Lana Weaver

Ms. Lana Lee (Davis) Weaver, age 74 of Winston-Salem, passed away after more than a three-year courageous battle with pancreatic cancer on Monday, January 23, 2023 at Forsyth Medical Center. Lana was born on July 7, 1948 in Logansport, Cass County, IN. to the late Ernest Lester Davis and Velma Ruth (Scowden) Davis. She lived in Delphi, IN, until 1954 and then moved to Deerfield Beach, FL. In 1973, Lana Lee Davis married Gregory Shaeffer Weaver in Deerfield Beach, FL, enjoying many years together until their parting in 2003. Lana is preceded in death by her parents, Ernest L. Davis and Velma (Scowden) Davis, brother; Duke Kenneth Davis of Delphi, IN, half-brothers; James Davis of Delphi, IN., and Richard Davis of Colburn, IN, nephew, Kenneth Chad Davis of Lafayette, IN, and many others. Lana is survived by her daughter, Kendra Che’ Battle (Bradly); granddaughters; Amelia and Paloma Battle, all of Mocksville, NC. Also surviving are her sister; Cheryl “Cheri” S. Marshall (Jeff) of Deerfield Beach, FL, half-sister, Phyllis Davis Moore of Delphi, IN, Nieces and Nephews; Lauren DiMartino, Hillary Silverstone (Jonathan) of Deerfield Beach, FL, Kim Davis of Lafayette, IN,  Kyle Davis of Delphi, IN, Don R. Moore II of Flora, IN, Sister-In-Law, Wilma Davis of Lafayette, IN, and numerous special cousins and friends. Her love for her daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughters was at the core of who she was and cherished each moment with them. Lana had many friends in Delphi besides all the Scowden, Davis, and Moore family. She loved going to the Scowden Reunion every July. She was very proud that she was in the National Society of Colonial Dames 17th Century and was eligible for many other organizations like the DAR, etc. She touched the hearts, minds, and lives of so many throughout her teaching career of more than 42 years, particularly at Cash Elementary School in Kernersville, NC. Her heart had no limits, and her faith had no bounds! Her roots at Calvary Baptist Church, her connections to Laurel Ridge and sharing her personal faith and journey with others meant the world to her. She will be missed by so many and was upbeat when you asked her how she was feeling even though spending time in and out of the hospital. She always had a no quit and faithful positive mind set about her. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 PM Sunday, January 29, 2023 at Hayworth-Miller Kinderton Chapel. The family will receive friends following the service at the funeral home.  Donations honoring Lana Weaver can be made to His Walk, Attn: Sandy Work, PO Box 1753 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33302, and or Laurel Ridge Camp Scholarship Fund, 124 Pendry Dr., Laurel Springs, NC 28644. Online condolences may be made at www.hayworth-miller.com

A Letter of Love for My Mom

Dear Mom,

You have left this world behind for the beautiful shores beyond, but you will never leave our hearts and minds. Your passing will be difficult on those you have left behind, but we find peace in knowing that the suffering your body bore during your long fight with pancreatic cancer has ended. The last years of your life were not easy and were met with miracles and small victories along the way. Those miracles and small victories allowed you moments of peace and happiness with all those you held dear. You met each day with your entire heart, with unmatched strength and unwavering faith. It was said (even before your illness) that you were like the Energizer Bunny (because you could keep going and going) which also rang true when you were faced with all the pain and suffering the last three years of your life. The life you lived reflected your love for others, your deep faith and your enduring strength. Your “never give up/never give in” attitude for life was evident to all who knew you. You had a way of winning people over and always spoke from your heart and mind.  I am grateful for the years we had together and feel you were taken too soon. You were many things, but a quiet wilting wallflower you were not. Never one to shy away from your beliefs, you always shared your faith and love for Christ with anyone you spent time with, especially in your last days. You and I may be very different in many ways, but I hope we are the same in all the best ways. You taught me to care deeply for others and meet life with a spirit of love, kindness, and giving.

Opinionated, stubborn, dramatic, over the top, true to your faith, true to yourself, and sometimes unwavering, you always knew who you were in every way, and you approached life with a full heart. Your love for your family, both by blood and choice, was boundless. You were always generous with your resources, time, and talents. One of those talents was teaching. You had a gift for teaching and were one of those teachers that students never forgot. During your forty-two-year career teaching you inspired countless students.  I often heard your former students say that you were their favorite teacher of all time. You always brought out the best in your students and expected more when others may have expected less. When others didn’t think it was possible you could find the one thing that made each student special, and you would inspire them to strive for more. You were a disciplinarian in and out of the classroom, and I laugh just thinking about your right pointer finger, (it was infamous) along with “that look.” I am sure you are pointing at someone from beyond with your hand on your hip right now. You could always get everyone to fall in line and you demanded respect for yourself and others.

