Vesta "Veegie" Slaughter Short

Veegie was born July 1, 1921 in Greenville, SC to Gibbons Glover Slaughter and Vesta Owens Slaughter as the sixth of nine children in the family. During part of her childhood she grew up on a family farm near Davidson, but spent most of her life here in Charlotte. She attended Dilworth Elementary, Alexander Graham Jr. High and Charlotte Central High. Later, she attended Women’s College of UNC (now UNC-G), Queens College and graduated from UNC-C.

A classic beauty, she was employed as a clothing model during her high school and early college years. In 1942 she married her high school sweetheart, H. Milton Short, Jr. During WW II the couple lived near U.S. Army Air Corps bases in various states while her husband served in the military.

From 1955 until 1977 she served in several capacities on the staff of Myers Park Baptist Church, and served several terms as chairman of the American Baptist National Board of Educational Ministries. In 1977 she was employed by American Baptist Ministries in Valley Forge, PA. This work involved visiting churches in many different locations across the U.S. in connection with the denomination’s Evangelistic Lifestyle Program. Included in this work were assignments with Princeton Continuing Education Center, The United Presbyterian Churches USA, the United Methodist Church, and the National Council of Churches.

She was a devoted mother, wife, homemaker and family person. She had a positive, sunny attitude, which reflected a joyful innocence, with contagious smiles and laughter that quickly made everyone her friend. She was a natural optimist and tried to see something good in everyone she met. For many years she was a member of L’Histoire Book Club with a number of her friends.

She is predeceased by her parents; by her husband; and by seven of her brothers and sisters. She is survived by her son, Harold Milton Short III and his wife, Mary Mayville Short; by her daughter, Gay Patterson; by her sister, Martha Madsen of Tucson, AZ; as well as by numerous nieces and nephews.

A service to honor the memory of Veegie’s life will be held in the Great Room of Southminster Retirement Community, 8919 Park Road, Charlotte, NC 28210 at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, November 3rd with a reception following. Veegie will be privately interred beside her husband in Forest Lawn West Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Southminster, 8919 Park Road, Charlotte, NC 28210; to Carrington Place Nursing Home, 600 Fullwood Lane, Matthews, NC 28105; or to the charity of the donor’s choice.