Marie was the ninth of 12 children. She attended White Pond School in Anson County.
Her early Christian experience began at Cedar Creek Baptist Church in Morven. While attending Cedar Creek Baptist Church she was a member of the Youth Choir and Usher Board.
Marie was joined in marriage to the love of her life, Sylvester “Ves” Deberry, who preceded her in death in October 1973. To their union nine children were born. Two of her children preceded her in death, Guevester (Bobbie) Deberry and Gloria (Richard) Mack. During their marriage Sylvester, a disabled Army veteran, attended Upholstery School. After graduation, he accepted a position in Laurinburg at a local furniture shop. Sylvester and Marie became business entrepreneurs when they established DeBerry’s Upholstery Shop in 1962.
Sylvester and Marie, along with their children, joined Bright Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church. She loved her church and served as a devoted member until her health failed. During her membership at Bright Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church, she served in the following capacities: deaconess, senior choir, usher board, missionary, pastor’s aide, and chairperson of the Church Anniversary Committee for several years.
In 1973, Marie assumed the management of DeBerry’s Upholstery after the death of her husband, Sylvester. She continued to successfully manage the business until 1992. Her son Rembert, who worked alongside his dad as a child and his mom, became full-time manager/operator at that time.
Marie was very active in the community and served faithfully as a member of Mount Scottish Chapter No. 614 of Eastern Star. She was a member of the Community Savings Club. She participated in the senior games, sponsored by Scotland County Parks and Recreation, and won medals for singing and horseshoe competition. She was crowned the ‘1997' Scotland County NAACP Mother of the Year and Woman of the Year of the Laurinburg Garden Club.
Marie taught by example, modeling faith, hope and love. She taught the importance of living in the present moment and that communication does not always require words. Being able to listen and hear with the heart was just as effective and more powerful than words. Marie modeled these qualities every day through her care, songs, smiles, kind words, humor and spirit of meekness, humility and strength. She was a devoted wife, mother, and friend to everyone she met.
She leaves to cherish her fond memories three sons, Beverly (Patricia) Deberry and Rembert Deberry of Laurinburg and John (Renna) Deberry of Durham; four daughters, Gladys (Bruce) Holmes of Fayetteville, Marjorie (Maurice) Edmonds of Portsmouth, Va., and Mary Alice Deberry and Ardelia (Darryl) Harrington of Laurinburg; two special daughters, Sandra (Curtis) White of West Palm Beach, Fla. and Evelyn Sellers of Laurel Hill; two daughters-in-law, Bobbie Jean Deberry and Sharon Deberry; 23 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; one sister, Area (Virgil) Chance of Polkton; five sisters-in-law, Cassie B. McLain of Cheraw S.C., Cherry F. Spear of Atlanta, Ga., Betty DeBerry of Morven, Pettie McNeill of Morven, and Pauline DeBerry of Durham; two brothers-in-law, Jerry Little of Wadesboro and Virgil Chance of Polkton; nieces, nephews, and cousins; and a host of loving relatives and friends.
McPhatter Funeral Home is serving the family.
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