Sara “Ethel” Montgomery, 91, died Thursday, March 17, 2011 in Spanish Fort.
She was born on Jan. 30, 1920, in Stokes County, N.C. She was the second oldest of 12 children and grew up on a farm. Upon completion of high school, she worked herself through nursing school at St. Leo’s Hospital in Greensboro, N.C., and went to work as a registered nurse after graduation.
She walked to work at the hospital and happened to pass by a fire station on the way. She caught the attention of a young firefighter who whistled at her, and thus she met her future husband, Floyd Montgomery. They married in 1942 prior to his deployment to Europe as an enlisted man in the Army Air Corps.
Upon his return from the war, they settled down in Charlotte, N.C., and began their family, consisting of daughter, Sara; and son, Tom.
They both developed a life-long love affair with golf and dancing, which they shared until his untimely death in 1984 shortly after he retired as president of a local contracting firm. They were hard-working independent stock, so representative of their generation. They asked for nothing but opportunity to earn their own way, and they did so beautifully.
After his death, she continued her pursuit of golf, bridge and dancing until health problems forced her relocation to Westminster Village in 2000 to be closer to family. This was especially difficult for her, as she was a die-hard Tar Heel and thought North Carolina the most beautiful state in the Union.
At Westminster, she enjoyed bridge, line dancing and the exercise classes until her health declined in the last six months. She passed away under the caring supervision of Westminster staff, Odyssey Hospice and family.
Survivors include a daughter Sara Montgomery of Jacksonville, Fla.; son, Tom (Robin) Montgomery of Spanish Fort; three grandchildren, Bryan Norris of Charlotte, Jennifer (Rick) Hodges of Panama City Beach, Fla., and Melissa Montgomery of Daphne; and great-granddaughters, Savannah Grace Hodges and Alyssa Lynn Hodges of Panama City Beach.
The family wishes to publicly acknowledge and thank Westminster Village and Odyssey Hospice staff for their compassionate and loving care for Ethel.
She will be remembered in a private service for the family at Providence United Methodist Church in Spanish Fort.
Arrangements are by Mack Funeral Home & Crematory Inc., Robertsdale.
