Verda Wilson Ingle

Verda Wilson Ingle, widow of Col. Carl Schomburg Ingle of Jacksonville FL, died Friday morning, August 22, at Baptist Wake Forest Medical Center in Winston-Salem NC. Mrs. Ingle was a resident of Appalachian Brian Estates in Boone NC. She was 99 years old.
Verda was born in Greenville NC on March 5, 1915, to parents Frank Wiley Wilson and Verda Mae Waldrop Wilson; her family was the first in Greenville to own an automobile. Verda was a member of Jarvis Memorial Methodist Church and graduated from Greenville High School and East Carolina Teachers College. After graduation she taught high school English and French in Stokes and later in Wilmington. Teaching thrilled her; she once organized a class trip to Washington DC for her students, some of whom had never been outside Pitt County before. To pay for the trip she organized and sold tickets for a hilarious ""all-male wedding"", featuring a very large boy dressed as the bride and a small one as the groom. She also wrote a short play, ""The Silver Candlesticks"", adapted from Les Miserables, which her students performed.
Verda left teaching to marry Carl Ingle in October, 1942, and after the war they settled in Carl's hometown of Jacksonville FL where they raised three children. In Jacksonville they were active members of St. Marks Episcopal Church for 60 years. Verda also was an active member of Garden Club of Jacksonville, and delighted in making floral designs and holiday decorations. She sewed all the time and made sensational Halloween costumes, including a memorable 4-legged Francis The Mule worn jointly by Frank and Carolyn. She also made legendary chocolate fudge and 3-layer caramel cakes, which she said were at least part of the reason why Carl proposed to her in summer of 1942.
After Carl's retirement they traveled all over the continental US, Canada, Hawaii, the Virgin Islands, and Europe. Verda retained a near-encyclopedic memory of every place they'd been, and there were many. She and Carl also spent many pleasant summers in Maggie Valley NC, where they attended Grace Church in the Mountains in Waynesville. After Carl's death in 2002, Verda moved to Boone NC where she occasionally attended St. Lukes Episcopal Church and Boone United Methodist Church. She also joined Gardenerettes Garden Club of Boone and was an active and enthusiastic member, attending her last meeting just a week before her death. She loved the Daniel Boone Native Gardens and spent much time thinking of ideas for their improvement.
Verda is remembered as a person who always looked on the bright side of things and kept up with her many friends and relatives. She organized a Christmas fund for the pastor who led Bible class at her retirement home; she sent cards and little gifts to friends when they fell ill or lost a spouse. She wrote long letters and stories, even during her final years, and continued to enjoy reading and travel. She wore makeup and jewelry every single day, and was known for her colorful outfits with matching hats and accessories. She was a devoted mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who looked forward to every visit with high anticipation. She also adored her mother's childhood home in Hendersonville NC, known as Maple Grove, which is still in the family and has been designated a historic landmark; and she loved the 350+ Waldrop descendants, many of whom still gather there annually.
Verda was preceded in death by her parents, Mr. & Mrs. Frank W. Wilson; brothers Frank Jr., Grayson, Howard, Tom, and Charles Wilson; and sister Elizabeth Wilson. Over her long life she also lost dear friends too numerous to name; but she continued to make new ones.
Verda is survived by her three children: Frank Ingle (wife Sharon) of Palo Alto, CA; Carolyn Ingle (husband James Gildea) of Franklin WV; and Verda Ingle (husband Darrell Morris) of Boone, NC; also six grandchildren: Vincent Sullivan of Palo Alto, CA; Sean Sullivan (wife Christine) of Mountain View, CA; Amara Ingle Cavagnaro (husband Lawrence) of Olympia, WA; Ben Beasley (wife Lindsey) of Cody, WY; Atticus Morris of San Francisco, CA; and Grayson Morris of Asheville, NC; also eight great-grandchildren: Rika Capper, Maya Sullivan, and Jaia Sulivan of Mountain View, CA; Bryn Sullivan and Kobe Sullivan of Palo Alto, CA; Kayla Cavagnaro and Amelya Cavagnaro of Olympia, WA, and Rigel Beasley of Cody, WY.
A memorial service will be held at Appalachian Brian Estates, 163 Shadowline Drive, Boone NC, on Sunday, August 31, at 3:00 PM. At a later date Verda will be interred with Carl at Arlington National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Daniel Boone Native Gardens (PO Box 1705, Boone NC 28607); and the Maple Grove Association (c/o Joe Waldrop, PO Box 1025, Bath NC 27808). Online condolences may be made at www.hayworth-miller.com

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