Welcome! Friday, March 29, 2024 | Login | Register
   
Rosa K. Byers

Ms. Rosa K. Byers departed from this life to be with her Lord and Savior on January 10, 2020. She was born in Greensboro, NC on October 18, 1934, to the late Roy Lee and Mildred Inez Frost Keith. She was the second to the oldest of their four children and she was raised in Salisbury, NC.

While attending JC Price High School, she received her education and was a majorette for the school marching band. During this period of her life, she also received a very prestigious and honorable title when she was voted and crowned as Home Coming Queen. As a graduate and Athletic Hall of Fame Recipient (inducted in 2009 for her outstanding performance in basketball) of JC Price High School, she furthered her education by attending Barber Scotia College. She decided to transfer to A&T State University in Greensboro, NC and graduated in 1958 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education / Physical Education.

Mother started her teaching career as well as becoming a basketball coach in Portsmouth, VA and Warrenton, VA. Upon relocating to NC, she taught in the cities of Troy, and Forest City. After teaching in these various cities, she became a resident of Cleveland County in 1968 and began teaching fifth grade over a span of eighteen years at Waco and Washington Elementary Schools. Later, she was assigned to teach physical education at Township Number 3 Elementary School and taught there until retiring in 2003. She valued education and expressed it everywhere she went. Mother was a caring and devoted teacher that mentored a lot of her students. She taught them, they can do anything if they set their minds to do and trust God to do it. Between teaching in the states of Virginia and North Carolina, her career spanned over 43 years of teaching.

Mother was a member and held a position as a secretary of the first Afro-American Teachers Credit Union in Cleveland County. Mother was a devoted member of Ryburn United Presbyterian Church in Shelby, where she served on the Session Board Committee, Choir Member, and Women's Association. She formed the Adult High School Education Program at Ryburn where she collaborated with Cleveland Community College, so the adults would be able to earn their GED which was a very successful program. Later, in her life she decided to go back to her "Baptist" roots and moved her membership to Hoppers Chapel Baptist Church.

Mother was a caring and loving woman of God who not only cared for her own children, but opened up her heart to others. She was a very strong disciplinarian, which other teachers would often get her advice or bring their students to her to be disciplined. She taught us to treat others the way we wanted to be treated, be honest, caring and loving. She always would say "live your life because tomorrow isn't promised". Mother always kept it REAL no matter if it hurt your feelings or not.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brothers, Sims Wiley Saunders, Jr of Tyler, TX, William Lee Keith of Charlotte, NC and Roy Lee Keith, Jr. of Greensboro, NC; son-in-law, William E. McDonald, II of Shelby, NC; sister-in-law, Phyllis Keith of Greensboro, NC and her longtime friend, Mae Wright Nivens. She leaves to cherish her memory, five children, Denise D. McDonald of Shelby, NC; John W. S. Byers, III also of Shelby, Juan F. M. Byers of Kings Mountain, NC, Vesta L. Byers of Atlanta, GA and Zeni R. Byers-Corry (Stephan) of Gastonia, NC; nine grandchildren, Chiquana Burston, Amy McKenna, Jan'ET McDonald-Watley (Brandon), Rosa McDonald, Keyana March, Ruthie McDonald-Hall (Deitrick), Zantavius Hopper (fiancée, Shawnta), Billy McDonald, III and Gabrile Williams; 17 great-grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, January 18, 2020 at 1:30 PM at Family Worship Center Church of God in Kings Mountain, NC. Burial will take place at Webb Memorial Lawns. The family will receive friends from 1:00 PM until 1:30 PM on Saturday.


Printer-friendly format