Sarah Jane Gulledge

Sarah Funderburk Gulledge, 93, passed away peacefully in the early evening hours of Thursday, May 15, 2014 in her home in Historic Monroe. She was born August 10, 1920 in the Dudley Community near Pageland, SC, daughter of the late Hermas and Lelia Funderburk. Mrs. Gulledge was also preceded in death by her husband, Embree Gulledge, sons Emmett Gulledge and Merrill Gulledge, brothers Glenn Funderburk and Don Funderburk, and her granddaughter-in-law Cydnee R. Rorie. Funeral service will be held at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, May 18 at Trinity United Methodist Church, 114 Trinity Church Road, Monroe. Reverends Denise Kilgo-Martin and Steve Lee will officiate. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. Mrs. Gulledge was a graduate of Pageland High School and Monroe Business College. Following their marriage, Embree and Sarah moved to the Trinity Community of Buford Township to raise their family and were active in community affairs. Sarah was community correspondent for the local newspapers, active in the Women’s Home Demonstration Club, serving as treasurer of the Union County Home Demonstration Council, registrar (now chief judge) of Altan Precinct, and was very active on a committee that worked successfully to secure telephone service for rural Union County. Sarah served as communion steward at Trinity UMC for more than 40 years. In 1962 when full-time voter registration utilizing loose-leaf binders was implemented in Union County, Sarah was appointed the first Union County Supervisor of Elections (now Director of Elections.) She took courses at the Institute of Government, now the UNC School of Government, and received certification in Elections Supervision. Sarah’s expertise in this revolutionary method of voter registration made her much sought after as an instructor in the system, and she traveled statewide advising and training other counties implementing that system. 1967, Sarah co-founded the NC Association of Supervisors of County Boards of Elections, first serving as Vice-President, then President. During her 23 years as Director of Elections, Sarah “survived” 82 Election Days (primary, second primary, general and special elections), and is proud to say that all elections were conducted fairly and according to the law. By the time she retired in 1985, Sarah had experienced the change from paper ballots being hand counted on election night to the latest technology of casting ballots on screens and the tabulation being performed by computers. She was inducted into the Order of the Longleaf Pine, the state’s highest civilian honor, upon retirement. Shortly after retirement from the Board of Elections, Sarah joined the NC Retired Government Employees Association, and in 1988 she was named to the Legislative Study Committee and served for 15 years. She served three terms on the NC Election Laws Study Commission Upon completion of the study, the Legislature enacted into law many of the Commission’s recommendations. She became actively involved in the Democratic Party, which had been prohibited by law while she served as Director of Elections. She served on the Union County Democratic Party Executive committee, president of the local Democratic Women, recording secretary of the Democratic Women of North Carolina, and in 1991 she was named DWNC Woman of the Year. In 1995 Sarah was the recipient of the “Charles L. Hunley Dedication Award” for service to the local party. Sarah was a founding member in 19of the Laney Clan, USA and served in several offices, including president. She corresponded with Laney Clan members nationwide was editor of the Clan Newsletter, publishing the latest edition in February of this year. Sarah was a member of the Union County Crime Union County Crime Prevention Committees, Inc. Mrs. Gulledge is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Nancy and David K. Rorie; grandson, Kelly Rorie; granddaughter Vanessa Rorie Bland and her husband Scott Bland; granddaughter Tonya Gulledge Devereaux; great-grandchildren Forrest and Sevanna Rorie; and sisters-in-law Nell Funderburk, Pageland, SC and Jean Gulledge Dayton, Colonial Heights, VA; a host of cousins, nieces and nephews and a legion of friends. The family offers their heartfelt appreciation to Dr. Jacques Laguerre of Southern Piedmont Primary Care, not only for the medical care he gave her, but also for his compassion, kindness, patience and friendship; Meagan and Tammy of Hospice of Union County, for their efficient but cheerful care and attention; and Annette Gallagher, who helped make “Ms. Sarah’s” last days comfortable and peaceful. The family will receive friends from 5-7 p.m. Saturday, May 17 2014 at Gordon Funeral Service Crematory, 1904 Lancaster Avenue, Monroe NC 28112. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Hospice of Union County, 700 W. Roosevelt Blvd., Monroe NC 28112 or to the Trinity/Laney Family Cemetery Trust Fund, c/o Lee Deese, 2425 Old Camden Road, Monroe NC 28110. Arrangements are in the care of Gordon Funeral Service, Monroe, NC. Please share condolences online at www.gordonfuneralservice.com