Johnsie C. Setzer

Johnsie Crawford Setzer passed away on Friday, October 23, 2015 after suffering 14 years with Alzheimer’s. She was born in Catawba County on May 13, 1924 to the late Thomas Alonzo and Effie Hudspeth Crawford.

She is survived by her husband of 76 years, Willie A. Setzer; her children, sons, Larry and wife, Chris, of Walls, MS, Stanley and wife, Melissa, of Newton, NC, Timothy of the home; daughter, June and husband, Charles Elmore, of Catawba, NC; grandchildren, Greg Setzer (April), Callie Gilchrist (Sean), Becky Cox (David), Sarah Shelton, Larry Setzer Jr. (Sonya), William (Will) Setzer (Shannon) and Stanley Setzer II (Melissa), A. J. (Katy) and Jerry Punch (Charity); great grandchildren, Amber Burnett, Heather Dunn, Carl Pope (Jessica), Ashley Hewitt (Kenneth), Rachel Cox, Jacob Pope, Zachary Pope, Isaiah Pope, Adam Hoffman and Anna Hoffman, Westin and Austin Setzer, Sophia Punch, Grayson Setzer, and Jackson Punch; great-great grandchildren Ava Dunn, Owen Dunn, Tavin Pope, Makayla Setzer, Wesley Anderson; and brother, Walter Thomas Crawford.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her sisters, Era, Mary Belle, Marie, Gladys, Elizabeth, Louise, Faye; brothers, Fred, Vernon, and Glenn Crawford.

Johnsie and Willie were married November 23, 1938. They would have celebrated their 77th wedding anniversary in November. Johnsie graduated from Catawba High School where she was the salutatorian of her class. She loved playing basketball and was selected on the 1940-41 first string girls All-American team. She attended Lenoir Rhyne College and graduated from Clevenger’s Business College where she played on their team. She enjoyed working in her church at Shiloh United Methodist serving as a Sunday School Teacher, church council member, Girl Scout Leader, conference delegate, choir member, playing basketball on the church team and in many other capacities. Johnsie was a Statesville District Delegate to the Western NC Methodist Conference serving at least 5 times. She, along with help from husband, Willie, Charles Conner and Richard Howard, hosted a luncheon for the Statesville District pastors at the Maggie Valley Country Club each of the years she served as disctrict delegate. While working with the 4-H groups (leading two at the same time) she was chosen by the state extention staff to attend the National 4-H Congress in Chicago as a delegate several times where she also recognized for her work and dedication. Her interest in 4-H led her to form the country’s first 4-H Teen Caravan. In 1970, she traveled abroad for 6 weeks taking a group of sixteen 4-H teenagers from North Carolina to several countries in Europe. She was the first woman appointed to the Board of Directors of the Catawba County Men’s Christian Association (YMCA). She was the American Cancer Society executive director for several years.

In her early years, she was the telephone switchboard operator in Catawba. She and husband, Willie, built and ran the Catawba Restaurant. She worked nine years as treasurer of the ASCS in Newton and later worked in the family owned Setzer Well and Pump Company and Water Systems. She formed her own Travel Agency, leading groups to the Bahamas (over 30 times), Hawaii, inaugurations in Washington, DC (for both parties), she took several groups to Plains, GA to see the Carters and to numerous other places.

Johnsie had been involved in politics since she was old enough to vote. She worked in the local, state and national elections. She was a delegate to the National Democratic Conventions 5 times and worked on the Convention Site Selection Committee twice. She believed that if you did not exercise your right to vote, you did not have the right to complain about the outcome of an election or what was done by those elected.

The Hickory Daily Record recognized Johnsie in January 2000 as one of the ten most influential people in the Western North Carolina area in the past century.

Even though she was a strong supporter of the Heart Association, American Lung Associaton and the American Cancer Society, she strongly encouraged support of the AlzheimerAssociation as Alzheimer’s took the lives of her Mother and eight of her siblings.

A Service of Remembrance will be held on Sunday, October 25, 2015 at 4:00 p.m. at Shiloh United Methodist Church with Rev. Deval Mason officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

The family will receive friends on Sunday from 2:00 to 3:45 p.m. prior to the service.

Memorials may be made to Shiloh United Methodist Church, 1648 Shiloh Road, Claremont, NC 28610.