Monroe. Elsie was a good and faithful servant for many years and helped at the church in any way she could. She served as a Stephen’s Minister, participated in the Walk to Emmaus, UMW, Disciple Bible studies, Pathfinders Sunday School class and sang in the Chancel Choir for many, many years.

Elsie is survived by her seven children, fourteen grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren. Her family was her pride and joy. The children are Elaine Clements, Cary (Donna) Clements, Nancy (Eric) Ritchie, John (Kim) Clements, James Clements, Martha Clements and David (Kalli) Clements. The grandchildren are Janis (Adam) Lanier Coremin, Lauren (Sean) Lanier Laws, Kristen (Hank) Lanier Baucom, Catherine (John) Lanier Byrd, Andrew Lanier, Melissa (Danny) Clements Shampine, Jacqueline (Chris) Ritchie DeCrane, Craig Ritchie, Chad Ritchie, Mary Clements, Will Clements, Trevor Clements, Grace Clements and Nathan Clements. The great-grandchildren are Ava & Noelle Coremin; Aubrey & Olivia Laws; Millie & Addie Baucom; Bennett, Oliver & Hudson Byrd; and Jason, Josh & Reagan DeCrane.

Memorials may be made to Central United Methodist Church, 801 S. Hayne St., Monroe, NC 28112 or the Paynes Chapel UMC Cemetery Fund, Attn: Rube Lewis, 35 Forest Dr., Sweet Water, AL 36782.

Online condolences may be made at www.gordonfuneralservice.com

Gordon Funeral Service is caring for the Clements family.