Mrs. Sarah Ruth Dalton Ramseur, 95, of 190 E. Meadowview Drive, Statesville, N.C., gained her wings on Wednesday, December 18, 2025, quietly in her sleep. She was born on November 17, 1930, in Iredell County, the daughter of the late Rena Smyre Dalton and Onnie Eugene Dalton.
She attended Unity High School and received her diploma from Mitchell Community College. She was employed in the textile manufacturing industry, Blue Ridge Towel Inc., Stimpson Hosiery Mill, Statesville Meat Center, better known as the Pack House, and later as a House Mother for Dr. Benfield. In 1986 she became a volunteer for Iredell Memorial Hospital as a Pink Lady and also for Hospice of Iredell County. She received her 12,000-hour pin and was honored at a luncheon at Northview Church of Christ in August 2006.
At a young age, she attended New Mt. Olive Holiness Church, were she gave her life to The Lord. She was a lifelong member of Chestnut Grove Baptist Church, where she was a member of the Senior Choir and the Mt. & Catawba Singing Convention. She served as a Sunday School teacher for many years, she was a Youth Advisor for the Sunshine Band, a member of the Kitchen Committee, and a Welcome Greeter and Prayer Committee. She spent many years giving service to Lord, her passion was to visit the Sick and Shut-in, praying for everyone that called upon her. She was known for her hospitality, cooking and spreading the word of God until her health failed her. Her legacy of how to worship with her hands raised high, even when she became blind she would always speak of the goodness of the Lord with a praise in her heart and would encourage others to love God and themselves. As she would sing, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine…let it shine…let it shine…let it shine,” and that’s just what she did throughout her life — she could be found smiling and always helping others in whatever they required.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Rena Smyre and Onnie Eugene Dalton; her husband of sixty-two years, Ernest Whitfield Ramseur; a son, Ernest Wayne Ramseur I; siblings, Rev. H.P. Dalton, James Earl and Jerry Jerome Dalton; grandchildren, Omar Hernandez and Jennifer Naggy; sons-in-law, Perry Jay Turner, Christopher Turner and Allen Ramsey; brothers-in-law, Willie and Hubert Speaks, Melvin, Ray, John Ervin, Thomas Ramseur and Thomas Armstrong; sisters-in-law, Geneva Speaks, Mary Belle Ramseur, Blondean Ramseur, Elenora Wilson, Lottie Chambers and Sue Dalton.
She is survived by her children, Betty Joan Turner (Jose’) Quintero-Soto of Statesville, N.C., Alan Christopher (Alice) Ramseur I of Hollywood, Fla., and Shari Turner Ramsey of Statesville, N.C.; her siblings, Cathleen Speaks of Yadkinville, N.C., Dorothy Speaks of Winston-Salem, N.C., Karen Shuler of New Jersey, Nathaniel (Geraldine) Dalton of Stony Point, N.C., Johnnie Dalton of Winston-Salem, N.C., and Gilbert Dalton of North Wilkesboro; a daughter-in-law, Mae Dunlap Ramseur of Statesville, N.C.; in-laws, Shirley (Mildred) Ramseur and Betty Ramseur James; twenty-three grandchildren, Ryan (Pamela) Turner, Elliott (Latoya) Turner, Petrina Turner-Moore, Mashara Turner Hernandez, Diego (Olga) Quintero-Soto, Ernest Wayne Ramseur II, Andre’ (Dawn) Ramseur, Freda Petit-Frier, Alan Christopher Ramseur II, Algernon (Tiska) Ramseur, Angelo and Alberto Borges, Enrique Ramseur, Alexas Ramseur, Sade’ Ramseur, Michael Ramseur,Kendrick Ramseur, Ebony Ramseur, Christoria Turner (Travis Archie), Joshua Ramseur, Matthew Ramseur (Kara Irby), Eronte’ Jones and Aaron Carroll; sixty-nine great-grandchildren; twenty great-great-grandchildren, a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives and friends; and special people that love her dearly, Beneda Carver and Pamela Turner Summers, and Rev. Robert Ramseur. Special thanks to her caregivers, Petrina Turner-Moore, Betty Quintero-Soto, Teyah Turner-Moore, Hospice of Iredell County, Billie, Laura, Stephanie, Ramseur Farm Manager and A.B.
Rutledge & Bigham Mortuary will be serving the Ramseur family.