Mary Gordon Walters Batten, daughter of Benjamin Gordon and Elnita Walters, was born in Bladen County, NC on August 19, 1923.  Growing up on the family farming and logging operation in Bladenboro, she enjoyed developing skills modeled by her mother of country cooking, sewing, gardening, handiwork (especially crewel embroidery and crocheting), and piano playing.  Her father, who served as the volunteer choir director of the Baptist Church in Whiteville, encouraged the development of her outstanding music ability and she excelled in both piano and organ (with a little trumpet and harmonica thrown in). Later she would add the harp to her list of instruments. She loved riding her horse to various churches to soak in a variety of musical and worship styles.

After harvest time, the family would head south to Florida where Mary Gordon would attend school during some of the winter months.  For her last two years of high school, she left the farm for the big city and attended Peace Institute in Raleigh.  From there, she went on to Salem College in Winston-Salem where she double majored in music and English.  While there, she attended the First Baptist Church of Winston-Salem, where she was the assistant organist and sang in the choir.  There, she met the love of her life, Woodrow Batten of Micro, NC, a medical student at Bowman Gray Medical School.  Because of Mary Gordon, Woody became a choir member for most of the rest of his life and anchored the bass section in the choir Mary Gordon directed.

The couple were married on June 16, 1946 and planned to settle in Asheville.  However, word that a new hospital was to be developed in Johnston County persuaded them to return to Dr. Batten's home county to be part of that effort and they settled in Smithfield.  Both Dr. and Mrs. Batten proved to be outstanding resources and leaders in the community.  For 25 years, Mrs. Batten directed the choir and other musical endeavors at the First Baptist Church of Smithfield on a volunteer basis.  She brought development and appreciation of high quality music to citizens throughout the county.  She brought unexpected performances like a 5-harp concert and multi-racial community choruses to a small town.  In 1967, Mrs. Batten started the first handbell choir in the county and subsequently assisted other churches in establishing their own handbell choirs. She organized and directed the community chorus for Smithfield's bicentennial celebration in 1977. In 2000, the Johnston County Arts Council expressed their appreciation for Mrs. Batten's contributions by presenting to her a lifetime achievement award.  The Endowment Committee of the Tar River Orchestra in Rocky Mount recognized Dr. and Mrs. Batten's support of and contributions to the development of music in their community by naming the orchestra's principal violin chair in their honor. Mary Gordon's love of music was inherited by her four children, all of whom were influenced to develop their own musical talent on a variety of instruments.

Mary Gordon was also known as an excellent seamstress and crafter. She is remembered for countless frilly dresses and hats she fashioned for her daughters and beautiful outfits she created for herself and others.  Whether she was traveling on a family vacation or waiting to pick up a child at school, she always had a piece of handiwork to do.

Blooming where she was planted, she loved working in her beautiful garden.  She appreciated wildflowers as well as exotic cultivated ones and shared her gardening expertise with others.  Many trees and plants in gardens throughout the county began in her yard, another way she spread beauty and joy.

When Mary Gordon did something, she did it thoroughly and often in a big way such as her Christmas decorations and her enormous Thanksgiving cornucopia full of real produce from farms across the county which filled the entire baptistry of her church.  Her hand-written motto which is still taped to her dressing mirror to this day says, "There is no excuse for mediocrity; No substitute for excellence."

Mrs. Batten is predeceased by her husband, Dr. Woodrow Batten.  She is survived by her four children: Pamela Webb (daughter) of Forest City, NC; Gordon Batten (son) of Dillsboro, NC; Eric Batten (son) of Sylva, NC; and Julia Van Batten (daughter) of Lakewood, CO; Tanner Batten (grandson) of Dillsboro, NC; and Ryland Batten (great-grandson) of Dillsboro, NC.

Please mark your calendars for Sunday, January 5, 2020 and join the family to "make a joyful noise" in honor and celebration of the life of Mary Gordon Batten at the First Baptist Chuch of Smithfield, NC at 202 4th Street at 3:00 pm followed by a reception.  Arrive early to enjoy the pre-service harp music.  In lieu of flowers, consider a memorial gift to the music ministry of the First Baptist Church of Smithfield (PO Box 209, Smithfield, NC 27577) or to the Johnston Health Foundation, Attn: Hospice Fund (PO Box 1376, Smithfield, NC 27577).