Nancylee Cater

Born June 21, 1946, in Columbia, SC, I was the youngest of 2 sons and 2 daughters of Nancy Owen Daniel Rast and Jacob Philip Rast. My brother, Jacob Philip “Jackie” Rast, Jr., was oldest. Daniel Owen “Danny” Rast was 2 years younger. About 2 years later, along came my sister, Marthanna. Ten and a half years separated me and my sister, making her a frequent baby sitter for me. My mother named me for her maternal grandmother, Nancy “Nannie” Warren. Nannie married a Methodist circuit rider named John Owen. My mother was herself named for that same grandmother. Mama did not want us to be known as “Big Nancy” and “Little Nancy,” so she added Lee to my name, writing it as one word. “Lee” came from my paternal grandfather, Frederick Lee Rast.

Our parents raised us all in Shandon United Methodist Church where they both were active leaders in many areas. Our family had a small vacation cabin on the coast of South Carolina where we spent many happy summers. By the time I was in school my brothers were nearly grown. Soon, Jack went to the University of South Carolina. After graduation he went into the Air Force and later, Dan went into the Army. Marthanna married a week after she graduated from high school, leaving me as the only child at home. My parents developed a love for automobile travel, and from the age of 7 or 8 until my junior year of high school, most summers found the 3 of us taking friends or relatives on trips with us across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

With my siblings gone, life at home was quiet, even lonely. My observant parents helped fill the gap with a life-long wish --- my own horse. We got Rocky when he was only 6 years old. After my marriage, my sweet Jere and I brought him to Georgia, and we had him with us until he died at 33. Thankfully, there were others, too, including Bonnie, Dimaus, and Fiasco. I loved horses all my life, even teaching riding for a while.

While attending Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA., I found my church home-away-from home at St. Mark United Methodist Church in downtown Atlanta. They sent cars to our campus every week to bring “Scotties” to church and Sunday school. The church was only a few blocks from the Georgia Tech campus, and Jere walked there with several of his friends. We met in the College and Career Sunday School class, taught by Dr. Bill Mallard, our first fall at school (1964). We didn’t really begin dating until the next year. It was in this class that I claimed my personal faith in Christ for myself. We both dated others as well as each other for 2 years, and were engaged in the fall of our senior year. Dr. L. Bevel Jones, III, from Decatur First United Methodist Church, came to Columbia to perform our wedding with Dr. Pierce Cook, the pastor at Shandon UMC.

God blessed Jere and me with a strong marriage of 50 years plus. After it was determined we would not likely have children on our own, we eagerly began steps to adopt. We rejoiced greatly as God answered much prayer with two extraordinary sons of whom we both have been so very proud. Our sons then brought to us our new daughters and grandchildren. We have loved all these dear ones deeply, and we are very proud of every one. They have been the heart of family for us, bringing depth and meaning and sunlight to our lives. They were all especially important to me after Jere died, supporting me in countless ways.

Many years, we had a beautiful summer home at Lake Junaluska, NC, where we loved to spend time with family and friends. We also took our boys on road trips when they were growing up, because travel meant good family time. Beaches, mountains, Cape Canaveral, Disney World, train trip to Tombstone, AZ, and the Grand Canyon... all these and more were wonderful times together. Love for travel was knit into me, no doubt from my parents. We had been married about 5 year when my parents took Jere and me and all my siblings and their spouses to the Holy Land --- a dream of my father’s. I had the privilege to go back twice, once with my sister, and another time with Jere. Being there was a different and wonderful blessing each time, adding so much to my own faith and reading of Scripture.

I cherished staying home with my boys as much as I could, with the kitchen being my favorite place in the house. I especially loved preparing special meals, and baking – pies, cakes, cookies, rolls and biscuits. I also worked outside the home. Before the boys came, I worked for Houston County Department of Family and Children’s Services for a couple of years -- also for Mrs. Rita Whiting at her shops in Warner Robins, and for a dialysis center in Macon. After Tommy and John Owen came, I worked for seven and a half years at Macon Outreach at Mulberry. From there, God finally got my attention as He called me to become a United Methodist pastor. I served from 2004 until my retirement in 2016. Jere actually retired 3 times, and we cherished those last years together. Thanks be to God, we were able to celebrate our Golden Wedding Anniversary before his death. Now, we will be together again! God is good – all the time! Please... Be there!

A funeral service will be held Thursday, June 11, 2026 at 1:00 PM at First United Methodist Church in Warner Robins, Georgia. A visitation will take place one hour prior beginning at 12:00 PM. She will be laid to rest next to her beloved husband, Thomas Jere Cater at Magnolia Park Cemetery immediately following.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to First United Methodist Church.