Ora Mae Whitson Barger

Ora Barger has found her perfect peace with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. At 97 years old, Ora passed away on August 9, 2025 of heart failure.

Ora was pre-deceased by her parents and 8 siblings (Myrtle Forbes, Gladys Garland, Pearl Honeycutt, Nathan Whitson, Ed Whitson, Bonnie Harrison, Bill Whitson, and Beulah Whitson. She was also pre-deceased by her husband Ralph and daughter Mary Catherine Robinson.

She is survived by her son Norris and daughter-in-law Jill, sisters Martha Gschwind and Edna Crawford, a host of nieces and nephews, grandsons Beau and Brett Meany, and great grandson Colton Meany.

Born in Ewert, NC on December 6, 1927, Ora was raised on a family farm by her parents Mary Jane and Taylor Whitson along with 10 siblings. Although she grew up during the Depression she felt they had all they really needed - food, shelter, clothing, and knowing they were loved.

Ora met Ralph Barger while he was a right-of-way engineer for the State of North Carolina. Married in 1952, they had 2 children, Mary Catherine and Ralph Norris Jr. After Ralph’s untimely death in 1968 Ora began working for Jackson County Schools. She started as a kindergarten teacher assistant and later moved into administration, where she set up the county’s first computerized system for student management and tracking, and accounting. She supported all her children’s activities, especially the Golden Eagle Marching Band, whose members affectionately called her “Maw Barger”. She retired after almost 30 years but continued to voluntarily support her successors. She was proud to see her son Norris earn an MBA and CPA and become Director of Business Services for Transylvania County Schools; and was broken-hearted to lose her lovely daughter Cathy, an IT specialist with Duke Power, to diabetes in 2004.

Ora’s message to all her surviving family and friends is “Be true to God and to yourselves, take care of each other, love and live life to the fullest”.

Services will be held at Enon Baptist Church, Penrose, NC, on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, at 1 pm. Family and friends are invited to fellowship at 12:30 pm at the church. Graveside will be at Fairview Memorial Gardens, Sylva, NC at 3:30pm.

In lieu of flowers donations to the American Diabetes Association would be greatly appreciated.

Appalachian Funeral Services of Sylva, North Carolina is assisting the family with services.