Louise Santorum

Louise Daves Santorum, age 91, died November 29, 2012 in Statesville, NC after a long illness. Louise was born in Beaver Dam, KY, the 6 of seven children born to the late Clarence Crayton Daves and Mae Hall Daves. She graduated from Beaver Dam High School and from Business College in Owensboro, KY. She began work for Farmer's Home Administration in Raleigh, NC, where she met a young soldier from Ft. Bragg, Bruno Santorum. They were married 65 years until his death in 2007. When he graduated from NC State College, Louise received a "Good Wife Degree" from the president of the college, which she surely earned by reading all Bruno's text books aloud to him. Traveling together was one of the joys of their lives with each other and with friends. The daughter of a Baptist minister, Louise was a member of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church and a lifelong supporter of Baptist Missions. She served as Sunday school and Bible School Teacher, Church Treasurer and pianist. With her good friend, Edith Walker, she started the church library. She was Bible School secretary for the Rocky Face Association and a local trainer for the NC Baptist Convention Church Training Department. She was an active member of the Central Home Demonstration Club and Grange. She taught basket weaving, quilting and knitting at Heritage Days. She was a 4H Leader and was on the Administrative Council of Catawba Valley Girl Scouts. She was active in Iredell County Democratic Party and worked the polls for years. She volunteered at Central School for 20 years while her children attended there. She and Edith Walker started the first PTA at Central and the first 4H Club in Central Community. Louise was an avid reader, having taught herself to read the newspaper at age 3. She rarely sat without a book, newspaper or magazine in her hand. Bruno was quoted as telling a church group that "When the rapture comes, Louise will be reading a book." In addition to her parents and husband she was also preceded in death by her daughter, Claudia S. Mason, a grandson, Leighton Smith, as well as all her siblings, two brothers, Clarence and Woody Daves, and four sisters, Lucille Elliott, Elizabeth Dawson, June McCandless and Anita Mills. She is survived by her children Linda S. Byers, Richard Santorum (Mary), Steve Santorum and Candy S. Gibson (Harry). She also survived by grandchildren, Todd, Andy and Ursula Mason (Matthew White), Elizabeth M. Smith (Paul), Joey Santorum (Jen), Wendy Santorum and Ronnie Morrison. She is further survived by great-grandchildren, Darrean and Bradley Morrison, Alex Smith, Sydney Turner, Kalley Santorum, Kate Santorum, Josh and Kayla White, and sisters-in-law Fran Daves and Kay Santorum. A funeral service for Mrs. Santorum will be conducted 2:00PM Monday, December 3, 2012 at the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church with Rev. Mark Robinette and Rick Felps officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends Sunday evening from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM at the Nicholson Funeral Home. In Lieu of flowers, the family requests donations can be made to either of the following; Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, 848 Pisgah Church Road, Stony Point, NC 28678, Susan G. Komen For The Cure or to the Gordon Hospice House, 2341 Simonton Road, Statesville, NC 28625. Online condolences may be made to the family at nicholsonfunerals.com and Nicholson Funeral Home is serving the family.