Carl W. Drawbond Sr., born March 17, 1912, died quietly in his sleep March 3, 2014, two weeks before his 102nd birthday.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 43 years, Mary F. Coleman Drawbond, who died in 1981.

He was the son of the late W. Dolphus Drawbond and Mary Lucy Bragg Drawbond Tyler.

Carl was the last surviving member of his family, having lost his brother Russell E. Drawbond, and sisters, Willie Cornelia Benson, Cecil M. Sorrels, Clara L. Duff, Ruthie Myrtle Painter, stepson, Emmett T. Carr, and his niece, Effie Duff Smith.

Carl is survived by his daughter, Barbara C. Drawbond of Buena Vista, Va.; his son, Carl W. Drawbond, Jr. and wife, Shelby, of Roanoke, Va.; and daughter, Violet M. James and husband, Bill, of Reidsville, N.C.; three grandchildren, Heather Mayfield and Jason of Albuquerque, N.M., Mary Minnoch and Dave of Alberta Canada, and Vincent T. James of Reidsville, N..C.; three great-grandchildren, Michael Crafton, Laura Crafton and Kevin Minnoch of Alberta, Canada; sister-in-law, Mildred E. Drawbond of Buena Vista, Va., Denise Easter of Waynesboro, Va., and his much-loved nieces and nephews, who affectionately called him Uncle Carl.

Born and raised in Rockbridge County, Carl grew up on South River. As a boy, he and his brother worked neighbors' cornfields, picked berries, fished and hunted, all to help their mother keep food on the table.

At thirteen he went to work at a marl plant at Marlbrook, Va. now long gone, as well as the mountain where the marl was mined, and shipped on freight cars.

Sporadically, he attended school at Fairfield and a one room school, also at Marlbrook, Va., where he carried wood for the heater and water for the buckets. Carl worked with his father building houses, becoming a skilled carpenter himself. He took a small grocery store in Buena Vista, Va. and made it into the home he was proud to live in for the last 50 years.

He and his father did one of the first restorations of Cyrus McCormick's Mill at Raphine, Va. He worked at the CCC camp at Barbers Creek, Va., to support his family. Before retirement, he had worked 33 years as a machine operator for the Norfolk and Western Railroad.

Carl was a skilled musician, playing the guitar, banjo and fiddle. He was also a consummate story teller of railroad days and family times now gone. Until his mid-nineties, he maintained his family's home on South River, grew a garden, canned his vegetables, and made family members welcome with his hearty meals and delicious cakes. His mind was sharp to the end.

Caring and providing for his family was his sole purpose in life. He would say "family is everything", keeping everyone close with yearly reunions, and an open home to welcome family and friends.

Visitation for family and friends will be held Thursday, March 6, 2014 at Bolling, Grose and Lotts Funeral Home, Buena Vista, VA from 3 to 5 p.m. The funeral service will be held at the same location the following day, March 7, 2014 at 2 p.m., with Pastor James Easter of Mt. Airy, NC officiating. Interment will follow at the Fairfield Cemetery, Fairfield, VA.

Special thanks go to the wonderful people of Rockbridge Area Hospice, Lexington, VA who lovingly helped us care for our Dad. In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to this organization. Rockbridge Area Hospice, 315 Myers Street, Lexington, VA 24450, 540-463-1848.

Arrangements by Bolling, Grose & Lotts Funeral home and Cremation Service, Buena Vista.