Bryte Efird

On Monday, July 22nd, 2013, Bryte Little Efird, departed her earthly home for her promised place with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. After an extended period of declining health, she passed away peacefully in her home of 60 years, surrounded by her loving family and friends. Mrs. Efird was born in the Stanfield community on February 21, 1924 to the late Walter and Jane Little. She was the youngest of three sisters, Eula Little Teeter and Bronnie Little Braswell, who both preceded her in death. In 1944, she married the love of her life, Hazel Dunn Efird, which began a wonderful partnership that lasted 60 years until his death in 2004. A graduate of Stanfield High School, Mrs. Efird received her degree in Business Administration from Catawba College and her teaching certificate in 1944. For over 30 years, she taught different business subjects in the North Carolina school system, primarily at Bethel, Stanfield and West Stanly High School. After retiring from teaching, she spent several years working in the Stanly County Schools Bus Transportation office before leaving public service to become a full time homemaker and grandmother. Her business training positioned her with the skills she needed for life. She helped her husband with the accounting for the farm and was able to serve many roles at her church, Love’s Grove Methodist. At different times she served as church historian, cemetery fund treasurer, active member of the choir, UMW and administrative council, and as a delegate to annual conference. Until 2013, she was responsible for maintaining the church membership rolls, which allowed her to write a note of welcome to all new members. A life-long member of Love’s Grove UMC and the Stanfield community, her life was a tapestry woven with the lives of her family, friends, and former students. Her acts of kindness and love blessed many lives at all ages and her goal in life was to offer Christ and His love to all she met. That may have been harder in a classroom of 30 teenagers than it was with a three year old waiting for a warm cookie, but her heart was always the same. Her many cards of encouragement, appreciation and invitation to friends, family and new acquaintances kept the US post office in the black. She and Hazel shared the same heart for giving-- rarely did a visitor to her kitchen leave empty handed or unfed. Their summer garden was a source of pride, having learned to tend it from her mother, and she made many calls each summer to friends to come pick up a bag of corn, beans or tomatoes. Those gifts of love and sharing have been appreciated by many and were returned to her ten-fold through kindness and considerations too numerous to mention. While comforted by the knowledge that she is in a better place, her surviving family will miss her greatly and includes her two sons; H.D. Efird, Jr. and his wife, Janice, Terry Efird and his wife, Kathy, and her grandson, Patrick Efird. Visitation will be at Hartsell Funeral Home in Midland from 6:00 to 8:00 pm on Wednesday, July 24. A Celebration of her life will be held at Loves Grove United Methodist Church in Stanfield at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 25, 2013. The family would like to thank all those friends and family who provided care, prayers and support to Mrs. Efird, including Hospice of Union County. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials may be made to the building or cemetery fund at Love’s Grove United Methodist Church, PO Box 276, Stanfield, NC, 28163.