Bertha Bryant Hawkins Carroll (1915-2017).

Mrs. Bertha H. Carroll, age 102, of Spring Hill, Florida and formerly of Wilson, NC, died Monday, October 16, 2017. Funeral services will be held on Monday, October 23, 2017 at 1:00 p.m. at Tabernacle Temple of Jesus Christ, Inc., 1601 Lane Street in Wilson, NC with Bishop Staccato Powell officiating. Burial will follow in the Rest Haven Cemetery. Public viewing will be on Sunday, October 22, 2017 from 2-7 pm at Edwards Funeral Home Chapel and the wake will be from 5-7 pm. The family will assemble at 12:00 noon on Monday at her residence for the processional to the church. Direct condolences to edwardscares.com. Professional and personal services are entrusted to Edwards Funeral Home, Inc., 805 Nash Street East in Wilson, NC.

Adapted from the funeral program:

Quietly and peacefully on Monday morning, October 16, 2017 at home in Spring Hill, Florida, Mrs. Bertha Bryant Hawkins Carroll transitioned from this earthly life into eternity with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

She was born in Wilson, North Carolina and was the middle daughter of Isham and Rossie Underwood Bryant. In this community, Bertha received her formal educational and Christian values. She graduated from Wilson Colored High School, now known as Charles H. Darden High School in 1933. Bertha continued with her formal education by attending and graduating from Livingstone College, Salisbury, North Carolina with a degree in Education. Following college she moved to Brooklyn, New York and worked as a social worker for the City of New York. Social work was her passion and her life’s work, and in 1960, she continued this passion when she returned to Wilson, she retired from the Wilson County Department of Social Services.

Upon returning home, Bertha united with St. John AME Zion Church where she remained a devoted member until she moved to Spring Hill, Florida with her son and daughter in-law. At St. John, she was the Church Clerk for over thirty years and well as the writer of the church resolutions.

Never one to be idle, she lived a very active and fulfilling life in Wilson. Among her many community activities, she was a member of the following organizations: Wilson Book & Garden Club, St. John AME Zion Church Conference Workers, Eastern Star Starlight #259, Wilson Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Darden Alumni Association, Mary McLeod Bethune Women’s Civic Club, The Red Hot Society, Inc., OIC, Good Timers Senior Bowling League at Westview Lanes, and she was the founder of the Wilson Loyal Leisure Club. Bertha was also a Wilson Medical Center volunteer.

Bertha was a loving and devoted wife to Dewitt Hawkins and to this union two sons were born, and she lovingly reared a step-daughter. After the death of Dewitt, she later married Daniel Carroll, who was a prominent business man in Wilson and lovingly raised another step-daughter.

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In the 1920 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 596 Wainwright Street, tobacco factory laborer Isham Bryant, 27; wife Rossie, 21; and children Beatrice, 5, Bertha, 4, and Inez, 1.

In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 805 Roberson Street, Isom Bryant, 37, factory laborer; wife Rossie, 32, public school maid; and daughters Beatrice, 15, Bertha, 14, and Inez, 11.

Bertha Bryant married Dewitt Hawkins on 8 September 1942 in New York City. Hawkins died 21 October 1956. Per a Report on Interment, he served in 3294 QM Svc. Co. QMC from 1942 to 1945 as a private first class and was buried in Long Island National Cemetery. His next of kin was Bertha Hawkins, 183-48 Dunlop Avenue, Saint Albans, New York — “Widow Bertha to be buried in the same grave.”

Bertha Bryant Hawkins returned to Wilson and later married Dan Carroll, who owned a popular Nash Street pool room.

Daniel Carroll died 27 November 1990 in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was born 15 April 1905 in Henderson, Vance County, to Daniel Carroll Sr. and Lina Coppedge; owned a billiard parlor; resided at 715 Elvie Street; and was married to Bertha Bryant.

Bertha and Daniel Carroll.

Top photo courtesy of Wilson Daily Times; bottom photo courtesy of Ancestry.com user MichaelJ379.