Georgia Frances Smith Cline of Boiling Springs, NC, passed away peacefully on Monday, April 5, 2021 and is now celebrating her eternal life with our Lord, Jesus Christ. She was 94.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Pervy Augustus Cline, Jr. She is survived by her son, Malcolm (Elizabeth) Cline, of Boiling Springs, NC; daughter, Susan (John) Cline Balentine, of Waynesville, NC; son, Tim (Wendy) Cline, of Durham, NC; and son, Robert (Tim) Cline, of Santa Rosa, CA. She was blessed with seven grandchildren: Esther Cline Niemasik, Thomas Cline, John Benjamin Balentine, Joshua Balentine, Charles Balentine, Ellen Cline, and Laura Cline.

Born on March 21, 1927, in Birmingham, Alabama to Theodore Westcott Smith and Annie Beatrice Blackstone Smith, Georgia was an only child and grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. Following graduation from high school, she obtained her degree from Howard College, which later became Samford University, in Birmingham, Alabama. After college, she served from 1948-1950 as an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Mary Hardin Baylor University, in Belton, Texas. At this point in her life, Georgia was not certain whether she should pursue psychology or a life devoted to Christianity and submitted applications to several institutions in both areas of interest. The Lord, always working in ways mysterious to us, saw to it that she received an offer to devote her life to Christianity first. She first attended the Southern Baptist Women's Missionary Union Training School, and then the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, in Louisville, Kentucky, where she met the love of her life, Pervy Augustus (P.A.) Cline, Jr. whom she married on December 21, 1951.

After graduation from Seminary, the couple relocated to Oxford, NC, while P.A. took courses at Duke University. Georgia worked as a secretary from 1952-1953 at the National Guard Armory in Oxford and in 1954 was blessed with the birth of her first son, Malcolm. In 1954, Georgia and P.A. were appointed by the Southern Baptist International Mission Board to serve as missionaries in Bangkok, Thailand. While serving there, Georgia gave birth to her daughter, Susan, and second son, Tim. Georgia spent her time there using pastels to draw pictures of Bible stories to share with the Thai people. Georgia, P.A., and family returned for good to the United States in 1961.

Georgia and P.A. lived in Chapel Hill while P.A. completed his Master's Degree in Classics. Georgia worked as a secretary to the great educator and librarian, Louis Round Wilson. Upon completion of his studies P.A. was appointed a professor at Meredith College. The family moved to Cary, NC and while there, Georgia gave birth to her third son, Robert. The family then moved from Cary to rural Carpenters Community in Wake County.

In 1966, P.A. was offered a position at Gardner-Webb College and the family relocated to Boiling Springs. Georgia was active in the Boiling Springs Baptist Church and was also a homemaker. In the summer of 1971, she completed her Master's Degree in Psychology at Appalachian State University. She was employed by Crest Senior High School as a Guidance Counselor from 1969 until she retired in 1984. It was while she was a guidance counselor that she touched and cared for many students, always there to be a support person as well as encouragement for the students futures. In particular, she had a special place in her heart for the most vulnerable students. Her nature was to be a healer, and she was full of sympathy and care for others.

Even in retirement Georgia remained a loving pastor's wife. Her home was a haven for ministerial students from Gardner-Webb. She regularly made available space in her home, rent-free, for students at Gardner-Webb studying to enter the ministry. She was a member of the Boiling Springs Baptist Church from 1967 - 2021. During that time she served for several years as the Minister of Education and as an Adult Sunday School teacher for more than 40 years. Georgia was a faithful servant to the Lord her whole life. She was compassionate and giving to
others and always put others needs ahead of her own.

She had several passions in life besides her faith. First was her love of gardening and landscaping. She inherited her love of plants from her grandfather, who owned a nursery/florist business in Birmingham before the depression years. Georgia, along with her family and friends, spent many hours enjoying her flowers and beautiful yard. Another passion was sewing and quilting. Every family member has beautiful quilts that she hand quilted. Georgia spent many joyful hours enjoying her sewing and creating quilts for others to cherish. Her hands were always busy creating beautiful things. Painting was also something she had a passion for. She loved cats and spent time spoiling whichever was the family cat at the time. Her love of the beach was shared by the family and there wasn't a summer that went by that the family didn't make its annual trip to the beach. She loved the shells and walking on the beach. Many happy memories were made there. Georgia also delighted sharing in the lives of her children and grandchildren. Although she will be greatly missed by family and friends, we are certain she is in heaven helping the Good Lord with a craft project or transplanting azaleas in the Heavenly Gardens.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to one of the Boiling Springs Baptist Church mission offerings. Boiling Springs Baptist Church 307 S. Main Street, Shelby, NC 28152 704-434-6244, info@boilingspringsbaptist.org.

No Services are planned at this time but will be announced at a later date.

Arrangements entrusted to Robert Morgan Funeral and Cremation Service of Boiling Springs of NC. Online condolences may be made at www.rsmorganfsl.com.