Nell McSwain Patton

She was born July 7th, 1917, in Bethlehem, NC (not the one in which Jesus was born), the daughter of Marcus and Minnie McSwain. She was one of eight children.

She joyously married Pete Patton on September 24th, 1942. She graduated from high school at age 15 (she was really smart!) and graduated from Appalachian State Teachers’ College in 1938, where she received degrees in Math, Chemistry and English.

After graduating from college, she taught in Houston, Texas, Cary, NC and for many years in the Gaston County schools, including Tryon HS, Gastonia HS, Victory School, Hunter Huss HS and retired from Ashbrook HS in 1983. She was admired, beloved and revered by her students, many who still kept in touch with her. She taught Sunday School at Dallas Baptist Church for over 60 years, where she was ordained the first female deacon and was President of the WMU for over 40 years. She placed service above all in her daily walk with Christ.

She was preceded in her death but her husband, daughter, Sharon Sherrill, her siblings, and parents.

She is survived by two daughters, Tara Gilmore (Kim) and Patricia Empson (Nick) of Charlotte, three grandchildren, Erin Hoffman (Josh), Ross Gilmore (Crystal), Page Empson (?) and three great grandchildren, Rileigh, Bella, and Emma.

Memorial services will be held at Dallas Baptist Church at 330 pm, preceded by interment at Gaston Memorial Park at 2 pm on Sunday, March, 12th, 2017. Visitation is at the church at 245 pm, preceding the service.

Donations can be made to the Cancer Research Institute at 1 Exchange Plaza, 55 Broadway, Suite 1802, New York, NY, 10006 (in honor of her granddaughter, Erin Hoffman).

The staff at Carothers Funeral Home at Gaston Memorial Park is honored to serve the Patton Family.