Cover photo for Colene Ziglar's Obituary
Colene Ziglar Profile Photo

Colene Ziglar

December 19, 1926 — July 4, 2020

Kinderton Chapel

Colene Ziglar

Colene Whitley Etchison  Ziglar , 93, of Clemmons, passed away peacefully at the Kate B. Reynolds Hospice Home on Saturday, July 4, 2020.

Gone From My Sight

I am standing on the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white

sails to the morning breeze and starts for the ocean blue. She is an

object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until at length

she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky

come to mingle with each other.

Then someone at my side says, “There she is gone!”

“Gone where?”

Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast and hull

and spar as she was when she left my side and she is just as able to

bear her load of living freight to her destined port.

Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment when

someone at my side says, ”There she is gone!” there are other eyes

watching her coming and other voices ready to take up the glad shout,

“Here she comes!”                                          by Henry Van Dyke

Colene was born December 19, 1926 to Hoyt L. and Frankie Russell Whitley and spent her early years in the South Fork community of Winston-Salem. She married J.O. Etchison Jr. in August 1945. They moved to Clemmons in1958. J.O and Colene were married for 35 years until J.O.’s death in 1980. In June 1983 Colene married Grady Ziglar. They were married 21 years until Grady’s death in 2005.  Colene is survived by her 3 children; Steve (Diana) Etchison, Mary Etchison, Brent (Trish) Etchison, 6 grandchildren; Jodi (Jerry) Fisher, Josh Etchison, Jill (Jason) Goldbach, Whitney Etchison, Courtney (Thomas) Wileman and Nathaniel Etchison , 3 great-grandchildren; Judd Goldbach, Jace Goldbach and Abigail Wileman. She is also survived by her brother Robert (Ann) Whitley, sisters-in-law Louise Etchison, Lou Ray Etchison and Jan Etchison as well as a host of nieces and nephews. She also leaves behind Grady Ziglar’s daughter, Gail Hauser, grandson, Greg Hauser and great-granddaughter, Anna Merritt Hauser.  Colene wore many different hats in her lifetime. She was an excellent student in her school years. She was a dedicated wife, mother and homemaker. She became an LPN and worked at the N.C. Jewish Home in Clemmons caring for others. She was a notary public. She volunteered at Baptist Hospital with over 3000 volunteer hours. She worked in retail sales at Jamar Arts and Crafts in the Thruway shopping center. She was a very good cook, baker, seamstress, bookkeeper and all the many other things that a loving wife and a mom does. She was neat and meticulous in everything that she did.  Not only did Colene wear many different hats she also was known by many different names; Whit, Aunt Colene, Mama E, Mrs. Z and “mean ol’ mama” by Steve and Mary.  Mom was dedicated to her churches throughout her life. She served in many capacities including teaching Sunday school classes and giving financially. We would tease her that she was a “Bapti-ravian” having been in the Baptist and Moravian church. When she joined New Philadelphia Moravian church, after marrying Grady, we began saying the second verse of the Moravian blessing instead of saying only the first verse. She was generous to many organizations and causes. If a group phoned the house and mom answered, the next thing you knew a “thank you for your donation” card came in the mail.

Mom loved to laugh and tell jokes! She enjoyed a good laugh even after her mind began to keep her “mixed up”. She loved good, funny stories and the more outrageous the better! She kept a stash of jokes clipped from various publications as well as a few hand written copies of jokes in her “desk”, always prepared to entertain her guests.  Mama E especially cherished a visit with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was sincerely interested in their lives, keeping up with each one, asking about their endeavors, cheering them on and offering encouragement. She never failed to inquire about the well-being of others, she was less about herself and more about others.  She enjoyed all the good times she and J.O. (and later Grady) had with “the Gang”. The gang consisted of 8 of the craziest, fun-loving couples you can imagine! ;Bill and Clendon Newsome, Murray and Iris Clore, Jarvis and Johnnie Hauser, Reuben and Sue Hughes, Jack and Joyce Flynt, June and Ruth Robertson, Jack and Tommie Hauser and J.O. and Colene. They had many legendary beach trips to Surf City, N.C., travels and parties together. She may have loved those times the most of all!  As was mentioned previously mom was very neat and meticulous whether it was keeping her house clean or using perfect penmanship in her bookkeeping. She met her match when she met and later married Grady. Grady kept his car as clean as mom kept her house and not a stitch out of place in the way he dressed. Grady dressed up to work in the yard it seemed! The two of them traveled extensively in and out of the U.S.  Mom’s mind had been slipping away over the last few months of her life. She was adamant at times that “she wanted to go home”. “Home” could mean almost any place, from her childhood house where she grew up to the very house in Clemmons where she was sitting asking to go home.  Her homecoming party happened on July 4, 2020 the same day of her mother’s passing 38 years earlier. She is home!  “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” John 14:2.  A graveside service will be held at 10:00 am., Tuesday, July 21, 2020 at Lewisville Baptist Church.  The family requests that masks be worn and social distancing be followed.  The family would like to extend a very special thank you to “Mom’s Girls” who allowed her to stay at home until it was no longer possible; Nicole, Tonya, Natalie and Robin. We are grateful for the others that helped earlier on; Keesha, Louise, Johnsie, Ruby, Denise, Teresa and Susan. We also thank the wonderful, kind staff with Trellis Supportive Care for keeping her comfortable during her stay.  Mom spent her last 9 days at the Kate B. Reynolds Hospice Home.

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore” Psalm 121.  In lieu of flowers the family requests that a donation be made to the charity of your choice or to Trellis Supportive Care.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Colene Ziglar, please visit our flower store.

Past Services

Graveside Service

Tuesday, July 21, 2020

Starts at 10:00 am (Eastern time)

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