Rufus Bartley Sanders

Richlands, NC

Rufus Bartley Sanders died June 25th at New Hanover Memorial Hospital after a lengthy illness. He was born January 1, 1927 to Joseph B. and Tinseyan Sanders in Milton, Fl.

He was a World War II Veteran. After leaving the Army in 1946, Rufus married Carrie Whaley who was from Onslow County. They bought a farm and he became a tobacco farmer and later a pig farmer. He had a love for pigs since he was a young boy in Florida. He loved his land and was happiest spending time with family and friends at the farm. He was a simple man and lived his life by the Golden Rule.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife of 43 years Carrie Whaley Sanders, two sons Baby Boy Sanders and William Jimmy Sanders and his brother in law Newton Lassiter.

Rufus is survived by his daughter Betty Sanders-Seavey and her husband Robert Seavey of Jacksonville, grandson Ryan Seavey and fiancée Christine McKinney of Mt. Pleasant, granddaughter Natasha Auman and husband Jason Auman of Kannapolis, great grandson Brett Prosser of Jacksonville, sister Maudie Lassiter and niece Lynn Collins, great nieces Michelle, Kimberly, Krystal, and Kayla of Cantonment, Florida, and daughter in law Erma Lee Smith of Pink Hill, and special family Allan Meloni and fiancée Kelly Hall of Jacksonville.

A graveside service will be held on Tuesday at 2:00PM at Onslow Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to his boyhood family church; Gonzalez Baptist Church, 1590 Pauline St., Cantonment FL 32533 (www.gonzalezbaptistchurch.org)

Arrangements by Johnson Funeral Home of Richlands