Pauline ( Polly ) Ribeline Ross, 101 years old of Matthews, NC passed away on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017 surrounded by her family.
Mrs. Ross was born Dec. 22, 1915 in Albemarle, NC. Pauline was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. James Hervey Ross. She is survived by her daughters Mary (Don) McMahill of Black Mountain,NC, Helen (Tom) Black of Mint Hill,NC, and son James (Jim Wannamaker) Ross of Palm Harbor, FL; grandchildren Keith (Jennifer) Spiro of Suwanee GA, Lisa (Tom) Schutte of Wilmington,NC, and Julie (Dean) Golden of Mint Hill, NC.
She is also survived by 6 great- grandchildren, Kate, Jackson, and William Spiro, Helena and Megan Schutte, and Cooper Golden.
Mrs. Ross graduated from Montreat College in 1935. She met her future husband, a student at Davidson College, in Montreat, where both had summer jobs. Pauline attended the Presbyterian School of Education in Richmond, VA in preparation to serve as a missionary to Mexico. In 1940, she moved to Mexico City to marry Hervey Ross, where he was finishing medical school at the American- British Hospital . They settled in Morelia, where Hervey practiced medicine at a mission hospital he helped start. Since there were no English speaking schools in Morelia, Pauline spent her time homeschooling their 3 children. However, she learned to speak Spanish and taught Sunday School in the local Presbyterian Church.
Pauline and Hervey Ross served as Presbyterian Missionaries from 1940 to 1966 in Mexico. They moved to Nashville, TN where Dr. Ross became the Medical Secretary of the Board of World Missions. After his death, Pauline moved to Matthews in 2004 to be closer to family. In 1967, Mrs. Ross was awarded the Montreat College Distinguished Alumni Award.
She was a member of the Philadelphia Presbyterian Church (USA) in Mint Hill, NC. Mrs. Ross had the honor of being the eldest member of the church and was presented a special cane, which will now pass on to the next eldest member.
A private memorial service will celebrate her life at a later date in Black Mountain, NC.
Those wishing to make a memorial contribution may do so by donating to: Novant Health Hospice and Paliative Care 324 N. McDowell Street, Charlotte, NC 28204.
