Rachel Flinchum Harvey

Rachel Iris Flinchum Harvey, 94, died Tuesday, April 24, 2018. The first of four children, Iris was born January 12, 1924, to Roy and Carrie Luther Flinchum, in Spray (Eden), NC. At age nine, Iris became mother to her brothers and mentally challenged sister, a toddler, when Carrie died. Iris depended on neighbors to keep her sister, while she was in school and Roy was working. This worked until her senior year of high school, when her sister began to wander from caregivers, so Iris stayed home with Annie Jean.

She met Lynwood Harvey through friends, and they were married on August 26, 1944. By then he was a sailor, so she joined him in Florida. She was hired to rehab the interiors of hurricane damaged sea planes, by salvaging from the worst to repair the better ones.

After WWII, they settled in Danville, VA, with the first of their four children. They were hired at Dan River Mills, where she became our “original working mother”. Neither of their mothers had been employed outside the home. She worked the day shift, as a weaver, for 38 years. Lynwood teamed with her by working night shift as an electrician, in order to be the daytime stay at home parent. For 21 years, there was a preschooler at home.

As the Harvey’s began to put down their roots, they returned to the roots of their childhood, found a Pentecostal church home, were baptized in Sandy Creek, and dedicated their lives to the Lord. As with most families of faith, Iris was the head of spiritual life. Just as most, we had our family pew, Sundays and Wednesday evenings, and our designated altar at home, (sofa or chair) for family prayers. She “home schooled” us with sword drills, where she’d call out a Bible “address” and we would hunt for the scripture verses. Devotions were fun and informative, with a soft sermon tucked inside. The rest of her faith she modeled for her children, their spouses, her nine grandchildren, four great grandchildren, and for the world. Her children include, Pam Jones (Maynard Keeling), Darrell Harvey, deceased, Cynthia Siple (Sid) and Sonja Lewis (Tracy).

Iris and Lynwood kept work and play in good balance. During mill vacation week the family traveled, gypsy style, to camp at Daytona, or in the Smoky Mountains. After the two older children grew up and left home, they took the younger two out west, taking extra days without pay, to visit national parks. After the second Exodus of children, they downsized to saddle bags, and toured most of the forty eight states on their motorcycle, with the call of the highway beckoning them well into their seventies. Lynwood could not have offered Iris the moon and pleased her better. He was able to show her some spectacular moons when they biked to several space shuttle launches in Florida.

Gypsies they may have been, but home had its hold, whenever the children came with their grandchildren. Granny never tired of playing their games and giving them her attention. She was an encourager to them as they grew.

The Harvey’s moved to Lynchburg in 2003. Iris was a frequent volunteer at Park View Community Mission at 2420 Memorial Avenue, Lynchburg, 24501, for about six years. She served meals, sang along in the fellowship after meals, and assisted when the youth ministry was just beginning. Any donation of time or resources would be an honor to her.

Special thanks to New Century Hospice for their thoughtful, quality care.

The family will receive friends from 6 – 8 pm on Thursday, May 3, 2018 at Whitten Timberlake Chapel in Lynchburg during which a memorial service will be held starting at 7:15.

A graveside service will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, May 5, 2018 at Danville Memorial Gardens in Danville followed by a Celebration of Life at 2:00 pm at Schoolfield Pentecostal Holiness Church, 1380 West Main Street, Danville. There will be a time of fellowship following the service, in the church fellowship hall.