Janie Hardy Overton passed away peacefully on Oct. 8, 2018, surrounded by family.

The daughter of Lee and Madie Hardy, she was born near Aurora in the Small community. By her own account, she had a wonderful childhood and loving family including four sisters and a brother. She attended Aurora High School where she met the love of her life, Charlie (CJ) Overton Jr. They were married in 1944, just prior to his leaving to serve in the Navy during World War II. Knowing only that he would be going to the South Pacific, they worked out a code using loved one’s names for all of the islands and mentioned them in letters so she knew where he was.

After the war, they opened a store in the Campbells Creek community, and while CJ was working in the log woods, she ran the store, which had a home in the back, and they had their first two boys delivered at home.

When CJ became a wildlife officer, they moved to Aurora, where they had two more sons. Then a promotion took them to Edenton for 10 years, where they had their fifth son and spent a great deal of time with the older boys attending sporting events, with boys playing in high school and college. They once attended a high school football game on Friday night, a day game at East Carolina, and a night game at Elon before driving back to Edenton in the wee hours of the morning. Another promotion led them to Raleigh, where she worked at a school book depository and the Department of Treasury, while continuing to watch out for her children including attending high school and college ball games.

Janie and CJ took special pride in their children, and by hook or crook and a lot of love and support were able to get them all through college and watch them all live productive lives with their own families. She once told CJ he might be bragging a bit much on his children, and he replied, “If you can’t brag on your children, then what can you brag on.”

Upon their retirement, they moved back to Aurora. She was a proud member of the Aurora United Methodist Church and loved her church family and her many friends in the community. Holidays meant she served huge amounts of fine food to an ever-growing family, and meal times meant tables from the kitchen to her bedroom.

She loved to read and sew. She sewed a full-sized quilt for each of her children and grandchildren, and very many baby quilts. On her 90^th birthday, her family celebrated this special lady with five sons, nine grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren. As accomplished as she was, she was quick to tell anyone who would listen that her biggest accomplishment in life was having her boys. They remain just as proud to have had her for the best mother, grandmother and great-grandmother that one could want.

She was predeceased by her husband, Charlie J. Overton Jr., in 1995. She is survived by her brother, Joe Hardy, of Cocoa Beach, Florida. She is also survived by her five sons, all of whom remain in North Carolina: Charlie and wife Martha, of Fuquay Varina, Mike, of Edenton, Jimmie and wife Terri, of Raleigh, Ted, of Aurora, and Bob and wife Tammie, of Raleigh. She is also survived by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They include her granddaughters, Kim and Matt Odom, of Greensboro, with Charlie and John; Shannon and Hal Atkins, of Fuquay Varina, with Jensen, Mary Drue, and Caleb; Kelly and Brandon Sauls, of Holly Springs, with Hunter, Connor, and Reid; Beth Gonzalez of San Antonio, Texas, with Chris and Ian; Jamie and Spencer Thomas, of Greensboro, with Reese; and Robin Overton, of Raleigh. And by her grandsons: Ike Overton, of Edenton, with Taylor; Brad Overton and Susan, of Pinetown, with Lauren; and Jimmie Overton Jr., of Raleigh, with Tripp.

Arrangements are by Paul Funeral Home in Washington. Visitation will be at the United Methodist Church, 327 E. Main St., Aurora, NC 27806 at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 14, and a service will follow at 3 p.m.