Paul Jennings Embler

Paul Jennings Embler, 97, completed his course and passed into the more immediate presence of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Monday, March 4, 2024. He will be sorely missed. There will be a memorial service at Evans Funeral Home, 1070 Taylorsville Road SE, Lenoir at 2 o’clock p.m. on Thursday March 7, 2024, followed by interment in Laurel Haven Cemetery, 3599 Still Meadow Way, Lenoir. Pastor Tim Miller, of Mountain View Baptist Church in Southmont, NC will officiate. Paul is survived by his children Arch Embler (wife Debbie Weldon Embler), Nancy Embler Sigmon, (daughter Hannah Abernethy and husband Richard Trevorrow, son Kieran, and Nancy’s son Mikah Abernethy), David Embler (wife Gina Embler, son Jack Embler, Jack’s wife Brittany Embler, daughters Isabella and Liara, son Jack Junior, and David’s son Matthew Embler). Born in Candler, NC on October 10, 1926 to the late William Embler and mother Lilly Lamb Embler, Paul entrusted his life to Jesus Christ at the age of twelve, and said “My life completely changed.” He finished Candler High School as President of the 1944 class, and proceeded into pilot training for the Army Air Corps as a P-51 Mustang pilot. Shortly thereafter, the war ended and all cadet trainees were released from service. Paul attended and graduated from Mars Hill College with an associate degree in Chemistry. Intent on being a dentist, Paul found there was no dental school in North Carolina. Two out-of-state schools he applied to were only taking two people from NC, so he began work as a Lab Technician at the Oteen Veterans’ Administration lab in Asheville. In 1948 he attended a Sunday school class at Acton Methodist Church, and was spellbound by the young Helen Rogers. Suggesting they all introduce themselves, he learned where she was living, and visited her that afternoon. On June 10, 1950 they were married at Acton Methodist Church. Paul left Oteen and worked in sales for a roofing company where he gained knowledge of the building business. He moved the family to Jackson, MS in 1954 and started a brick company, American Dunnbrick. Paul became the number one masonry residential contractor in the state, with eighty employees, and was the only builder in the state building masonry homes on a big scale. Returning the family to North Carolina in 1962, he chose Lenoir because he had a friend in banking to help with materials financing. Paul worked as a contractor for remodeling and siding of homes, and was active in the community. He served as President of the Whitnel Elementary school PTA, and the family were members at Hudson First Baptist Church. Paul’s career path moved into sales, where he worked for Pitney Bowes as a District Manager for western North Carolina, and for Renn Enterprises as a District Manager for Western North Carolina, Eastern Tennessee, and southwestern Virginia. He eventually left sales and became an independent distributor of alarm equipment, with his business Mobile One in an office in Hudson, shipping product nationwide. He retired in 1996 and enjoyed years of Airstream camping and travel with his beloved Helen, until she passed away in 2020. Her departure was heartbreaking, but now we can rejoice that they are together with the Lord. Paul often took risks in the business world, but he did so prayerfully, trusting the Lord, and things turned out good. He would like you to know one thing, dear reader: Life is short. Put your trust in the One who said “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” (John 3:17-18)