Frances Marie Wilson Hauser

Mrs. Frances Wilson Hauser, 83, passed away at her home in Pilot Mountain, NC, on January 15th, 2024, after a very short illness.  She was born in Pilot Mountain, NC, on June 26, 1940, to the late Howard and Leila Wilson, but the breadth of her life extended well beyond the boundaries of that small geographic area during those two milestone dates.

She was a fierce and loyal woman who would let you know where she stood when it was important to express an opinion.  You would not want to be on her bad side, but you would feel unassailably safe if you were under her wing.  She loved her children more than anything and would do anything for them if they needed help.  Besides her family, those closest to her in her social circle could always depend upon her if she counted you among her friends.  She may have a had few vices, the specifics of which will go unmentioned here, but her virtues far outweighed those human flaws that everyone has.

She loved music and dancing, which was probably related to her seeing Elvis as a teenager.  She also had an enviable fashion sense and always wanted to look more than presentable when out in public, even if it was just a quick trip to the drugstore. She was always finding new smart outfits to wear, even though she never purchased one if she couldn't get a discount on it. Bargaining in general was one of her great skills and you wouldn't want to be on the other side of the table facing her. She loved reading a good mystery novel and would devour a book that met her high standards in less than a weekend. She liked to cook and was especially fond of hosting the family's Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Most years she would prepare the full spread from appetizers to desserts and everything in between all by her lonesome. Others couldn't be trusted with such an important task, although you might be allowed to bring the soda or extra rolls. Even though the task was exhausting, she enjoyed providing those meals to her loved ones and they definitely enjoyed eating them.  Although she greatly preferred a typewriter to a computer, she adapted to technology well and could change out a printer cartridge with the best of them.  Despite her ability to learn to use a computer later in life, she never mastered taking a photograph at any age, whether it involved a disposable instant camera, a Polaroid, or a smartphone. She definitely never mastered the selfie, but she was OK with that.  Surprisingly, she had a strong preference for iPhones over Androids, but she did not like, nor did she excel at texting. She would greatly prefer that you use your phone as an actual phone to communicate with her.

After graduating high school, she was, let's say "encouraged", to move away because she was too much of a boy magnet for such a small town.  The move likely did not have its intended effect as she returned to North Carolina not too long afterwards with a husband and two children who would follow shortly.  She would eventually spend most of her adult life in Winston-Salem, NC, raising a family and working full time. She was very proud of her ability to do both and thought everyone else ought to be able to perform those same duties, even though it required remarkable effort on her part to achieve them herself. She never fully realized how special she was in that regard.  Although she never had a lot materially, she always made do in a way that gave the appearance that she never had any struggles, despite the fact she would always put the needs of her loved ones above her own. She was very proud and very satisfied, rightly so, when she was able to pay her house off.

The greatest part of her career was spent as the office manager at Radar Security Alarm where most of her colleagues became more than coworkers, but true friends.  She stayed in contact with so many of them after their and her departure that it seemed like they were all still working together.  She took great pride in the work she did, especially looking after "her boys" that she would send out on service calls and installations.  Whenever a customer needed a problem solved or a question answered, they would inevitably call the office and say "let me speak to Fran."  They knew that she would get everything straightened out.  She was also the rare person who actually liked doing taxes and she helped dozens, if not hundreds, of people file them through the decades, right up until her passing.  This was despite the fact that she rarely charged anybody enough for her meticulous services.  H&R Block customers had no idea how much they could have saved by coming to her.

She never remarried after her second husband of over 20 years, Jim, passed away prematurely.  As her nest emptied and she approached retirement, she returned to her birthplace of Pilot Mountain, moving just yards away from the house she grew up in.  She strengthened many friendships and family ties that time and distance had frayed.  Sadly, just as with her husband, many of her close friends and relatives passed before they had the opportunity to fully realize all the experiences and joy of their deepened relationships.  She had suffered several health crises herself over the past few years, but she admirably fought through them and remained very proudly living independently until her passing.  She died at home, surrounded by her children, the way she wanted.

More than anything, Fran loved her family, especially her children and grandchildren.  She would do anything for them if she thought it was the right thing to do.  Whether you called her Momma, Mom, Granny, or just Fran, she would always be there for you.  She will be greatly missed by a great many for a great long time.

She is survived by her three children, Cynthia (Cindy) Thompson, Mark Leigh, and James (J.R.) Hauser; grandchildren, Mark Leigh, Jessica Cuevas, Savanna Miller, Chelsie Thompson, and Joshua Thompson; great-grandchildren, Dayton, Dylan, Maddox, Gavin, Owen, Jada, Jackson, Julianna, Luke, Laythan, and Jax; brother, James Wilson; among many friends, Joni Ward.

A graveside service will be held for Frances on Saturday, January 20, 2024, at 1:00 PM at Westlawn Gardens of Memory.

Hayworth-Miller Silas Creek Chapel is assisting the Hauser family.