Carletta (Richardson) Cagle

Carletta Richardson Cagle, age 95, celebrated passing to her heavenly home on Wednesday, February 1, 2023, at home surrounded by the love of her family.

 Carletta was born in Moore County, NC on July 5, 1927, to John Richardson and Mattie Brown Richardson.  She graduated from Elise High School in 1947 in Robbins, NC and received a Diploma in Nursing from McCain Sanatorium in 1950.  Carletta became a Registered Nurse on April 3, 1951, and maintained her license until December 31, 1997. 

In 1950 Carletta married the love of her life H.M. Cagle. They were married for 36 years before his passing in 1987. Together they had six children: Claudia Cagle Hayes (Bill), Hugh Michael Cagle (Susan), Cathy Cagle Callahan, John Timothy Cagle, Jeffery Lynn Cagle (Patsy), Cynthia Cagle Marks (Sandy) and always family, Linda Cagle and Joe Callahan III.  There are 12 fiercely loved grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

Carletta is survived by her beloved sister Georgia Richardson Bean, age 93 of Carthage, NC.  Carletta’s parents as well as her siblings John Earl Richardson, Amanda Lee Ethel Trotter, Mary Eva Dowd and Era Mae Rickman preceded her in death. 

Carletta’s life was about how she lived during her dash.  The dash is the time between the beginning of her life and the earthly end.  At 95 years old, she asked the question, “How did I get so old so fast?” Her legacy is how she lived and her difference in thinking because of her relationship with the Lord; focusing on service to others, hard work, living for Jesus and deeply loving people. 

Carletta and her treasured husband H.M. owned and operated Cagle Furniture Company.  She used her work there to invite people to church, bring up her family and teach the importance of hard work to their children.

Hillmon Grove Baptist Church has been her church home and family since moving to Spout Springs in Harnett County in 1959.  She loved serving the Lord through the years by singing in the choir, teaching adult Sunday School, teaching youth, working in Woman’s Missionary Union and loving people. 

Carletta loved the outdoors and found herself there as a small child following her Daddy behind the horse and plow.  From the age of five she learned to hoe, and her sisters, Ethel and Eva  bragged on her so much that in Carletta’s words, “They about killed me, because the more they bragged the harder and longer I worked.”  She learned that creative skill well and used it on her children to encourage them to get work done.  She was proud of us and was never short with encouraging words.  Her grandchildren learned how proud she was as she would often tell them her peacock feathers were spreading when she would see them at a school event or active in service at church or in the community.

It didn’t take long to recognize Carletta’s love for nature and watching beautiful things grow.  She loved taking family and friends around her yard and sharing her wisdom.  The daylily was her favorite flower.  It’s beauty only lasts for one day.  As she would take us through her flowers, she would remind us about the preciousness of time and using it to the fullest.  She would tell us to look at the daylily as an opportunity to tell others about Jesus. What if you only have one day to tell someone about Jesus?

Carletta loved gathering small bouquets of flowers from her garden and placing them in her windowsill.  When they would wither, she would replace them with more.  Often times she would discover that her cuttings would root, and she would quickly grab a saved-up yogurt cup add some potting soil and have a gift to share.  She loved getting a piece of something from everyone’s yard.  She would come home with small sprigs of plants.  She loved the challenge of keeping plants alive and watching them grow.  She also had fun asking others if what they had gotten at the same time was living.  If so, theirs always paled in comparison.  We learned the lesson that watering something will make it grow.  That works with people too; encourage them, pray for them, spend time with them. 

Carletta was a prayer warrior.  She took everything to God.  Some nights she would pray all night and write in her Bible her requests to the Lord.  When He would answer her prayers, she praised Him and when time passed without a response, she patiently waited knowing His timing was perfect. 

Carletta wasn’t perfect, she made mistakes along the way and through those taught that mistakes are wonderful opportunities to learn.  She had a great sense of humor.  Once she shared, she overheard two ladies at church talking.  She said one of them said, “I’ve heard Mrs. Cagle has Alzheimers.” Then she said, “I guess they think I’m deaf too.” Then she laughed.

Carletta Cagle was a seed tree.  She was the tree that stood tall in the forest and planted seedlings.  She was the encourager to help the seedlings grow toward the Light.  She will never be forgotten as her legacy has made impact on all of us.  She lived her life with gratefulness.

During the treasured days of the last years of her life. Carletta became more of a princess allowing family to dote on her. During that time her dependence on her King Jesus became even more evident.  It’s what she has done with the dash of life knowing this part of her life was a sprint and Heaven is her eternal home.  She measured her worth not in what she gained, but Who she chose to surrender her life to every moment of every day. 

Every night before bed she had prayer with her family.  She believed in the power of speaking to God and trusting Him to respond in His time for the needs of her family and friends.  She called each by name and placed them in God’s care.  At the close of prayer, she would lead us in saying the family prayer using the words from Psalm 19:14 and John 3:16.  “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.” “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16.”  May these words continue to be prayed, spoken and trusted because they will lead us to everlasting life.

The family will receive friends on Saturday, February 4, 2023, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Bridges-Cameron Funeral Home.  The funeral service will be held on Sunday, February 5, 2023, at 2:00 PM at Hillmon Grove Baptist Church with Rev. Wayne O’Quinn, Rev. Chris Wroten and Dr. Sandy Marks officiating.  Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

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