CONNIE PINKERTON

A life of love, family, service and 30 years of food service management — but most importantly commitment to Jesus — came to an unexpected end on New Year’s Day 2010.

Mrs. Constance Anne Pinkerton, better known as Connie, 70, wife of Rev. Jerry L. Pinkerton Sr. of North Wilkesboro, N.C., died at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

Funeral services will be held today at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Wilkesboro, N.C., with the Rev. Kevin Brown and the Rev. Byron Greene officiating. Private family burial will be in Scenic Memorial Gardens.

Mrs. Pinkerton was born in Waterloo, Iowa, on July 2, 1939, to Edward and Ruth Dunn. She was a member of Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church. Mrs. Pinkerton received her bachelor’s degrees in business administration and health care administration from Wayland Baptist University. At the time of her death, she was still serving as the hostess at Wilkesboro Baptist Church where she served more than 250 people every Wednesday night, a job that two days prior to her death she told her family she loved.

She otherwise filled her days caring for her husband, her sons and her grandchildren, who were her pride and joy. and the prisoners of the Wilkes County Correction Facility. Other honors bestowed on her included working her way from a dishwasher at a nursing home to the director of dietary and laundry of Providence Health Care System in Alaska. She served for 27 years in the Big Lake Baptist Church Nursery and received, along with her husband, a commendation from the Alaska State Legislature for serving more than 5,000 meals to firefighters and displaced families during the Miller’s Reach fire in 1996.

In addition to her husband of 54 years, Mrs. Pinkerton is survived by four sons, Rick Pinkerton and wife, Christy of Wasilla, Jeff Pinkerton and wife, Maria of Millers Creek, N.C., Jerry Pinkerton Jr. and wife, Doreen of Moravian Falls, N.C., Andy Pinkerton and wife, Sarah of Boomer, N.C.; one sister, Nancy Hicks of Connecticut; one brother, Terry Dunn of Virginia; 14 grandchildren, Caitlin, Jared, Norman and wife, Heidi, Andrew, Matthew, Thomas, Derek, Joshua, Elisa, Randi, Hannah Adam, Rory Pinkerton and Tyler Johnson.

Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to Wilkes Prison Ministries, PO Box 253, North Wilkesboro, NC, 28659 or to Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church Building Fund, 239 Champion Mt. Pleasant Road, Wilkesboro, NC, 28697.

Reins-Sturdivant Funeral Home in North Wilkesboro will be in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be made at www.reinssturdivant.com.