Zora "Marie" Carroll Moretz

Zora “Marie” Carroll Moretz, 91, of Bethlehem, North Carolina passed away peacefully on Friday, October 27, 2023, at Trinity Ridge Nursing Home in Hickory, North Carolina. She was born March 7, 1932, to the late Virgil Grady Carroll and Onnie “Ona” Alberta Williams Carroll in Watauga County. 

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her grandparents, Stuart Colfax Carroll and Zora Greene Carroll, John Wesley Williams and Sallie Moretz Willliams, five sisters, Violet Mae Carroll Hayes, Velma Treva Carroll Anderson, Vera Opal Carroll Moretz, infant Edith Pauline Carroll, and Eva Alberta Carroll Keller; three brothers, Vaughn Herbert Carroll, Roy Forrest “Peck” Carroll and Grady Olen “Buddy” Carroll, and one son, Ernest Eugene “Gene” Moretz, Jr.

She is survived by her husband of nearly 72 years, Ernest “Ernie” Eugene Moretz, Sr. of the home, one daughter, Tina Marie Moretz of Joppa, Maryland, and one sister, Dorothy Jean Carroll Williams of Bel Air, Maryland; one brother, Stanley Bruce Carroll “Beverly” of Boone, NC; two sisters-in-laws, Mary Nell Carroll of Lenoir, NC and Vickie Carroll of Boone, NC, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. 

She was a member of the Baptist faith and attended Calvary Baptist Church in Bel Air, Maryland for over 60 years until she and her husband moved from Maryland back to North Carolina 12 years ago and became members of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Bethlehem, North Carolina. 

Mrs. Moretz was an employee among 7,500 civilians and 5,000 military personnel who worked at Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) in Aberdeen, Maryland until her retirement in 1993. 

Marie enjoyed reading, cooking and baking, the outdoors raising and grooming their flowers and plants, was a compassionate, loving and caring “Granny” to her three special girls, Katherine, Valerie and Anna Haire, for many years while they were growing up in Maryland, but most of all, she enjoyed being a devoted, loving and compassionate wife and taking morning walks with the love-of-her-life, Ernie, for over 70 years. 

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, November 11, 2023, at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Bethlehem, NC. Visitation will be at 1:00 pm and the funeral service will follow at 2:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Bethlehem Baptist Church Building fund at 7500 NC Hwy 127 Taylorsville, NC 28681. 

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Alexander Funeral and Cremation Service.

Condolences may be sent to www.alexfuneralservice.com