Evelyn Greeson

Evelyn "Lynn" Avinel Hamel Greeson, 82, died September 10, 2015, after several years of declining health in Burlington, North Carolina. She was born in Lawrence County, Arkansas on November 11, 1932. She was the daughter of a sharecropper, and, she often relayed stories of the hard work and determination required for her family to survive and prosper during the Great Depression and World War II. She also often shared many stories of how love, family and church during those years were the bedrock of all her values and beliefs. She attended Clover Bend High School Clover Bend, Arkansas and was Salutatorian of her Senior class. She won the 4H County award in 1950, attended the state 4H Congress that year, and she also played girls' basketball throughout high school. After high school, she attended business college in Shreveport, Louisiana. Lynn loved a good belly laugh. Throughout her life, in good times and bad, her motto seemed to be "we laugh to survive." Her laugh could fill a room and one had to join in it was so contagious. She often sang hymns as she worked, to wake her children in the morning, and as a member of the Brick Reformed Church choir. Family was the core of her existence. She taught her six children the value of hard work, the joy of laughter, to do "the right things" and to be kind to others. Mack Greeson, her beloved husband of 52 years, often said he didn't know how she got everything done. From helping with school projects, to sewing clothes for the girls, to canning the farm vegetables, to maintaining a beautiful perennial flower bed, to being a leader for the Burlington 4H Ladybugs, and being involved in church projects, she always managed to not only get things done, but to do them with a flare of talent and creativity that she became known for. She had a thirst for learning and took courses over the years to expand her diverse repertoire of skills. She took a cake decorating class and then entered a cake decorating contest and won first place. She won first place at the county fair on several occasions for garments she sewed. She took a brick laying class and then laid a brick wall for her garden. She also learned macram , belly dancing and tole painting. She became a member of the Sunrise Toastmasters in Greensboro to combine her love of writing with a desire to improve her public speaking skills. Over the years she managed several different outlet stores in the Burlington area; her passion for this work was evident from the beautiful window displays she would create to the meticulous attention to details she gave each store. During those years, she was an active member of Burlington ABWA. Her life was lived with a light that shone through her music and laughter, a love that lives on through her ever-expanding family, and a desire for growth and excellence that followed her through every new pursuit. Her faith and warmth were evident in each aspect of her life a life well-lived. Lynn is survived by her husband, Roy Mack Greeson, and their six children: Phylis Elliott Sharpe and husband, David; Mickle Douglas Elliott; Sharon Elliott Holmes; Rhonda Elliott Smith and husband, Wayne; Jackie Greeson Smith and husband, Eric; and Kelly Marie Greeson. She has 12 dearly loved grandchildren and 11 dearly loved great grandchildren. She is also survived by brother, Warren Hamel and wife Roberta; brother, Buford "Shorty" Hamel and wife Deanna; sister, Amelia "Midge" Myers and husband, Paul; and, sister, Gloria "Jean" Hamel and husband, Larry. Funeral service will be at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 13, 2015, at Brick Reformed Church by Rev. Geoff LaLane, and Rev. Tim Riddle. Mrs. Greeson will remain at Lowe Funeral Home until being taken to the church where the family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 12, 2015. Donations in memory of Lynn may be made to Brick Church Memorial Endowment Fund; 3699 Brick Church Rd. Burlington, NC 27215 or Hospice and Palliative Care of Alamance-Caswell; 914 Chapel Hill Rd. Burlington, NC. 27215