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- Greensboro Daily News, North Carolina, Thursday, November 23, 1978
Mrs. Suzanne P. Reeves
SANFORD ? Mrs. Suzanne Purvis Reeves, 96, of Sanford, died Wednesday at her home.
Funeral will be 11 a.m. Friday at St. Luke?s United Methodist Church, where she was a member, with the Rev. Harold Leatherman officiating. Burial will be in Oakdale Cemetery in Mount Airy.
Surviving are son, Charles M. Reeves Jr. of Sanford; daughter, Mrs. Samuel Q. Bass of Sanford; seven grandchildren; four great-grandchildren. The family will be at the home of Charles M. Reeves at Reeves Ridge Farm in Sanford.
Greensboro Daily News, NC, Sunday May 11, 1952
Miss Reeves Exchanges Her Wedding Bows With Mr. Bass
(Includes wedding picture of Mrs. Samuel Quincy Bass)
Sanford, May 10, - With the country home of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Mercer Reevers, Jr., as the setting, Miss Mary Carolyn Reeves, daughter of Mrs. Charles Mercer Reeves of Sanford and the late Mr. Reeves, became the bride of Samuel Quincy Bass in a ceremony Thursday afternoon at 5 o?clock. The bridegroom is the son of Rev. H. Clyde Bass and Mrs. Bass of Montgomery, Ala.
Officiating at the service were the bridegroom?s father, assisted by Rev. A.S. Parker, pastor of Steele Street Methodist Church of Sanford. Music was by John Von Canon, vocalist, and Mrs. Katherine Makepeace, accompanist.
The bride, given away by her brother, Charles Mercer Reeves, Jr., wore a wedding dress of Chantilly lace, featuring a fitted basque, portrait neckline and long lace sleeves. Ths skirt of nylon net plaited over satin had three overskirts of Chantilly lace. Her chapel length veil was attached to a tiara of lilies of the valley centered with a white orchid.
Miss Marjory Bass of Montgomery, Ala., sister of the bridegroom, was maid of honor and wore blue silk nylon. She carried a nosegay of pink roses and blue forget-me-nots. Mrs. Charles Mercer Reeves, Jr., sister-in-law of the bride, wore pink silk nylon and her flowers were a nosegay of blue forget-me-nots surrounded with pink rosebuds tied with blue ribbons.
Best man was Stanley Winborn of Sanford.
Six hundred guests called during a reception immediately after the ceremony. During the entertainment Mrs. Joe Giltner of Chester, S.C. gave violin selection. Later in the evening the couple left for a trip through the mountains of North Carolina. They will return to Sanford for a few days before continuing their trip to Biloxi, Miss., New Orleans, and to Beaumont, Tex., where they will make their home. For travel the bride changed to a suit of dark blue with which she wore white accessories.
Mrs. Bass attended St. Mary?s Junior College, Raleigh, and is a graduate of Women?s College at Greensboro. She died postgraduate work at Chapel Hill. Mr. Bass is a graduate of the Alabama Polytechnic Institute at Auburn.
The Daily Record, Dunn, North Carolina, Friday, May 3, 2019
Mary Carolyn Calls Family her ?greatest joys?
As many people plan to observe Mother's Day on Sunday, May 12, there are precious memories related to women who give birth literally and to the women who breathe life into our families and our communities.
For the relatives and fans of Mary Carolyn Reeves Bass O'Neal, who died recently at age 92, this holiday will be challenging. They will experience their first Mother's Day without their mom, their grandmother, their aunt, their cousin, their friend, and their role model.
During a recent celebration of life ceremony at St. Luke United Methodist Church in Sanford, Mary Carolyn was highly praised for her contributions to family and community. In the eulogy Mary Carolyn's son, Samuel "Sam" Quincy Bass Jr., said his mother was involved with the creation of such institutions as the library and Habitat for Humanity in Sanford; however, she considered raising three children "her greatest achievement."
Sam said she loved us "with all four chambers of her heart."
Mary Carolyn was close to her brother, Charles Mercer Reeves Jr., and his wife, Sarah. Her oldest nephew, Charles "Terry" Mercer Reeves III, made comments at the memorial service. Terry said Mary Carolyn loved to meet new people and had attended his 75th birthday party on March 10 and "had socialized with complete ease ... making new friends and even making plans to see them again. That is what I called optimism!"
