Ada Mae Carelock Starnes

On February 16, 1930, during the Great Depression the Good Lord brought into this world Ada Mae Carelock, the fourth of twelve children born to the Odessa Belle Hunter Carelock and William Ellis Carelock. The same Good Lord saw fit for her to come home on February 19, 2022 surrounded by children and grandchildren. Ada Mae grew up in the peaceful and tranquil surroundings of Lancaster County, South Carolina. She was nurtured and strengthened by a small community, full of love and family. Ada Mae attended schools in Lancaster County and was the only Carelock child to graduate with a high school diploma. During those times, high school went to the eleventh grade and today would be considered a Masters’ Degree. She never forgot her humble beginnings and always aspired for greatness. Her career began in mid-1948 at Pleasant Hardware as a domestic worker. With the permission of the Pleasants, Ada Mae began courting Willie J. Starnes in late-1948 who had recently returned as a War War II veteran stationed in Alaska. On November 11, 1950, Veterans Day of 1950, Willie was granted the hand of Ada Mae in marriage and to their union were six children, Woody, Trudy, Curtiss, Odessa, Glenn Sr., and Lisa. Together, in 1964 they purchased the family residence and adjacent property on Moravia Street, to which she lived until our Lord called her home. Over the years, Ada Mae was a well-respected member of the Manhattan Community (between Belview and Easton). Up and down Moravia Street, families and generations of children knew the Starnes family as a result of the warm quiet spirit of Ada Mae, or “Mrs. Starnes”. Ada Mae then began working at Taylor Brothers and Winston Leaf House in Winston-Salem, NC. After a fruitful start in the tobacco industry, she transferred to Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation, founded in Winston-Salem. After 30 years of service, many of which she worked 16-20 hour days, Ada Mae retired from Brown & Williamson on October 31, 1994. Three weeks after her retirement, the love of her life passed away on November 23, 1994. Ada Mae and Willie lived a very prosperous and blessed life together. During her time at Brown and Williamson, he worked at R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. Much of their time was spent together, in fact despite working within 30 minutes of each other, they would ride to work together on a daily basis for over 25 years. Together they believed in family, investing, and creating a legacy for their children and generations to come. Prior to her health declining, she was a member of Union Baptist Church and joined under the leadership of Dr. A. H. McDaniel. Throughout her life, she was a stylish dresser, avid reader, daily viewer of countless soap operas and her favorite channel, HGTV. Despite any doctor's report, she would get dressed daily, sit on her loveseat, watch television, read the daily newspaper, and most importantly dip her snuff or “have dessert” as she called it. Simply put, Ada Mae, or “Maw Maw” as the family called her, was a Queen of all Queens, a woman of strength, wisdom, courage, goodness, and kindness. In addition to her parents and loving spouse of 44 years Willie J. Starnes “Paw Paw”, she was preceded in death by her oldest son, Woody Starnes; oldest daughter Trudy Starnes Wormwood; siblings, Clyde, William, Minor, George, Mary, James Iredall, Roy Carelock, and four others who passed of polio at an early age. She leaves to cherish her loving memory: four children, Curtiss “Chris” Starnes, Odessa (Bruce) Martin, Glenn (Sendra) Starnes, Sr., and Lisa (Bobby) Ellison; eight grandchildren, Shaun (Darlene) Starnes, Christian “Nikki” Starnes, Chrishna “Janae” Starnes, Glenn Starnes II, David Moore II, Joy Martin, Eric Moore, Brandon Starnes; ten great-grandchildren, Tavarus Starnes, D’Andre (Maliquea) Starnes, Tavonte’ Starnes, Desirae’ Starnes, Trinity Littlejohn, Dwight “LJ” Littlejohn, King Lyles, Gabriel Lyles, Joshua Lyles, Kristina Lyles; five great-great grandchildren, Destini Starnes, Calix Starnes, Merayah Clark-Starnes, Camryn Starnes, Cyler Starnes; devoted nieces and nephews, JC Carelock, Cliff Carelock, Zelma Carelock Hammond, Andrew (Brenda) Carelock, loving extended family to whom she claimed as her own, Pamela Boston, Shawn Pauling Starnes, Sheila Dobson, Anastacha Pauling, Quinton Pauling, Taryn Roseboro, Tkaila Roseboro, Jace Jones, and Lauren Jones, and a host of great nieces, great nephews, cousins, other relatives, neighbors, and family friends A special thanks to Dr. Betsy English who served as her Primary Physician for 25 years, Nurses Naiima & Jenna, Nurse Helen who faithfully served as a committed in-home nurse and confidant, Frank of Winston-Salem Internal Medicine (formerly of Winston-Salem Healthcare Pharmacy), the staff at Piedmont Dialysis Center especially Lawrence, Alicia, Sandy, Terry, and Jovan, the staff at Carolina Transport and the Shepherd Center especially Angela and Adam, the staff at Kate B. Reynolds Hospice Home especially Trenice “Tee

Ada Mae Carelock Starnes

February 16, 1930 - February 19, 2022