Essie Rowe Spruill

Essie Rowe Spruill of The Summit, Lynchburg Virginia, gently departed this life in her sleep on May 30, 2012. Born in Blount's Creek, North Carolina to Esau and Annie Rowe on August 14, 1923; her siblings were Mae, Celia, Thelma, Frances and Alton Rowe.

 

She attended Aurora primary and secondary school and at the age of 17 went to Rocky Mount, North Carolina to attend secretarial school. After the conclusion of the Second World War she married William Eli Spruill of Rocky Mount and moved to the Virginia area where they moved several times as Mr Spruill's work required. She gave birth to Leonard William Spruill in 1953, Micheal William Spruill in 1955, and James Woodfield Spruill in 1958. The family settled in Richmond in 1961 and she remained a full-time mother to her sons until the mid 1960s, when she again joined the civil service with the Federal Government at the Defense General Supply Center in Richmond, Virginia until her retirement in 1982.

 

She was an excellent and loving mother who delighted in reading and playing with her children. Every holiday was special, every birthday was remembered, and she had many loving friends in the Richmond area as well as all through the states of Virginia and North Carolina.

 

After her retirement she enjoyed family in her role as grandmother and was blessed with four grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Survivors are her son James W.Spruill of St Petersburg Florida, and his family Laurel, William, Joshua and David Spruill of St Petersburg as well as her grandchild Adam Nash Spruill of Lynchburg, his wife Liza and two great grandchildren Andrew and Ashton Spruill. She was extremely close with her son Bill (Leonard William, now deceased) and his wife Betty of Lynchburg and greatly enjoyed her role as 'The Flower Lady' of The Summit.

 

She enjoyed good health and great vitality all of her life and was a delight to all who knew her. She was as caring a person as could ever be found; nursing and watching over the sick and serving those who were less fortunate. This world is a poorer place for her loss but she was received with joy in Heaven and is now reunited with her family who have gone on before her. Those of us left behind will miss her for the rest of our earthly days but our faith is strengthened by the amazing grace shown to our family in the last days before her death. God is with us all and we will meet and embrace again beyond this world.