Ms. Lela Pearl McCrae Thompson-Chestnut

     Lela McCrae Thompson Chestnut, daughter of the late John Wesley and the late Mary McCrae was born January 11, 1949 in Hamer, SC. Lela passed away Friday May 4, 2018.

     She attended and graduated from Rosenwald High School in Fairmont, NC.

     Lela later met her childhood sweetheart John      Thompson. They were united in holy matrimony and to this union they were blessed with Kimberley and Tanya.

     Many years later Lela met and married the late Bishop Willy C. Chestnut. During this time she accepted the call of God into the ministry. She became an ordained minister in the St. Matthew Holiness Movement and Pastored at Bladenboro Holiness Church, Bladenboro, NC.

     Lela earned a Bachelor of Social Theology degree at Mill Branch Divinity School. Lela joined the Greater Highway Church of Christ where she faithfully attended until her health failed.

     She is preceded in death by her husband, the late Bishop Willy C. Chestnut, her parents, the late John Wesley and Mary McCrae, a sister Elizabeth, three brothers, John Charles McCrae, West McCrae Jr. and William Vance McCrae.

     Lela leaves to cherish her fond memories, two daughters, Kimberley Simms (Charlie) of Rocky Mount, NC and Tanya Peterson (David) of Fayetteville, NC; five grandchildren, Demetrius Thompson, (Topez) of Lumberton, NC; Shakira Green of Rocky Mount, NC; Deandre McCray of the home, Jarrod Bryant of Durham, NC; and Janiah Ivey of Fayetteville, NC; one great-grand, Heavyn Epps of Rocky Mount, NC; four sisters, Dorothy McDuffie of Fairmont, NC; Cleo Boyd (Lurrie) of Bronx, NY; Mary Thomas (Willie) of Fairmont, NC and Betty Glegg (Joseph) of Maplewood, NJ; one brother, Leonard McCrae of Fairmont, NC; three sister-in-law, Mary Lee McCrae, and Vivian Thompson, both of Fairmont, NC; Vera Bowden of Lumberton, NC and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and other friends.

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