Dorothea Gillikin Lawrence

Dorothea Gillikin Lawrence, known as Doretha to the east of Beaufort and Dot to the west, went home to be with her Savior, Jesus Christ, Wednesday, June 08. Born in her parents, Gardner Bryan Gillikin and Emily Jean Golden Gillikin’s home in Bettie, she headed back to heaven from that very location some eighty years later. Born breach, she often noted that she came into this world “butt” first and had no problem going through life the same way. She adored her brother, Nelson Bryan Gillikin, with whom she is no doubt sitting and laughing about chicken coop mud pies, losing her bathing suit top to Atlantic Beach and Nelson begging her not to tell their parents that he was exiting the school bus somewhere other than Smyrna School every morning! No doubt, she searched out her husband Gilbert Keith Lawrence to let him know that through it all, she loves him just as much as she did the day they married. Doretha’s and Keith’s love produced two wonderful children, Cheryl Lynn Lawrence Grimes and Gilbert Wayne Lawrence, whom she spoiled with love and seafood even if she could not always spoil them with material gifts. But, when it came to her grandchildren, Avery & Landon Lawrence and Eli & Emily Grimes, she just flat out SPOILED them!

Doretha graduated from ECTC (now ECU) with an Associates Degree in Business and remained a Pirate for life. She then worked up the ranks as a federal employee of Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Base, retiring as a Budget Analyst. The day after she retired from 30 years of service she got up at her normal time, brewed a cup of coffee, grabbed a folding chair, set it on the side of Hwy 70 and waved at all her coworkers headed to work!

Welcome Home Free Will Baptist Church was her true home on this Earth and she played the piano and organ there from the age of 12.

Whether sitting on the dock at hoi toid swinging on the pizer at dusk or being mommucked in the traffic caused by all those dingbatters, Doretha was proud of her Down East heritage.

Always one to get the last word in, we are certain as her soul looked down on her earthly vessel, she thought, “Lord youngins, what have I done!” Only to be answered by Jesus Christ, himself…”My sweet child, you’ve come home.”

Doretha was preceeded in death by her parents, husband and brother and leaves her children, grandchildren, neice Deborah Gillikin Booth, nephew Nelson Bryan Gillikin II, daughter-in-law, Melissa (Missy) Taylor Lawrence and son-in-law, David Camden Grimes to continue her work…spreading the Gospel by walking the walk.

A funeral service will be held at 2:00 pm Saturday, June 11, 2016 at Welcome Home Free Will Baptist Church located at 195 Old River Road, in Bettie, with the Rev. James Gurganus officiating.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 - 8:00 pm Friday, June 10, 2016 at Munden Funeral Home.

Flowers are welcome, or memorials may be made to Welcome Home Free Will Baptist Church, 195 Old River Rd., Bettie, NC 28516.