Esther Cotton

Mary Esther Smith Cotton, 76, of Mount Gilead, passed away Tuesday night, December 19, 2023 at her home surrounded by her family.

A private family celebration will be held at  a family home on High Rock Lake in the spring.

Esther was born November 15, 1947 in Montgomery County to the late Ray Donald Smith, Sr. and Helen Virginia Dunn Smith.  She was a 1966 graduate of West Montgomery High School.

She retired as a teller and branch officer for Fidelity Bank in Mount Gilead for 33 years.  She was Miss Montgomery County in 1963.  Esther was a faithful member of First Baptist Church, Mount Gilead where she served as the Secretary/Treasurer of the WMU and many other committees.  She was an avid Duke basketball fan!

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, David Lee Cotton.

She is survived by her children, Donald Worth Cotton of Norwood; Amy Cotton Roberts of Mount Gilead and Erin Cotton Burris(Chris) of Troy; grandchildren, Lindsey Stoltzman(Steve), Donald Worth Cotton, Jr. “DJ”(Kacie), David James Cotton, Devin Thomas Cotton, Jessica Roberts Smith(Wesley), Jonathan Alexander Roberts(Lily), Jordan Ryan Roberts(Emily), Madison Grace Burris and Coleman Smith Burris; nine great-grandchildren; brothers, Ray Smith(Susan) of Thomasville and Lynn Smith(Kathy) of Mount Gilead.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in her memory to First Baptist Church, PO Box  207, Mt. Gilead, NC 27306

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