Eunice Hartley Watson

In a house on the Greasy Creek Road in Collettsville, North Carolina, the most positive human to ever live entered the world on Thanksgiving Day, 1935.  Eunice Maxine Hartley was born to the late Joseph Edward and Margaret Lamberth Hartley.  She was the younger sister of the late and greats Clell, Johnny, and Joseph Hartley.  Growing up on the farm, she learned the interconnectedness of all things and to be patient; she would hound these older brothers and get them to read to her, showing the signs of what became such an insatiable literary appetite.  Four years later, she gained her forever best friend with the birth of her sister, Josephine (Hutcheson). Riding bikes, washing and braiding the tails of her prize show calves, farming, reading, and school occupied Eunice’s early years.  While in school, she was one of the first female student bus drivers in Caldwell County, on the basketball team, and Senior Class President.

Eunice went on to Appalachian State University, worked at the Green Park Inn, and studied to become a teacher. Then, at age 19, she met the love of her life, Stuart Edward Watson.  About three months later, the two were married the day before her 20th birthday.  They created a home for anyone and everyone for 69 years.

The church, children, and God’s creations were Eunice’s passions. Eunice and Ed’s family grew with their children.  Their son, Stuart Junior, died in infancy. Then their daughters, Jean and Lora, came along, followed by one special child, Geraldine (Geri). During these years, almost 30 foster children found a home with the Watsons. As her babies grew up, she added more important people to her family, her sons-in-law: Dan Wing, Rick Williams, and Chuck Austin.

Eunice’s professional and civic life was one of fighting for the people and the environment. She taught in a number of Caldwell County Schools, including King’s Creek and Davenport.  She helped to start the homebound program here in the county and made sure to check on those students even after they became adults. Eunice took a sabbatical from full-time teaching and devoted her time to educating the community for a number of years before resuming time in the formal classroom. She was an avid 4-H leader of the Abington Road 4-H club, homeschool teacher/tutor for countless children, and spent time combing the Appalachian Mountains areas for the US Census. She was a board member, recruiter of physicians/fill-in administrator for West Caldwell Health Council (Collettsville Medical Clinic) in its early years, even opening up her home for doctors to live until securing their own home in the county. The Watsons hosted numerous 4-H exchange young people from Belgium, Italy, Germany, and Switzerland. They also welcomed bonus kids from Panama, Japan, Uganda, and from any other town where the child needed a place to stay for a weekend, a holiday break, or a summer.  Eunice was an active Sierra Club Member and often attended the regional meetings to see what we all should do to protect God’s wonderful creations. Once she returned to the formal classroom, some of her favorite teaching years were with the special students and families at The Patterson School.

In her 70s, Eunice would say, “We need to go and visit the little old people.”  She saw herself as young and wanted to share laughter and smiles to check on everyone. She was usually behind the camera lens at events or at least making sure that there would be a tangible visual memory of the occasion, even if she cut off peoples’ heads in the pictures. In addition to hosting people from different parts of the planet, she loved seeing the world through road trips and travelling abroad. She visited all 50 states and many different countries, and she loved to spend time with her grands: Renee (Paul) Austin, Keely (Nery) Rivas, Hannah Austin, Ciara Wing, and great-granddaughter Megan Austin. Thousands of photos in the Watson house show Hartley gatherings with those special nieces and nephews, the Watson “get-togethers” in Eunice and Ed’s basement, special friends’ children learning to ride a horse, so many parties, and happenings at Confidence Advent Christian Church.

There are no better words to describe Eunice than the eternal optimist with the most contagious smile, shining brightly so that we show love to each other.  When asked if things trouble her, Eunice just replied, “I prefer to think of happy things.”

She was born on Thanksgiving Day.  The world and all of us who were blessed to know her are in thanksgiving for all that Eunice Hartley Watson contributed to the betterment of this planet!

A visitation at 2pm will be followed by a 3pm service at Confidence Advent Christian Church on Friday the 28th of February. In keeping with Eunice's fondness for any sort of party, we are doing one last big shebang in her honor Friday evening at a yet-to-be-decided location.

Evans Funeral Service is honored to serve the family of Eunice Hartley Watson.