Annette Caudle Tarlton

Peachland - Annette Caudle Tarlton, 86, of Peachland, passed away on February 19, 2020, surrounded by her children and grandchildren. Born on October 12, 1933, in Peachland, NC, to the late William Ashe and Eula Belle Faulkner Caudle, Annette was the quintessential southern lady – charming, quiet, pleasant, and friendly. She was an adorable little girl, voted as the Kindergarten mascot for her Aunt Margaret’s class in 1936. She spent much of her childhood with her parents and her grandparents, Jim and Sally Caudle. She also adored playing with her cousins, especially Betty, Sarah Ellen, Nancy, and Evelyn. At the age of 9, her younger brother, the late Dr. William Ashley “Buck” Caudle, Jr., was born. He loved to pick and joke with Annette. One of his trademark moves was to put thumbtacks in the hammers of the piano keys so it would sound like a honky-tonk piano. When Annette would sit down to play a delicate hymn, it came out sounding like something from a saloon. Later on, Buck was outraged to learn that Annette went to Meredith College to become – of all things – a teacher, saying he refused to live under the same roof as a teacher. Annette graduated from Peachland High School in 1951 and was voted most likely to succeed and was a cheerleader and played on the girls’ basketball team. She later graduated from Meredith College in Raleigh in 1955 with BA in Business Education and a minor in Economics. In 1954, Annette met the love of her life, the late Charles Haskell Tarlton. They were married on July 16, 1955, the one-year anniversary of their first date. They settled for a short period of time in Marshville, NC, then later moved to their forever home in Peachland. Education was an important part of Annette’s life. She began her teaching career at Forest Hills High School and then moved to Peachland High School. She then began teaching at Anson High School in 1962, moving to Bowman High School in 1975. She taught typewriting and shorthand, and in later years taught computerized accounting and business law. She taught each of her children, grandchildren, and half of Anson County how to type. Her daughters still giggle about the homeroom trials Annette recounted at the dinner table, especially the antics of two young men named Joe and Tommy. On most Friday nights, she worked the ticket booth at the home football and basketball games for Anson/Bowman. She was a tireless supporter of the Bearcats (and the Eagles, before the Bearcats). Her daughters, Anita Tarlton (David Waters) and Becky (Gene) Wall, fondly remember Annette’s ability to make them feel loved and special. She always planned the most magical birthday parties for them and invited most of the town to join in the celebration. While she always said she couldn’t sing, some of their earliest memories were of her singing them to sleep at naptime with hymns, specifically “Praise Him, Praise Him.” Annette found it important to pass along skills to her children and grandchildren. She taught her daughters how to can and freeze vegetables, working a garden that could feed the town of Peachland. She also taught them how to sew and craft, always investing in their personal interests. She was ever so cautious, and when the girls were learning how to drive, the posted speed limit was 60, but she made sure it was 55 for them. Her grandchildren, Amanda (James) Fuller, Melody (Shannon) Braswell, Andrew Sikes, Brett Barry, Tommy, and Anne Marie Wall, were the light of her life and every experience was an adventure with her. If you ask each one, they all claim to be the favorite. She retired from teaching in 1989, and at that point, she made many weekend trips to the beach with her grandchildren. It was one of these trips where her grandson, Brett, ran across the road and climbed his way to the top of the widow’s walk and yelled, “Hey Mema!,” while everyone was frantically looking for him. Annette tried hard to instill manners in her grandchildren, using a pig saltshaker she sat on the table. Whomever the pig landed in front of had to help her do the dishes. She also tried her best to make a pianist out of them, but, sadly, it didn’t take. Her grandchildren fondly remember slumber parties with “midnight” (9:00 PM) snacks of Ritz crackers with a quarter slice of American cheese and a marshmallow toasted together. She would encourage each grandchild to climb atop the “Yodeling/Singing Rock,” and once there we would have to perform a song or give our best yodel. Annette loved to read, to the point that the bookmobile would make stops at their house in the past. She shared this love for reading with her daughters and grandchildren, often taking them to the library and bookmobile whenever she had an opportunity. She was a tireless caregiver to her own parents, taking them to appointments, making meals, and spending nights with them to keep them at home as grew older. She always prioritized her family’s needs above her own, even during her battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 1999-2001. Annette and her husband, Haskell, were avid supporters of their community. They never missed a local barbecue or pancake breakfast and would often take meals to shut-ins in the area. She was a lifelong member of Peachland Baptist Church, where she played piano for many years and was a member of the Fidelis Sunday school class. She and Haskell enjoyed the “Young Hearts” group at Peachland Baptist Church as well. Annette was an environmentalist before it was popular, religiously reusing wax paper, aluminum foil, and recycling aluminum, soup cans, and newspapers. She is remembered fondly for recipes like her soup burgers, pecan pie, punchbowl cake, strawberry cake, and chocolate desserts. She kept her pantry stocked with cookies and treats for all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Carter, Corbin, Charlie, Kemp, and Ruby, to enjoy. Her sweet giggle was contagious and behind her ladylike facade, she had just the right amount of sass. If she was not at home cleaning, cooking, reading a new favorite novel, or working the latest crossword puzzle, she could likely be found at her favorite beach spot “Charlie’s Place” in Garden City Beach, SC. Her love of the beach started at an early age and never waned. Many of her family remember searching for shark’s teeth along the beach with her for miles on end. We would have several Thanksgiving celebrations at the beach with the entire family gathering each year for the weekend. In addition to her daughters, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, Annette is survived by a sister-in-law, Suzanne Caudle, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Kenneth (Ann) Tarlton, JC (Mary) Tarlton, Elaine (David) Kiker, and Mildred Davis. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews, and cousins. In addition to her parents and brother, she is preceded in death by a brother-in-law, Bill (Inez) Tarlton, and sister-in-law, Myrtle (Bob) Carpenter. There will be a service to celebrate the lives of Annette Caudle Tarlton and Haskell Tarlton at 3:00pm Saturday, February 22, 2020 at Peachland Baptist Church with Rev. Jerome Cash officiating. The family will greet friends from 1:00pm until 3:00pm Saturday in the church fellowship hall. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Peachland Baptist Church, P.O. Box 146, Peachland, NC 28133.