Thelma Fox Conley, 96 of Morganton, NC passed away, Thursday, January 29, 2026.
Born in Burke County, NC on December 16, 1929, she was the daughter of the late Lloyd Columbus Conley and Julia Ellen Fox Conley. Thelma was a faithful member of Walker Road Baptist Church and former member of Southside Baptist Church. She loved her church and her family. Thelma worked at Henredon Furniture for over 30 years, she loved to carve wood, garden, and draw. She also loved to golf and play tennis.
Those left to cherish her memory include her sisters, Betty Brown and Joan Chappell; and nieces and nephews and their families, Susan Ingram, Doris White, Jane Roberts, Nancy Kirk, Jerry Smith, Jais Sikes, Greg Brown, Burt Brown, and Julie Gustafson.
In addition to her parents, Thelma was preceded in death by a sister, Doris Smith; a nephew, Jeff Powell; and her best friend, Kathryn Siphers.
The family will receive friends from 1 to 2 p.m., Wednesday February 4, 2026 at Sossoman Funeral Home. The funeral will be held at 2 p.m. in the Colonial Chapel of the funeral home with Pastor Mark Ball officiating. A private family burial will be held at Forest Hill.
Sossoman Funeral Home and Crematory Center is assisting the family with the arrangements.
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At 92, Ta was still golfing. I believe she hung up her tennis racket at about 86 years. She was the volunteer church treasurer for at least 50 years. When I was the first grandchild, I got to drive her car at 2 years young. She was the first person I looked for when we made the trip to big city Morganton to Burke Dairy and then Jerry’s Putt Putt Golf. At 16, I romped all over Morganton in her VW Beatle. As the other kids showed up, I was quickly learning that every kid mattered, even if they were there everyday. I saw that Billy Graham got the same attention as the kids. The ministry of The Gospel mattered first over golf, tennis and the dozens of friends who never grew old. If the church was not winning souls, she was not too kind, explaining we were not a social society party. I got my first computer books at 9 years old when she gave me the training manual on an IBM 360 system running Fortran. Ta’s recollective memory was too good to slip anything past her. Somehow I think she was secretly a USMC drill instructor by night and a righteous woman of God, placing the same demands on those who didn’t straighten up. Covid distanced so many of her friends. Rehab still practiced those ridiculous demands on distancing and shots that seem to do more harm than good. She’s crossed over and home now. Morganton is a little less friendly today. The WW2 kids are leaving every day. And the next three generations must take up the cross and choose this day whom they will serve. Thank you Thelma Fox Conley for the ride at 2, 16 and all the way to the time you had to be carried to Glory, just like Jesus told the Apostle John. We aren’t home yet. So we will resist the devil and expect revival and healing over all of Burke County in honor of those who died still believing for Grace and Mercy.
“TaTa”, AS WE CALL OUR SISTER, WAS MY 2nd MOM AFTER MY MOM PASSED AWAY. I FEEL LIKE I LOST MY SISTER & A MOM. A PERSON WHO HELPED MOLD ME INTO THE PERSON I AM TODAY AND A BEST FRIEND. OUR PARENTS, LLOYD & JULIE CONLEY WERE THE RELIGIOUS PEOPLE WHO RAISED FOUR GIRLS. WE KNEW WE’RE LOVED AND OUR PARENTS HAD US IN CHURCH THREE TIMES A WEEK.(JUST LIKE GOING TO SCHOOL FIVE DAYS A WEEK). AS A CHILD, I THOUGHT THE WORLD WENT TO CHURCH LIKE WE DID. TA’s LIFE WAS AN OPEN BOOK AND ANYBODY WHO KNEW HER WOULD AGREE TO THAT. I LEARNED SO VERY MUCH FROM TA. SHE, ALONG WITH MY PARENTS WERE THE MOST GIVING PEOPLE I EVER DID MEET. THIS IS ONE TRAIT I HAVE TRIED TO COPY AND HAVE FOUND THAT AS THE BIBLE SAYS, “ IT IS BETTER TO GIVE THAN RECEIVE”. I WAS THINKING ABOUT TA AND WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE AND DID NOT DO. I BELIEVE WE ALL GO THROUGH THIS!! IF I HAD MORE TIME, I WOULD: 1. VISIT YOU MORE 2. TELL YOU I LOVE MORE 3. HAVE LONG TALKS ABOUT YOUR LIFE 4.TAKE YOU PLACES 5. COOK MEALS FOR YOU 6. THANK YOU AND SHOW HOW MUCH YOU MEAN TO ME. 7. PHONE YOU EVERY WEEK- I HAD TIME. 8. CLEAN MORE FOR YOU WHEN I WAS HOME. 9. THERE ARE MANY THINGS I SHOULD HAVE DONE FOR TA, BUT I AM THANKFUL THAT SHE KNEW I LOVED HER. TODAY, AS SHE IS IN HEAVEN WITH OUR OTHER RELATIVES, I WILL MISS HER DEARLY, BUT I WILL NOT MOURN HER DEATH. I REJOICE KNOWING THAT MY SISTER IS WITH GOD, MOM, DAD AND SISTER DORIS, JEFF AND MANY OTHER RELATIVES AND FRIENDS. SO, WE WE ARE SAD AND MISS HER, BUT LET US ALL REJOICE AND LOVE EACH OTHER. TaTa WOULD BE SO HAPPY IF WE WOULD ALL KEEP GOD AS OUR # 1 PERSON IN OUR LIFE. THANK YOU AND I AM SO SORRY I COULD NOT MAKE IT TO YOUR FUNERAL LET ME URGE ALL OF YOU TO SPEND SOME QUALITY TIME WITH THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE. THANKS TO ALL OF YOU. MAY GOD BLESS AND KEEP YOU SAFE. SINCERELY, TaTa’s BABY SISTER BETTY JANE CONLEY BROWNE .
My sincere condolences to the family. I worked with Thelma and she was a valuable employee, very dedicated to her job and to Henredon.
Thelma was such a precious lady and was loved by all who knew her. She liked to be called Ta Ta and she always made me smile. I will miss her but she is dancing in heaven today, love you Ta Ta
She was a terrific person. She knew the Furniture Business inside and out and worked hard to teach us young bucks the ropes. May God bless her and her family.
Thelma was such a precious soul. She carved us a beautiful bird from wood years ago and it still sits on our fireplace mantel. I haven't seen Thelma in a long time but will always cherish her kindness. Loved her dearly.
I had the privilege to work with Thelma on the phone as I was in the Henredon High Point plants. Always a joy to interact with her. Condolences and prayers for all her family and friends.
Thelma was one of a kind and she taught me so much when we worked at Henredon together. One of the smartest women I've ever met, and I admired her greatly. She and I worked under the same person and I appreciated her knowledge and how she ran things Thelma-style! Rest In Peace Thelma.