Connie Jo Carter

Today we honor the life of Connie Jo Drum — born June 16, 1967, raised in Lincolnton, North Carolina, and forever remembered as the woman who held her family together with love, grit, and unwavering faith.

Connie loved her children, her family, and her friends with a devotion that was fierce and limitless. If you were part of her life, you would know it. She didn’t just care — she covered people. She protected them. She carried them. She would do the world for the people she loved, and she proved it every single day.

Her strength was unmatched. Connie was the one who stood tall when life got heavy. She was the one who kept going when others felt like giving up. She was the one who made sure her family didn’t fall apart. She wasn’t just strong — she was the glue, the foundation, the steady force that held everything together.

And she did all of this with faith that shaped her life. Connie boldly professed Jesus Christ as her personal Lord and Savior. Her faith wasn’t quiet or hidden — it was lived out in her compassion, her endurance, and her ability to love without limits. She walked with Christ, trusted Him, and now rests fully in His presence.

Anyone who knew Connie also knew her nickname — “The Face.” She had a way of speaking without saying a word. Her expressions could tell the truth, call out nonsense, or make you laugh until you cried. That look was iconic. It was part of her charm, part of her honesty, part of what made her unforgettable.

Connie was the strongest woman her family ever knew. She didn’t just raise a family — she anchored one. She didn’t just love people — she lifted them. She didn’t just endure life — she overcame it with courage, humor, and faith.

Those left to cherish her memory include her father, Floyd Drum, and stepmother, Helen Drum, of Newton, NC; her brothers, John Drum and David Drum, and her sister, Tina Drum, all of Lincolnton, NC; her stepbrother, Robbie Morgan, of Newton, NC; her loving fiancé, Scott Preston, of Havelock, NC; her son, Robert Ford, of Lincolnton, NC; her stepson, Zachary Preston, of Fredericksburg, VA; and her seven beloved grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Linda Sullivan, of Lincolnton, NC, and her daughter, Chelsea Ford, of Lincolnton, NC.

Today, we feel the weight of her absence. But we also feel the power of her legacy. Her love is still shaping us. Her strength is still guiding us. Her faith is still inspiring us.

As Scripture says in 2 Timothy 4:7: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Connie did exactly that.

She fought. She finished. She kept faith.

And now she rests in glory — whole, healed, and held by the Savior she trusted.

We will miss her deeply. We will honor her always. And we will carry her strength forward, because Connie didn’t just leave memories — she left a legacy.