George Ranson Mcauley

Mr. George Ranson McAuley, 86, of Statesville, passed away Friday, January 4, 2019. He was born February 25, 1932, to the late Earl Ranson McAuley and Rachel Agnes Hanna McAuley. He married his high school classmate, Linda Joan Cartner McAuley on November 30, 1951. George and Linda went on to have seven children, ten grandchildren, and two great grand-children together, and remained a loving and devoted couple for over sixty-six years.







George attended Ebenezer School and graduated from Harmony High School. He went on to run the family farm, originally established in 1883, where he lived and was raised. Under his ownership, the farm was primarily a dairy operation. His youngest son, Charles McAuley, took over responsibility for the dairy herd in the 1990s, but George continued to spend many hours in the fields on his beloved tractors and managed a small Angus herd until last year. George was proud to be one of the remaining farmers in Iredell County, and was especially proud of his farm becoming a NC Century Farm. In addition to farming, George spent several years working part-time at Southern Screw Company in Statesville and at the Statesville Auto Auction.







George and Linda were active members of their community and stressed to their family the importance of faith, education, and serving the community. They put all seven of their children through college, and George then supported Linda in completing her college degree in 1986. George was active in Bethany Presbyterian Church, serving as a deacon. He was on the Board of Directors of the Iredell County Farm Bureau for 48 years and served a term as the Director of the NC Holstein Association. In the 1980's, he was also active in the United Farmer's Organization. George and Linda were avid supporters of the NC 4-H program, and in 2017, the NC 4-H Family Legacy Award was given to the McAuley Family in recognition of the accomplishments they inspired.







In addition to his parents and wife, he was preceded in death by his sister Ruth Blackwelder and his son-in-law, Roelof Boon. He is survived by his sister, Harriet Binkley of Clemmons; seven children, Georgette McAuley (Kevin Duffy) of Villanova, PA; Joan Boon of Davidson, NC; David McAuley (Sandra Pearce) of Okeechobee, FL; Rebekah McAuley of Newport News, VA; Alex McAuley (Sandy McAuley) of Statesville, NC; Philip McAuley (Lynne McAuley) of Concord, NC; and Charles McAuley of Statesville, NC. He is also survived by ten grandchildren, Dr. Caitlin Boon (Toms Carbonell) and Ian Duffy (Elizabeth Clark) of Washington, DC; Cameron Duffy (Allison Barber) of Saratoga Springs, NY; Bethany Welstead (Dr. Jason Welstead) of San Luis Obispo, CA; Lindsay Ullrich of Newport News, VA; Hadden McAuley of East Bend, NC; Alexa and Daniel McAuley of Statesville, NC; and Cooper and Ana McAuley of Concord, NC; two great-grandsons, Felipe and Javier Carbonell-Boon of Washington, DC; one great-grandchild due to Bethany and Jason in June; and many nieces and nephews.







George will be remembered by his family and friends for his love of Allis Chalmers and International Harvester tractors, telling stories of growing up in Iredell County, and reading his vast collection of books.







A graveside service is scheduled for 3:00 P.M. Tuesday, January 8, at Bethany Presbyterian Church. The family will receive friends following the burial in the church fellowship hall. The family requests no flowers and that in lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Bethany Presbyterian Church Cemetery Fund (114 Bethany Rd., Statesville, NC 28625), the North Carolina Dairy Youth Foundation Endowment, or the George and Linda McAuley Family 4-H Dairy Foods Endowment (Contributions to both endowments can be given through: https://cals.ncsu.edu/alumni-giving/). Condolences may sent online to the family to www.nicholsonfunerals.com. Nicholson Funeral Home is serving the family.











Donations may be made to:

Bethany Presbyterian Church Cemetery Fund114 Bethany Rd., Statesville NC 28625George & Linda McAuley Family 4-H Dairy Foods EndowmentWeb: https://cals.ncsu.edu/alumni-giving