Ella Bertha (Robinson) Lilly

MRS. ELLA BERTHA ROBINSON FAIRLEY LILLY, 77 of MT. GILEAD, NC passed away Sunday, November 17, 2019 at home.

Funeral Services will be held 1:00 pm Friday, November 22, 2019 at the Smow Hill A.M.E. Zion Church, 204 Snow Hill Church Rd., MT. Gilead, NC.  Visitation will be held 12:30 pm to 1:00 pm at the Church prior to the service.  Interment will follow in the church cemetery.

A public viewing will be held 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm Thursday, November 21, 2019 at Harris Funeral Home & Cremations of MT. Gilead, NC which is serving the Lilly, Fairley, Robinson and extended families.

On Sunday November 17, 2019, Ella Bertha Lilly "Cootiea", a loving Mother, Sister, Grandmother, Aunt and Friendm gained her angel wings at her home in Mt. Gilead, NC.

Ella Bertha Robinson Fairley Lilly, was born on Thursday, October 1, 1942 in Richmond County, NC to the late Sarah Jane Robinson Little and Walter Lee Chandler.

"Cootie", as she was fondly called by many, accepted Christ at an early age and joined Snow Hill AME Zion Church, where she remained active until her health began to decline.  She served faithfully on the following auxillaries; Sunday School Superintendent, Sunday School Teacher, Deaconess Board, Missionary Society, Usher Board and Kitchen Comittee.

She attended Rosenwald School and Mineral Springs High School in Ellerbe, NC.

She was an employee of Gilead Manufacturing Company for many years until it's closing.

Ella B. was preceded in death by her parents, a grandson Brandon Fairley; brothers, Robert Lee Chandler and Jerry Alan; husbands, Jerry Fairley and Doug Lilly, and most recently a sister, Joyce Ann McDonald of Greensboro.

Those left to cherish and to honor her memories are her five sons; Dennis Fairley (Sandra), Timothy Fairley (Cherie) of Cleveland, OH, Jerry Fairley, Michael Fairley (Lula) of Albemarle, NC and Tony Fairley of Mt. Gilead, NC; three daughters, Janice Kluttz (Sammy) of Concord, NC, Vickey Fairley and Wanda Watkins (Derick) of Mt. Gilead, NC; four sisters, Olivia "Jackie" Thomas of Mt. Gilead, NC, Carolyn Newsom (James) and Diane Pemberton (James) all of Cleveland OH, Georgia Ann Alan of High Point, NC; four brothers, Herbert Robinson (Ernestine), William "Jimmy" Little (Ann), all of Mt. Gilead, NC, James Little of Albemarle, NC and Bill Lewis (Crotell) of Bronx, NY; special cousin like a sister, Mary Jane Simmons (James) and special friend like a daughter, Mary "Von" Ingram; special aunt, Lucille Robinson and special friends, Brenda Gaines, Veatrice Little, Ann Eliza Patterson and Henry Bradley of Conn,, 21 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.