Published: June 26, 2008 03:46 pm            

Out 49 & Beyond - June 11, 2008

Mr. and Mrs. Carlee Staley of the Piney Ridge Community of Seagrove celebrated 60 years of marriage on June 16, 2008. The couple met while Mattie Brown Staley, who grew up in the Piney Ridge Community, was living with her sister in Liberty so she could go to high school. Carlee came from Randleman to visit his uncle who was Mattie’s sister’s husband.

I asked him if it was love at first sight. He answered very quickly: “Yes it was!”

The couple eloped and was married June 16, 1948. Mrs. Staley said she put a note in the flour barrel so her mother would find it that morning when she started to make biscuits.

The Staleys are really blessed. There aren’t many couples who are able to celebrate a 60th anniversary. Death or divorce interrupts many marriages. I asked them to what did they attribute the longevity of their union.

“We had our good days and bad days,” she answered, “but we trusted in the Lord and He kept us together.”

According to Mr. Staley, “The Lord helped us stay together, we had our ups and downs, but we stayed together.”

“The family that prays together, stays together,” their daughter added.

The Staleys are members of Piney Ridge UMC and sing in the senior choir. Mr. Staley serves as a Lay Speaker and is well known for his great singing voice.

Mrs. Staley is retired from Ramtex in Ramseur after 30 years of service and Mr. Staley retired from Perdu Poultry Company and drove a school bus for over 30 years.

They have three sons – Wes Staley and Jerome Staley of Asheboro and Otis Staley of Seagrove – and four daughters, Denise McKinzie of Seagrove, Cathy McLaughlin of Ramseur, Elizabeth Foxx of Liberty and Barbara Green of Liberty. There are 14 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

I asked Mrs. Staley if she had any advice for young couples contemplating marriage. “Make sure you know what you’re doing,” she said, “give it a lot of prayerful consideration. Seek Godly advice.”



Pattye Harris of Ramseur shares news of interest from N.C. 49, the Empire Charge area and beyond. She can be reached at (336) 824-8198 and invites readers to call her with information they would like to share.

        

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