Ernestine Poteat

Ernestine Poteat, age 87, of Forest City, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on Saturday, June 11, 2022 at Hospice of the Carolina Foothills.

Ernestine was born Sunday, March 24, 1935 in Rutherford County to the late Ernest Smart and Dorothea McGinnis Smart. She was a graduate of Tri-High School, class of 1953 and graduated with honors for Isothermal Community College in 2007. Ernestine worked at the Haynes Plant for forty-two years. Later, she worked in children’s daycare and as a volunteer for the Auxiliary at Rutherford Regional Medical Center. Ernestine loved people and had a heart of compassion for everyone she knew. She was a people person and never met a stranger. God used her “gift of gab” to touch many lives for His Glory.

She was an active and longtime member of Grace Chapel Foursquare Church in Forest City and an avid Atlanta Braves fan and a Forest City Owls fan.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of thirty-nine years, Robert Poteat; daughter, Donna Moore; two grandchildren, Eric Poteat and Brandy Cash and an infant sister, Doris Smart.

Left to cherish fond memories are her son, Ricky Poteat (Cheryl) of Forest City; granddaughter, Leslie Stalcup (Todd) of Bessemer City, NC; six great-grandchildren, Chase Dotson, Austin Greene, Jonathan Cash, Tyler Cash, Caleb Stalcup (Aryn), Hannah Stalcup and great-great grandchild, Tegan Stalcup.

The funeral service will be conducted at 4:00 pm on Wednesday, June 15, 2022 at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Forest City with Reverend Ricky Poteat and Reverend Ernie Cole officiating.  Interment will follow at Rutherford County Memorial Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6:00 until 8:00 pm on Tuesday at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations are requested to Grace Chapel Foursquare Church, 178 Cornwell Street, Forest City, NC 28043 or to Hospice of the Carolina Foothills, PO Box 336, Forest City, NC 28043.