Contributed photo First row left to right: Hattie Bell Watkins and great grandson, Will Rainwater. Second row left to right: daughter, Winona Watkins Stewart, son, Neal Watkins, and grandson, William Rainwater. Third row: granddaughter, Stacey Rainwater.

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Hattie Bell Watkins was honored by the Historic Society on Sept. 17.

The Society showed a DVD of her, telling about her life. She was born Feb. 2, 1916, and has lived a long and full life. She and her husband, William “Bill” Watkins, were in business for many years with used car sales, a garage, U-Haul truck and trailer rentals, and a full service gas station. They were one of the first to have cars for rent and also sold N.C. license plates for over 23 years. They lived and worked together for 57 years. Her husband died on their anniversary, July 10, 1995.

The Watkins family joined the First Presbyterian Church of Rockingham in March 1946, where Watkins sang in the choir for 50 years and held many other church offices. Bill and Hattie Bell Watkins touched many lives and hope that their love and faith have blessed the lives they touched.

She knitted sweaters, dish clothes and afghans for the family. She also was great at baking yeast rolls and loaves of bread for friends, family and Communion at church.

On her special night she was surrounded by her family including daughter, Winona (Watkins) Stewart and husband Jerry, son, Neal Watkins and wife Trudy, grandson, William Rainwater and nephew, Roy Singleton Jr. and many of her church family.