Susan Sterken

Burlington Susan Dawson Sterken, 85, of the Village of Brookwood, died on Monday, March 25, 2013 at the Hospice Home. She was born in Rocky Mount and was the daughter of the late Milton Pierre and Sue Burns Dawson. She was married for 62 years to John Gregory Sterken who survives. Mrs. Sterken made her debut for the state debutante ball at the Terpsichorean Club. She graduated from Women's College which is now UNC Greensboro and was a school teacher at Nashville High School. She was a member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church and taught at the church school. She was also a member of the Battle of Alamance Chapter D.A.R. since 1968 and served as Chapter Regent for four years. Mrs. Sterken volunteered with the Red Cross, Alamance Memorial Hospital Auxiliary and the Alamance County Historical Museum. She is survived by her husband, John Gregory Sterken of the home; sons, Greg Debbie Sterken of Raleigh, Harvey Blair Sterken of Cary, Dawson Gayle Sterken of Houston, TX, Sam B. Sterken of Ft. Lauderdale, FL; daughter, Sue Parks Griffin of Wilmington; grandchildren, Patrick, Sharon, Eric, Will, Miles, Emily, Mehegan and Sutton; great grandson, John Gregory Sterken III and a sister, Lola Hank Gillebaard of Laguna Beach, CA. She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, Mickey Dawson, Jr. A mass of Christian burial will be held at 2:00 PM Wednesday at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church by Rev. Paul Gabriel OFM, conv. with a private burial. The family will receive friends following the service at The Gathering Place at Brookwood Village. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 1620 Hanford Rd., Graham, NC 27253 or to Hospice and Palliative Care of Alamance-Caswell, 914 Chapel Hill Rd., Burlington, NC 27215.