Mary Carolyn's daughter, Emily Bass Baumgartner, said her mother shared her experience at the party with her in a long conversation the night before she died on March 14. "Mom was so happy and funny," she said.
Born and blooms
in Sanford
Born on Christmas Day 1926, Sam said his mom loved sharing her birthday with the "most important being ever born on earth." When growing up in Sanford as the daughter of Charles Mercer and Suzanne Purvis Reeves, Mary Carolyn was blessed with luxuries and opportunities. However, she watched her parents give of their time, talent and bounty to others.
Mary Carolyn's father, C.M. or Mercer, earned a forestry degree at N.C. State in Raleigh and came to Sanford in 1910 to invest in lumber, real estate and coal mines. Mary Carolyn was influenced by her mother, Suzanne, who graduated from Columbia University and taught English at Wellesley College and Woman's College (WC) at Greensboro before moving to Sanford as a young bride in 1917. "Mother Sue" loved reading books and passed this passion onto Mary Carolyn who received a teaching degree from WC.
Mary Carolyn met Samuel Quincy Bass, a transplant from Alabama who had taken a job in Sanford, and married him May 8, 1952. The couple was well known for the boat Sam built in the backyard of their house and their various excursions with family and friends. The family continues to love boating and spending time on the water and at the beach.
In addition to Sam and Emily, Mary Carolyn left behind their spouses, Sharon Ruth Bass and Fritz Baumgartner; four grandchildren, Langley Bass Cumbie, Emily Bass Shepard, Samuel Quincy Bass III and Holman Clyde Bass Jr.; six great-grandchildren, Mary Camden, David, Bennett, Mercer, Beau and Tripp; and her first husband, Samuel Bass Sr.
In recent years, Mary Carolyn suffered the death of her second son, Holman Clyde Bass, and her second husband, James O'Neal.
Contributions to community
During Mary Carolyn's memorial service, Sam said his mother loved helping others. She stayed busy with literary, bridge, garden and civic clubs as well as numerous activities at St. Luke United Methodist Church.
Since Mother Sue started the Pierian Club, known as the second Literary Club of Sanford, Mary Carolyn became involved. Members of both clubs shared the goal of starting a local library. Mother Sue focused a lot on fundraising by going door to door and asking each household to subscribe to the library. Mother Sue's ongoing efforts led to the building of the Suzanne Reeves Library, which was dedicated on Sept. 9, 1979, at its current location in downtown Sanford.
Mary Carolyn served as an inaugural board member of the Methodist Outreach Mission, an organization dedicated to providing food and shelter for the homeless.
After hearing a presentation on Habitat for Humanity International, Mary Carolyn developed a passion to help others reach the dream of home ownership. In the mid-1980's Mary Carolyn started the Sanford Area Habitat for Humanity, which has led to the construction of about 30 houses.
Mary Carolyn's commitment to Habitat was recognized when she received the Sanford Civitan Club's highest honor, the Citizenship Award.
She commented: "Neighborly love is a concept that had to be taught and caught."
Sam said his mother loved driving her convertible, playing tennis and traveling. She would say '"I can be packed in 20 minutes," no matter the destination.
In 1991, Mary Carolyn married her second husband, James O'Neal, and continued to travel with him until his death.
When Mary Carolyn's health declined in 2012 she moved to Springmoor Retirement Village in Raleigh where her only complaint was not having tennis courts where she could play.
Sam and Emily agree that their mother was a joyful person who loved new adventures and adjusted well to change. Today Sam Jr. owns and manages Beacon Wealthcare of Raleigh, and Emily is a retired bank president living in Frisco, Colorado, with her husband, Fritz Baumgartner.
Both plan to instill the positive, caring attitude of their mother into the lives of the next generations. Emily said that Mary Mary Carolyn told them: "I have traveled the world, seen the most beautiful places imaginable. But in the end, you are my world, and with all of you, I have known my greatest joys."
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Bassett Family Association Database
d. 22 Jun 2019 (Age 92 years)