Marie Absher Nixon

Mrs. Marie “Ree” Absher Nixon, 87, passed away on Sunday, August 2, 2026. She was born in Iredell County on November 14, 1938 to Noah Richard Absher and Edith Wilkins Absher. Marie was known to her family as “Granny” and to her friends as “Ree”. She was known for living an adventurous life. Marie often took her grandchildren on “short” journeys that sometimes resulted in getting lost on purpose. She attended Farmington High School and grew up on a farm in Davie County. Marie spent the majority of her life living in her home state of North Carolina, but she went on to live in other parts of the country including Louisiana and Florida. She thoroughly enjoyed traveling and sight-seeing. Marie was a very proud American and often sported American attire through hats and shirts. Her American attire was usually DIYed by adding glitter, as she loved to make things sparkle. No one loved Texas Pete quite as much as Marie. She carried a bottle with her everywhere she went and was even known to put it in her sweet tea and ice water. One of Marie’s favorite pastimes was bird-watching. She was very good to her birds and made sure to always feed them the highest quality bird seed she could get. Her favorite bird was a cardinal, as her favorite color was red. Alongside birds, Marie loved animals of all kind and her home was always full of trinkets and paintings that displayed dogs, deer, frogs, fish, geese, and more. Her favorite place to spend time with animals and nature was Mountain Park, where she will be laid to rest. She grew deep roots in this community by being a part of the Ruritan club, the fire department, and Mountain Park Elementary School, where she worked in the cafeteria while her son, Richard, attended school. She always enjoyed getting to know the kids in the community and still kept up with many of them up until the last few years when her mind began to fail. She owned a secluded parcel on the Mitchell River by Mountain Park where she felt most at peace. Marie was a pioneer in many ways by carving out a pathway through life in her own unique way. One of those ways was being a truck driver. Marie loved spending time on the road and could drive or tow anything except a bumper car. This love showed through the big screen as she was a big fan of Nascar. Her favorite driver was Dale Earnhardt. Marie, like many ladies in her time, was an avid fan of Elvis. It is still up to debate if there was a bigger fan of the king than our Granny. More than anything in this world, she loved her family with her whole heart. She was sure to be there for every ballgame, graduation, or any event they were participating in. Granny always wanted to be where her family was. We will forever remember and miss our sparkly, fast-driving, nature loving, adventurous, and loving Granny. We love you Mama; we love you Granny.

Marie is survived by her son, Richard Nixon and wife, Hope Nixon; a daughter, Liz Gillenwater; grandchildren, Madeline Athan and husband, Mason Athan, Jacob Nixon and fiancé, Georgia Shinault, Lucas Nixon, Noelle Nixon, and Melissa Gillenwater and fiancé, Tracy Mickles; great-grandchildren, Ivy Athan, Jude Athan, Abel Athan, and Kailee Gillenwater; brother, Ken Absher; sister-in-law, Betty Jo Wilkins; and many other nieces, nephews, and cousins. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Frank Nixon; a son, Mike Ratledge; a daughter-in-law, Kathy Ratledge; and a brother, Andy Wilkins.

The family will receive friends from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 4, 2026 at Gentry Family Funeral Service in Yadkinville. A private graveside service will be held at Mtn. Park Cemetery at a later date. The family would like to express their sincere thanks and appreciation to Jackson Payne, Philly Keyworth, the Macemore family, and the Garner family for the love and support they have given to Marie over the years. In memory of Marie, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, stjude.org/donate. Gentry Family Funeral Service of Yadkinville is serving the family.