Mrs. Carrie Mae McNair

Carrie Mae Ellerbe McNair, age 100, died August 9, 2021, in her home after five years of declining health. Born April 13, 1921, in Richmond County, N.C., she was the eighth of nine children born to William A. and Mollie Covington Ellerbe. All her life, she proudly called herself a farmer’s daughter. She graduated from Peabody High School in Montgomery County, N.C., in 1938. She moved to Durham to attend DeShazor’s Beauty College, from which she graduated in 1946. Also in 1946, she married Elwood E. McNair, a returning World War II veteran. The couple joined Mount Vernon Baptist Church and both were lifelong members. They had two children, Eltonza M. Brown and Carlton D. McNair. Mrs. McNair was a cosmetologist for several years and then became a cafeteria worker in the Durham City School System. A lifelong learner, she later took a job as office clerk at Burton Elementary School. She then took a position at North Carolina Central University as a statistical assistant for what was then called the Academic Skills Center. She retired from that position in 1983. Mrs. McNair was a skilled genealogist and amateur historian and was an excellent seamstress. At Mount Vernon Baptist Church, she was a leader in the Youth Church and for more than 40 years taught the Daughters of Ruth Sunday school class. She helped lead the Youth and Young Adult missionary departments; was secretary to the Missionary Circle; and was a longtime member of the board of the church's credit union. She was a church trustee and served on various committees. She acted as an unofficial historian of the church for decades. She was active in the Mount Vernon and Durham County Baptist missionary unions. And she served on civic boards and volunteered for community groups, and was president of her neighborhood's Community Benevolence Club. She was noted for faithfully sending birthday cards to family members. Mrs. McNair's husband preceded her in death in 1964. She is survived by her daughter, Eltonza (Paul), and son, Carlton, both of Durham, N.C.; a daughter of the heart, Ann Simpson (Arlester) of Ellerbe, N.C.; a granddaughter, Caroline Brown Johnson (Jamil) of Durham, N.C.; five great-grandchildren, Christen, Paul Anthony, Caleb, Olivia and Elizabeth Johnson, all of Durham, N.C.; and several nieces, nephews and cousins. The funeral will be held Friday, August 13, 2021, at noon at Mount Vernon Baptist Church, 1007 S. Roxboro St. with the Reverend Jerome J. Washington, delivering the eulogy. Due to COVID restrictions, masks are required and seating is limited. To view the Celebration of Life Service for Mrs. Carrie Mae McNair through Zoom Live Stream: Please click the link below to join the webinar, https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87864201426? Webinar ID: 878 6420 1426 Passcode: 425082 Cards can be sent to the family at 603 McNair Street, Durham, North Carolina 27707. The family offers special thanks to Durham County Meals On Wheels, whose volunteers faithfully served Mrs. McNair for several years. Mrs. Carrie Mae McNair will be laid to rest in Beechwood Cemetery.

Mrs. Carrie Mae McNair

April 13, 1921 - August 9, 2021