Emma Griffith Labeyrie, 63

SEAFORD, Del. - Emma Lou Griffith Labeyrie, 63, died on Monday, May 5, 2008 at home with her family by her side after a long illness.

She was born on Oct. 22, 1944 in Mitchell County, N.C., one of 13 children of the late Josh and Eva McCourry Peterson. She attended Tipton Hill Elementary and High School in Relief, N.C.

Emma moved to Baltimore in 1964 where she worked for Union Trust Bank. She moved to Hurlock, in 1978 where she worked for Provident State Bank in Preston and Federalsburg for 20 years from 1980 to 2000.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Griffith in 1997; brothers, Clark Peterson, infant brother, Buster A. Peterson of Dumfries, Va., Charles L. Peterson of Rock Island, Tenn., Billy A. Peterson of Hurlock and infant daughter, Eva Eileen Sappington of Baltimore.

She is survived by her husband, Gerard J. Labeyrie of Seaford; a son, Marr D. Sappington III (Trey) of Hurlock; two daughters, Holly Christine Sappington Peterson of North Carolina, Lorra Benet Sappington White of Bishopville; four grandchildren, Rebecca Shindler, Morgan Sappington, Dylan White and Tanner White; five stepchildren, Mike Griffith, Carla Turner, Gail Wilson, Danielle Stewart, Kimberly Mitchell; 10 step-grandchildren; eight brothers and sisters, Josh Peterson Jr. of Spencer, Tenn., James Michael Peterson of Bakersville, N.C., Marjorie Webb of Sparta, Tenn., Beulah Joyner of Rocky Mount, N.C., Ula Shrewsbury of Mechanicsville, Va., Jeralyne (Jerri) Baxley of Mt. Pleasant, N.C., Carolyn Street of Gray, Tenn., and Irene Peterson of Green Mountain, N.C.; many nieces and nephews, and her best friend, Lacy Roberts of Hebron.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, at the Framptom Funeral Home in Federalsburg with the Rev. Ruth Tull officiating. Burial will follow in Hillcrest Cemetery in Federalsburg. Friends may call at the funeral home on Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. and on Friday from 1 to 2 p.m.

Serving as pallbearers will be Marr D. Sappington III (Trey), John Turner, Michael Griffith, Chardo Wilson, Joe Peterson, and Mark Behan.

Memorial donations may be made in her memory to Delaware Hospice, Inc., 600 N. DuPont Highway, Georgetown, DE 19947 or Hope Lodge, 636 Lexington Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. To share memories with the family visit www.framptom.com