You used your classroom as an extension of your heart and wanted your students to experience things they may not otherwise be exposed to. Class teas, elaborate papier-mache sculptures, a plethora of class pets, special events, special projects, and sharing artifacts from your travels. Your classroom was always engaging and full of creative experiences and materials that engaged all your senses including the kid’s hearts. Every vacation was met with new purchases to bring back for use in your classroom. You would always bring your love of travel, art, science, and cultures back to the classroom. You took teaching very seriously and it was your passion; even after you left the classroom you had a way of teaching those around you.

In your final years, we would often encounter your former students at one of your various doctors or hospital visits. The first day you entered hospice care, one of the nurses that came to the house was a former student and she sang your praises. Dad just commented yesterday that he would tell others that he felt you were the best teacher in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School System. Most of your teaching career was spent at Cash Elementary, but I feel the world was your classroom. The connections you made at Cash followed you to the end of your time and those ladies, Judy Seaver, Marsha Richardson, Elaine Elliot, and Robbie Disher were more than friends, they were your sisters of the heart. You would pray without ceasing for healing and wanted so badly to stay here to see your granddaughters grow up. These women were your constant lifeline and diligent prayer warriors each day. Always keeping the faith and bringing you hope and encouragement when it was needed most. Your friendships with each of them were beautiful and a unique thing to have in this world.

In your later years you were not able to get to church at Calvary like you would have liked, but you still held the friendships you made close to your heart (thank you Lynn & Libby Oakley).  Some of those that you held dear from your roots in Florida also helped you keep your faith going when it was harder to get out and about (thank you Joy Wordell and Sandy Work),

I also envied the relationship you had with your brothers and sisters. Being an only child can leave you feeling like a lone wolf, often by choice at times, but I often thought how nice it would be to have that special thing you had, especially with your younger sister Cheri (also , thank you Jeff, Lauren, Hillary Jonathan, and Sierra for your love and support, there are no words). You spoke with her multiple times a day. You were both very different in almost every way, but the love you shared for one another was clear. She will miss you deeply, but just as I feel and know, she knows you are now at peace and free from a body that was failing you and the constant pain you were in.

I loved hearing about your adventures as a child growing up first in Delphi, IN and then in Deerfield Beach, FL. I think that was where your love for nature grew and you often reminisced about the natural undeveloped “old Florida” of years long passed. You held family from both Indiana and Florida close to your heart and always looked forward to returning to both places as often as possible and having visitors here from dear cousins (thank you to all the cousins and family, especially Sharon McCormick and honorary cousin Brenda Wilson for your numerous visits to NC) aunts, uncles, and family friends. Your love of family and your Indiana “Scowden” roots was something you wore as a badge of honor and were even a member of the Colonial Dames (thank you Aunt Phyllis for your love).

There is nothing that could summarize you with one word, but GiGi might be it. Although not exactly a word and more of a name, GiGi was you, a grandma through and through. You loved every second you spent with your granddaughters Amelia Reese and Paloma Clare. You once said that I knew you needed them and that they were my gift to you. Honestly, we all needed them and everyone knows how very proud of them you are. I think they both carry within them a bit of you, or maybe at times, a lot of you and I am grateful for the time you were able to share with them. Only hours after you passed, Amelia looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, I just realized I won’t be able to have a sleepover with GiGi again. I know the three of you shared many special moments and memories that are irreplaceable, and I am grateful for your devotion to them both. The girls would definitely thank you for the snowcaps, sleepovers, talking about life, scary movies, art projects, dress-up, games of Skat, Old Maid, fried pork chops, filet mignon, hot chocolate, ice cream, and endless other ways you spoiled them.

Your last years were a fight and often brought out the best and worst of us at times, but I am grateful for the times we shared and felt honored to be by your side during the hardest of days. I am forever grateful to all the doctors, nurses, and numerous other staff we grew to know along your journey. Even in your days at the hospital you touched the hearts of those that were caring for you during some of the darkest times. I know you truly loved those that came in and out of our lives along the way while you received care at home. You even came to love one as a second daughter and I gained a sister (thank you Terricka “T” McCloud for your unmeasurable love, care, and kindness you showed my mom and me in her final days).

Life is brief and often filled with immeasurable losses, but in the end, I hope you felt more abundant joy, love, and peace than the losses that we felt along the way. I hope you were able to heal all wounds and left this world with a newness of body, spirit, and soul that can only be felt in the peace that awaits us beyond this life. May the Lord’s perfect peace be with you always and until we meet again I hope you are doing the “shoulder shimmy” and singing your favorite songs. Take in all the beauty that surrounds you and I hope it far exceeds the picture that was in your mind. I love you mom now and always.

Kendra