Irene Meredith Clifton

On December 2, 2012 Irene Clifton, 79, left this world to take the place reserved for her in the Kingdom of Heaven. A devoted member of Martinsville Church of God / Mercy Crossing, she lived her life as an example to others- filled with selfless acts and compassion for all people. The daughter of Floyd Isaiah and Doskie Hollandsworth Meredith, Irene grew up in the Cotton Mill Hill area of Martinsville and later moved off Barrows Mill Road to raise a family. On their 11-acre farm, she and M.H. "Jim" Clifton lived out the rest of their lives. After his passing in 1996, she continued to live there and maintained a schedule filled with weekly meetings with her beloved T.O.P.S. group, Church at Mercy Crossing, dinners with her children and grandchildren, and gatherings with friends. Before retiring from her 20-year service with American of Martinsville she explored various entrepreneurial adventures with her husband: they ran the canteen at the local VFW and a timber cutting business that supplied pulp wood to the paper mills. Even concurrently working at these side ventures and at Lacy's Manufacturing and later at American of Martinsville, she still successfully raised children and grandchildren, enriched the lives of her extended network of family and friends, and was an active participant in her church. She always spoke of how proud she was of her children, grandchildren, and family. Irene was preceded in death by her parents and husband M.H. "Jim" Clifton, as well as brother Jimmy Meredith and sister Pauline Stegall (Bill). She leaves behind children Martha McGhee (Dewey), Guy Clifton, and Patsy Hokanson (Gary), grandchildren Brandon Clifton (Lisa Liang, step-granddaughter Dawn Lawrence, sister Ruth Brown (George), nephews Parker Lee Stegall (Barbara) and Billy Stegall, Keith Meredith (Sparkle), niece Lori Harris (Wayne), great nephew and neice Aaron and Chelsea Harris, and a wealth of extended family and friends. The family graciously appreciates your support and in lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Irene Clifton to The Church at Mercy Crossing, 1978 Joseph Martin Highway Martinsville, VA 24112. The funeral service will be held Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 11:00 AM at McKee-Stone Funeral Home in Martinsville with the Rev. Jackie Poe and the Rev. Jimmy Wood officiating. Interment will follow in Roselawn Burial Park. The family will receive friends Tuesday from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at McKee-Stone Funeral Home. To express condolences on line, please visit www.collinsmckeestonemartinsville.com.