Obituary of James Floyd Price

James "Jimmy" Floyd Price, 85, died at Hospice and Community Care of Rock Hill, SC on Friday, December 31, 2010. A native of Mecklenburg County, NC, Jim was born on December 23, 1925, to the late Isaac Floyd Price and Helen Harper Price. Raised in the Steele Creek area, he attended Berryhill High School until World War II, when his family had to move off their farm due to the expansion of Morris Field. They moved to a farm on Nations Ford Road, and he then attended Sharon High School.

After the war they were able to buy their farm back, and he and his dad spent many years renovating the house, which was in great disrepair. Much of his career was in the construction industry, and included eight years teaching in a school of heavy equipment, where he taught students from all over the world. In 1950, he married Marilyn Meacham Price, and they worked together for over sixty years, supporting each other in all endeavors, including raising their children. In the 1970's, they had to move from their home near the airport, along with both sets of parents who were uprooted due to the expansion of Douglas Airport.

Jim was a descendant of some of the earliest settlers of Mecklenburg County, John Price and Mary White Price. Their descendant, Isaac Price was a patriot and made guns and swords for the Revolutionary War. Two swords he made have been donated to museums in York and Mecklenburg Counties. He had built a beautiful stone house near the Catawba River which was later demolished for road gravel. His descendants were forced to move from their original land grant by the formation of Duke Power Company and the building of the dam. Few people realize the impact of "progress" on the historic Steele Creek community and its families. Jim was also a descendant of Elizabeth Bigger and Thomas "Kanawha" Spratt, Jr. whose family was one of the earliest settlers in the piedmont area. His mother's family came from the Bethel, York County, SC area, and he remembered his great-grandfather, David Milton Johnston, who wore this spectacular long white beard which covered a wound he received as the flag bearer during the battle of Stono, during the Civil War. Jim and Marilyn loved history and were able to travel and visit many places of interest. They visited nearly all the states and seven foreign countries. He loved God's world and was a walking encyclopedia of nature lore. He was a charter member of The Charlotte Folk Society and a former member of The Friendship Force of Charlotte.

Gardening and fishing were his hobbies, but health problems came with the years and limited his ability to enjoy them. He and Marilyn, once again uprooted by "progress", moved to upper Lancaster County panhandle where retirement brought new pleasures and challenges.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sisters, Ruth Price Heniford and Virginia Dare Price Broome and her husband, Sam, HJ, of York; and his mother and father-in-law Charles Rayford and Doris Wooten Meacham, who both loved him like a son.

Mr. Price is survived by his wife, Marilyn; daughter, Pam Price Garcia and her husband, Rick, of Charlotte; son, Charles James Price, of Hot Springs, NC; grandson, James R. Price and his wife, Stephanie; great-granddaughter, Louvisa Rose Price; step grandchildren, Paul Fenner and his wife, Amanda, and their children, Sammy and Carla, of Rock Hill, SC, Chris Dalton and his son, Kody of Fort Mill, SC and Kelly Garcia Lee and her husband, Fong and their son, Quinn of Colorado. Also surviving are nephews, Mike Broome and his wife, Karen and their family and Jack and Juliet Heniford, all of York County, SC as well as his brother-in-law, John Heniford, and many Harper cousins of York, SC. He was also greatly loved by Marilyn's family.

Also surviving are his sister-in-law, Nancy Meacham Johnson, and her husband, Wayne, brother-in-law Ricky Meacham and his wife, Sandie, brother-in-law Charles Meacham; sister-in-law Jean Fidler Meacham; and numerous beloved nieces and nephews including, Tina and David Hopkins, Nina and Ken Sumner, Bill and Elaine Meacham, and Mindy and Chris Hughes, David and Jean Dove and Nanette and David Featherstone, Ricky and Sandie Meacham, Steven Meacham and Julie and Greg Miner, their children and grandchildren.

A private burial will be held at 2:00 PM, Sunday, January 2, 2011 in Steele Creek Presbyterian Church Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Cemetery Fund of Steele Creek Presbyterian Church, 7407 Steele Creek Rd. Charlotte, NC 28217 or to the Marilyn Meacham Price Scholarship Fund, c/o The Charlotte Folk Society, P.O. Box 36864, Charlotte, NC 28236-6864. This scholarship will enable a young person to attend a week of traditional music instruction at the Swannanoa Gathering at Warren Wilson College.