Matilda Rice Shell

MATILIDA RICE SHELL BLACK MOUNTAIN - Matilda Rice Shell, age 96, of 111 N. Doughtery St. died Monday, November 10, 2014. Mrs. Shell was born November 22, 1917 in Buncombe County where she had lived all of her life and was a member of Faith Freewill Baptist Church in Black Mountain. She and her late husband Revered Raymond Shell were involved in many churches with their ministry from 1949 until 1999. A daughter to the late Robert and Dora Anders Rice, Mrs. Shell was also preceded in death by her husband Reverend Raymond Shell, who died in 2003; son, Roy Shell; daughter, Bernice Doan. Surviving are her daughters, Betty Smith and husband Lawrence of Weaverville, Pauline Murphy of Leicester, Monell Mehaffey and husband Wayne of Leicester, Linda Knupp and husband Bruce of Leicester; son, Ray Shell and wife Barbara of Brevard; 14 grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren and 4 great great grandchildren. Her funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, November 13, 2014, in the Chapel of West Funeral Home, 17 Merrimon Ave., Weaverville, with Rev. Lawrence Smith, Rev. Coy Wheeler and Mr. Howard Wheeler officiating. Burial will be in Sky View Memorial Park with Reverend Russell Wheeler officiating. The family will receive friends 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Wednesday at the funeral home. At other times, the family will be at the home of Lawrence and Betty Smith, 661 Old Mars Hill Hwy., Weaverville, NC 28787. Flowers are welcome or memorials may be made to CarePartners Hospice Foundation, P.O. Box 25338, Asheville, NC 28813. The family would like to thank the staff at John F. Keever Solace Center for their care of Mrs. Shell, as well as her granddaughter, Rhonda Shell for going above and beyond for her grandmother. For those who desire, condolences may be offered to the family under Mrs. Shell's obituary at www.WestFamilyFuneralServices.com. Her funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, November 13, 2014, in the Chapel of West Funeral Home, 17 Merrimon Ave., Weaverville, with Rev. Lawrence Smith, Rev. Coy Wheeler and Mr. Howard Wheeler officiating. Burial will be in Sky View Memorial Park with Reverend Russell Wheeler officiating. The family will receive friends 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Wednesday at the funeral home. At other times, the family will be at the home of Lawrence and Betty Smith, 661 Old Mars Hill Hwy., Weaverville, NC 28787. Flowers are welcome or memorials may be made to CarePartners Hospice Foundation, P.O. Box 25338, Asheville, NC 28813.