Grace Dickens Ewing

Grace Dickens Ewing left this world on December 26, 2014 after a long Hospice stay and a brief battle with congestive heart failure. She leaves behind a daughter and two sons. Born November 7th, 1925, she was one of seven sisters and one brother. She learned to share early on and it was instilled in all her children.

Born in Smithfield, NC she was a depression era child and a WWII teenager. While her father was stationed at Camp Davis with the Civil Service, she worked in the medical dispensary at the base. She reasoned that at some time she might like to go into nursing.

At 5’10” tall, she was athletic and attractive. From Camp Davis, she enrolled into East Carolina Teachers College at Greenville, NC. Active at the college in intramural sports and social activities, she stayed for two years before she felt the call of nursing and she dropped out of ECTC to enroll in the Rex Hospital School of Nursing in 1946.

During her time at nursing school in Raleigh, she met a young Navy Veteran, who was crop dusting at the time. The first two outings were double dates, and Dan Ewing and Grace Dickens, clicked. Married in 1949 after she graduated from nursing school, the rest is history.

Grace came to Havelock, NC in 1951 soon after the birth of her son Samuel. Her first job as a nurse had been in Troy, NC at the Montgomery County Hospital. While living in Havelock, in the early years she worked at St Luke’s Hospital in New Bern, NC. Her second son Daniel was born there in 1955. When St. Luke’s closed, she moved to the new Craven County Hospital where her daughter Frances was born in 1963. She worked all areas in the hospital. Her expertise in her profession elevated her to the night supervisor on the 3-11 shifts. She was ultimately offered Director of Nursing by her administrator, but she declined as to be able to spend more time with family. Grace continued with nursing until the late 1980’s when she retired.

She had 49 years with her husband and enjoyed telling “Dan“stories to those close to her after his passing. Grace was well read, a great friend, skilled bridge player, loyal wife, and loving mother and a perpetuator of the Christmas Spirit to all of her family. One of the great ladies of Havelock, her presence will be missed.

She is survived by three children, Sam Ewing (Wendy) of Charleston SC, Dan Ewing (Dianne) of Mobile Al, and Frances Blue (Craig) of Hubert NC and two sisters Rosa Phillips, Dr. Doris Wilson and her brother-in-law William Ewing; six grandchildren, two great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral service will be Monday, December 29, 2014 at 11:00am at Cotten Funeral Home. The family will receive friends at the funeral home following the service. Burial will be in Forest Oaks Memorial Gardens.

Online condolences may be made to the Ewing Family at www.cottenfuneralhome.com