Minnie Belle (Oakes) Boyles

Mrs. Minnie Belle Oakes Boyles passed away on Tuesday morning, September 27, 2022 on her 98th birthday, at home surrounded by her family. 

Belle was a native of Greene County, and the daughter of Arthur C. and Effie Elizabeth Oakes. She graduated from Hookerton High School and attended Draughon Business College in Winston-Salem.  It was in Winston-Salem where she met and married the love of her life, Roy Lee Boyles, on March 18, 1944, before moving to Kinston to be close to her family.  Belle worked for over 45 years at L. Harvey & Son Co. After retirement she went back to work at Howard-Carter Funeral Home where she worked for over 24 years until she was over 92 years old. 

Belle joined the Ladies Auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars for the Lenoir County Post 2271 in March of 1962 and was an active member until her later years. She served as president on the local level and district level, as well as holding many other positions. Belle was State President of the Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars in 1979. She was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 43 where she also held many leadership positions and was a long-time member of the First Baptist Church of Kinston.

Belle was predeceased by her husband, Roy Lee Boyles, her six brothers, Carrol Oakes, Arthur Oakes Jr., Raymond “Tedock” Oakes, Bill Oakes, Bennie Earl “Bud” Oakes, Jessie Oakes and James Oakes, and six sisters, Mattie Askew, Elizabeth “Lib” Harrison, Inez Gurganus, Mildred “Mickey” West and Betsy Laughinghouse. 

Her surviving family are her three children, Michael Lee Boyles and wife, Elizabeth “Liz” Boyles of Savannah, GA, Terry Wayne Boyles and wife, Nancy Boyles of Kinston, NC and Helen Elizabeth Boyles Jordan and husband, John Jordan of Cary, NC. Belle had six special grandchildren, Michael Lee Boyles, Jr., Deatre Nicole Denion and husband John, Joshua Brandon Boyles and wife, Karen, Helen Courtney Williamson, Stephanie Elizabeth Jordan Cissel and husband, Blake, and Robert Lee Jordan and partner Kendall Daniels. Her six great-grandchildren, Brittni McDonald and husband, John, Cody Lee Boyles and wife, Janet, Cecelia Belle Denion, Aaron Sean Denion, Emerson “Emme” Sandra Hope Gaskins, and Barrett Camden Boyles and her four great-great-grandchildren, Adalyn McDonald, Callum Lee Boyles, Belle Lois Boyles and Brody James McDonald. She is also survived by two sisters-in-law, Wilma Oakes and Joyce Oakes, and her sister in love and best friend, Jewell Rider, and many special nieces and nephews.

The family will receive family and friends at Howard-Carter Funeral Home from 7:00-9:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 8th, 2022. Funeral service will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 9th, 2022 at Howard-Carter Funeral Home with Pastor Allen Ham officiating. Interment will follow the service at Westview Cemetery in Kinston.

Flowers are welcome or memorials to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, The American Legion Baseball Program, P.O. Box 402
Kinston, NC 28502 or First Baptist Church of Kinston, 2600 Rouse Rd, Kinston, NC 28504. Arrangements by Howard-Carter Funeral Home.