Mary Elizabeth Craven Purvis, age 88 of 406 NC Hwy 42 South, Asheboro, died Saturday, December 3, 2016 at the home. The visitation will be held Tuesday, December 6, 2016 noon, followed by the service at 1pm in Loflin Funeral Home Chapel with Chaplain Timothy Pheagin officiating. Burial will be in Holly Spring Friends Cemetery immediately following the service.

Mary Elizabeth Craven, a native Randolph Countian, was born January 29, 1928 at the Reverend Jacob H. Craven (her great-grandfather) home place, located three miles south of Holly Spring Friends Meeting, Randolph County. She was the daughter of the late Artemas and Louada Craven, and the wife of the late Raymond Green Purvis.

Mary graduated from Coleridge High School, Coleridge, NC with the class of 1945 (the last graduating class before the 12th year was added to the school calendar). Mary married Raymond Purvis in 1946. In 1951, Mary graduated from the Continental School of Cosmetology, High Point, NC and in 1953; Raymond graduated from Continental School of Cosmetology. Mary and Raymond were co-owners and co-operators of Purvis’ Beauty Shop. Mary retired in 1972 due to the diagnosis of a lung disease but Raymond continued to operate the shop until his death in 1990. Mary and Raymond loved their customers as family members.

Mary lived all her life in Randolph County and was very proud of her Craven family heritage and her Randolph County heritage. She published two Craven family books; the genealogy book entitled CRAVEN – Descendants of Peter Craven, Randolph County, North Carolina USA © 1985 and the story/genealogy book entitled CRAVEN – 280 Years With Peter Craven Family, 1712 – 1993 Randolph County, North Carolina © 1995. Mary was a leader is preserving the annual Craven Family Reunion which began in 1945 and was held at the Rev. Jacob H. Craven’s home place for years but later moved to Holly Spring Friends Meeting. She was the steward of The Rev. Jacob H. Craven Graveyard. Mary was a Coordinator for the book entitled The Heritage of Randolph County North Carolina Volume I © 1993 and served as a committee member for the book entitled The Heritage of Randolph County North Carolina Volume II © 1999.

Mary was a member of Brower’s Chapel United Methodist Church, Asheboro. When her children were young, Mary was a member of the Red Cross Gray Ladies at Randolph Hospital in Asheboro, was a den mother for the Boys Scouts of America, and enjoyed roller skating at Jones Roller Rink and vacationing to the beach and ski slopes with her children. In 1990-1991, Mary was an active member of the grassroots group CRMRADS (Chatham, Randolph, Moore, Residents Against Dump Sites). Mary was a feminist beginning with the second-wave of feminism in the 1960s (supporting legal and social equality for women) and an environmental steward all of which she learned from her mother.

Surviving Mary are a son Randy Craven Purvis (Pam) of Asheboro; a daughter Carol Reynolds Purvis (Ken Hawley) of Cary; a grandson Randall Christian Purvis (Vanessa) of Trinity; a granddaughter Whitney Purvis Varner and great-grandsons Colton and Levi Varner of Asheboro; and a step-granddaughter Nicole David (Avshalom) of Wake Forest. Mary is also survived by three sister-in-laws; Patti Allen Craven of Asheboro, Betty Lou Callicutt Craven of Franklinville, and Betty Jean Graves Craven of Baltimore, MD.

Mary was the widow of Raymond Green Purvis who preceded her in death on January 21, 1990 at age 65. Also, preceded in death were three sisters: Conie Craven Haskins (Woodrow) of Concord; Virtle Craven Holloway (Joseph) of Asheboro; Clarice Craven Cox (James E.) of Coleridge; and four brothers
Howard Clarkston Craven of Franklinville, William Hoyt Craven and Lynden Harris Craven of Coleridge, and Troy Artemas Craven of Baltimore, MD.

In lieu of flowers, it was Mary’s wish that memorials be made to Hospice of Randolph County, P.O. Box 9, Asheboro, NC 27204 or any charity you are passionate about.

Condolences may be made online at www.loflinfuneralservice.com.

Arrangements by Loflin Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Ramseur.

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