Mrs. Georgeva Gerald Wright

It's with sadness and sorrow we officially announce the transition of Mrs. Georgeva Gerald Wright 100 of Lumberton. She transitioned from time to eternal peace on October 13, 2025.

HER SUMMER CHAPTER                  

Once upon a time on a late summer day out at the Hilly Branch community, on August 23, 1925, the good Lord sent a 3rd wonderful blessing to the young couple: Carson (a farmer) and Maggie Thompson Gerald (a teacher). They were so excited thinking that since they already had 2 sweet daughters, surely this next blessing would be their ‘awaited son’ — to be named GEORGE. However, God had other plans for the couple. Their little George had arrived, BUT….required an extension on the name to match the precious little girl arrival to be named GEORGEVA.  

HER SPRING CHAPTER

Early in life, Georgeva brought her parents a life with more surprises layered with joyful events from that day forward. She was a unique ‘knee-baby’ who set the pace two years ahead of her baby sister, Lois. It was Georgeva who often was happily crowned to be and accepted as ‘the leader of the sisters’ among the three: Eloise (Martin), Esther  (McArthur-Bowen) and the youngest, Lois (McArthur). Each daughter had a special love-place, but it was Georgeva who was a ‘daddy’s girl’ working outdoors most often alongside her beloved daddy. 

Georgeva learned very early about the importance of a tightly-knit, loving family with Christ being the only Source greater. Carson and Maggie were devout Hilly Branch church-going parents, preparing Saturday nights for Sunday, cooking Sunday dinner on Saturdays --  so naturally, Georgeva loved worshipping the Lord as fervently as they modeled. She confessed her trust and belief in Christ and was baptized at Hilly Branch Baptist Church.  Throughout her life, she loved the Lord with all her heart — and matured as “a young woman after God’s own heart.” This core value followed her throughout her entire life, mostly evidenced by her stewardship and servants-leadership for Christ impacting the church’s growth, the increased membership, the church’s first documented history, and her community’s improvement (Robeson County, Guilford County, and others). 

She was tenderly nurtured by her nuclear family and also by her extended village of aunts, uncles, and numerous close cousins (who grew up with her and attended the same schools through adulthood).  She was indeed a farmer’s daughter, who worked in the tobacco and cotton fields. Her farm life led to another passion later of loving nature and showcasing her bountiful vegetable garden and lovely flower gardens. She was also a homemaker’s daughter as she excelled in the kitchen; cooking, baking, canning, freezing for the winter, and preparing Sunday dinner for the preachers orchestrated by her mother; this always brought her joy.  Perfecting traditional/cultural recipes in order to indulge her love-ones and friends came naturally to her (chittlins, stewed chicken, fresh greens, cornbread dressing, grated sweet potato puddin’/pies, Watergate pies, and her 5 Flavor pound cake - - to name a few). 

Throughout her life, she loved being a mother and the best auntie ever. She was blessed to raise two daughters and indulge 3 grandsons whom she adored. That deep love was evident and reciprocal by each of them during her most challenging later years of health. She had developed another passion: She was an expert Pinochle card player, word searcher, crossword puzzle solver, and an avid reader who would steal away in her quiet time devouring her long novels where she traveled to new far away places and met new and diverse people.

This opened the doors to her successful career working with different ethnic groups and leading to her array of global travel experiences (Hawaii, California, New Orleans, New York, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas and many other popular U.S. places. As a world traveler, she adventured to four countries: Mexico, Canada, France and Italy. She saw the splendor of the Eiffel Tower of Paris, the Louvre of France, the Vatican City of Rome, and the St. Peter’s Basilica).

Georgeva was selfless when she had to make some very hard choices about moving her family from High Point back to Lumberton. Much of her energy was devoted to being her family manager and caretaker for her aging parents (Carson and Maggie Thompson Gerald), while bringing peace, guidance and positive memories to them, her family and countless others.  God gave her the gift to accept her calling for family leadership and find personal consolation in serving those whenever she could help.

HER AUTUMN CHAPTER

Everyone who was blessed to know Georgeva would consider her a high achiever and life-long learner - - all of her life.  She led a purpose-driven life that was centered around striving to be at the top of her goal attainments, educating all children under her guidance effectively, and serving her community.  Her matriculation started with her primary years the ‘Lil House Primary School’ (formerly Barnes School); she completed her high school education at Hilly Branch High School as salutatorian of the graduating class of 1942 at the early age of 16. She relished the positive academic competition, especially with her 1st cousin Raphael Thompson (valedictorian).  She attended Fayetteville Teachers College (now university) receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in Elementary Education (class of 1948).  She advanced her credentials, achieving her master’s degree in Elementary Education at A&T State University in 1966. In 1948, she began her profession as a fourth- and fifth-grade elementary teacher at the historic Rosenwald School in Fairmont (the John Lewis School).  She retired in 1982 from Robeson County Public Schools after serving children and their communities for 35 years, including 15 years teaching in Guildford Co. (High Point, NC). She continued to be instrumental orchestrating many wonderful family reunions and serving as administrator/documenter of the Thompson Family Cemetery (McDonald Road).

She was acknowledged as a leading collaborator of and contributor to an acclaimed research-based heirloom book (10 chapters, 406 pages) entitled The Thompson-Ashley Family Impact: Celebrating Our Past, Embracing Our Future (copyrighted 2024, published by Blurb.com; housed in the National Library of Congress).  She was often sought for her vast and accurate knowledge about her Thompson-Ashley-Gerald families’ documented genealogical records — some as far back as the 1700s — historical legacies, community impact such as her ancestral founding of The Thompson Institute (awarded a NC historical site/highway marker in 2015) and five Robeson County historical churches, which all still exist today.

HER WINTER CHAPTER 

Georgeva was blessed with 100 WINTERS.

She is now spending her 100th winter with her heavenly love-ones. As her niece shared, “Being the wonderful teacher she was, she can rest assured that she has taught us how to live well and how to die peacefully in Jesus’ name.” Early Monday morning, Oct. 13th, she awakened to put on her clothes (her heavenly robe) fit to leave so she could tell HER STORY of how she made it over. Her daughters shared that their mother passed with a lucid mind and a smile on her face.  Her legacy will be her encouraging spirit and LIGHT— a brilliant shining reflection of a healthy and healthful life; inspiring, leading, and demonstrating HOW to care for family, educate children, engage politically (vote), and improve community. 

The teacher has left us with some homework to learn and activate called Georgeva GEMS.

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