Fred C. Cotten

Mr. Fred C. Cotten, age 84 of 148 Manchester Drive, Goldston, NC passed on Thursday, March 29, 2018 at Chatham Hospital, Siler City, NC. 

Fred Coley Cotten aka "Dr. Cotten" and "Tyrone", was born on March 29, 1934 in Goldston, North Carolina, to the late William Howard Cotten and Mallie Headen Cotten. He was the older of two children. Fred departed this life on March 29, 2018 at Chatham Hospital in Siler City, NC.

He was educated in the public school system in Goldston, NC and graduated from Goldston High School. He joined Roberts Chapel Missionary Baptist Church as a young child and accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. He was a dedicated humble servant for the Lord. He served faithfully as a Deacon, Usher and sang in the Senior Choir, and the Men’s Choir until his health started to decline.

Fred’s main ministry was singing for the Lord. He sang in the Community Male Chorus for many years and several other gospel groups in the community. He was a volunteer with the Goldston Area Rescue Squad for approximately thirty years and enjoyed working the polling place for various candidates during elections.  Fred really loved helping people which was evident by his volunteering to deliver meals on wheels to seniors.  He also loved baseball and coached several teams in the area. Fred was avid hunter and loved his beagles.

Fred married the love of his life, Emma Josephine Dowdy, on November 10, 1956, and together they had five children.  He loved his family, instilled in them to put God first, love your neighbor as yourself, and work hard. Fred worked hard as a foreman and forklift operator at Goldston Lumber Company in Pittsboro, NC, which later became Koppers, until it closed. Afterwards, he started his own logging business and later retired from Townsend feed mill in Bear Creek, NC in 1996.

As a skilled carpenter, he used his hands and mind to support his family by building picnic tables, outhouses, and chicken coups. He loved to plant vegetables and shared his produce with his neighbors.

He was preceded in death by his oldest son, William Fred Cotten.

He leaves to cherish fond memories, his loving devoted wife of 61 years, Emma Josephine Dowdy Cotten; four children: Gwendolyn Thompson (Bennie), Pandora Paschal (Jerry), John Fitzgerald “Gerald” Cotten (Peggy), and Darren Cotten (Vicky); one sister, Mallie Annette Jones (Billy Ray); eight grandchildren, Bryan Thompson, Sanford, NC, Brandon Cotten, Philadelphia, PA, Brittany Cotten, Marysville, PA, SPC Jasmine Thompson, Osan South Korea,  Tiffany Cotten and Christie Cotten, Cameron, NC, Faith Paschal, Goldston, NC and Bryce Cotten, Hershey, PA; four great grandchildren, Breon Thompson, Atlanta, GA, Carter and Caiden Thompson, Sanford, NC and Blake Archer, Marysville PA; In-laws, Billy Dowdy (Bertha) and Elmus Dowdy, Jr., both of Goldston, NC and Delma Murdock (Frederick), Greensboro, NC; Hannah Johnson, Bowie Maryland, one last surviving aunt of the entire Cotten family, Othelia Jones, Baltimore, MD and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.  

Arrangements By: Knotts Funeral Home, Sanford