November 24, 1921 – March 29, 2005

by Elizabeth G. (Bett) Hargrave, Grace Episcopal Church, Lexington, NC, 2016

Winifred Noble Blanton, “Winsie” to all who knew her, was a true pioneer in forging social justice in a rural, Southern town. She was clear about her values of equality for women and African Americans and she worked diligently in her church and other community organizations toward achieving these goals.

Don and Winsie moved to Lexington in 1957 and were leaders in their parish, Grace Episcopal Church for almost 50 years. Winsie sang in the choir, served on the Vestry, was active in the ECW, and the Adult Planning Committee that conducted a popular Sunday School Forum for adults. Her passion was social justice and she was a perennial member of the church’s outreach program, the Social Concerns Commission. She was involved in the church’s Refugee Resettlement Program which brought a number of Cambodian refugees to Lexington to help them build new and productive lives.

Winsie’s commitment to social justice was extended into the larger Lexington community. She helped found the local Meals on Wheels program and was a loyal Grace Church volunteer for many years. She was instrumental in the establishment and ongoing activities of the Lexington Ecumenical Social Ministries, an important inter-denominational agency serving the disadvantaged population by providing emergency crisis Assistance. She was among the first volunteers to be trained and help in the Lexington Domestic Violence program. In the beginning she contributed to the telephone help line for victims and, as the program grew, led the effort to establish a permanent shelter.

One of her more important contributions was as an advocate for Davidson County Community Action, Inc., an organization that was designed to be an incubator for new and innovative programs. As an active board member, in addition to fundraising, she helped establish programs like the Neighborhood Youth Corps, Head Start, Community Food and Nutrition, Drug Prevention, High School Drop Out Prevention and Day Care Centers.

Another of Winsie’s passion was women’s rights. She was the first woman to run for political office by filing for a seat on the Lexington City Council in 1962. Although unsuccessful in winning a seat, she raised the consciousness of many in the community to advocate for women in politics. As a founding member of the Lexington Women’s Political Caucus, she paved the way for the first woman to be elected to the council in 1981 and the first woman to be elected to the county commission in 1982. She was one of two women sent by the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina to participate in the national Task Force on the Concerns of Women.

Winsie Blanton was an inspiration to all who were fortunate enough to know her and work with her.