Thelma Palmer Coleman

Thelma Kimball Coleman died peacefully after a short stay in hospice care on February 23, 2024 at her home in the Brookdale Robinwood Assisted Living Facility in Gastonia, NC due to a natural death. She was 87.

Thelma Palmer Kimball was born on April 4, 1936 in Wise, NC to her parents, Joseph “Joe” Alexander and Essie Palmer Salmon Williams Kimball. She graduated from Mars Hill College, Carson-Newman College with a teaching degree in the 1950s and obtained a master’s degree in reading from Appalachian State University in the late 1970s. Her teaching career officially started in the late 1950s in a Kalamazoo, MI school where “every classroom had a piano”. She married Donald “Don” Ray Coleman on August 7, 1960 at her childhood church in Wise, NC. The Colemans lived in several locations: Germany during Don’s stint in the Army; Raleigh, NC where Thelma walked pregnant past the Governor’s mansion toward her teaching position at Women’s Prison and they attended Tabernacle Baptist Church; Fayetteville, NC where she worked as a pregnant sales clerk and assistant pastor’s wife and Lynchburg, VA as a pastor’s wife and sales clerk.

Their final move was to Gastonia, NC where Thelma taught fourth grade at Chapel Grove Elementary for many years, retiring in 1997. The family attended First Baptist Church of Gastonia (FBC) where Thelma and her daughters would spend every Wednesday night` eating dinner and attending various religious activities as teacher/students including Acteens and Girls in Action. After her daughters matured, she gravitated toward care of the younger children and was a long time care giver and leader in the 2 year-old Sunday School where she was accompanied by her husband when possible.

Throughout her working years, she supported her family and husband with her Christian values, quietly implementing the more outward racial equality stance of her husband. She lived as she believed, that all were equal in God’s eyes. In retirement, when she and Don were not busy traveling extensively to all 50 states and Canada, Thelma was devoted to giving and serving her church and family as well as assisting elderly neighbors. Thelma enjoyed singing in the FBC Joy Club with Don and some of her final words included singing out “When the Roll is Called Up Yonder”. She made plans constantly to visit or care for her grand children whenever possible; Thelma’s family members were all recipients of well crafted clothes and toys due to her prowess as a seamstress. A teacher forever, all the grand kids received extra exposure to educational pursuits by their loving grandma. She was almost always teaching even when you thought it was just fun.

Thelma is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Donna Joyce Coleman (formerly Stankus) and Corrado Emmanuel Vinci of Garner, NC; her daughter and son-in-law, Susan Lynn and Robert “Bob” Null of Bessemer City, NC; and three grandchildren: Justin Coleman Null of Bessemer City, Delia “Dani” Rose Stankus of Raleigh, NC, and Evan Walker Null of Boston, MA. She is preceded in death by her husband, her parents; her sister, Elizabeth Foster Collier; and her brothers, Robert Harnett Williams and Alton Joseph Kimball.

Thelma Coleman has donated her body to Wake Forest University Medical School and was conveyed there by Carothers Funeral home on February 26, 2024. A memorial for both Thelma and Don will take place in the future once her ashes have been returned to the family; their final resting place is expected to be at the Wise Baptist Cemetery in Warren County.