Please remember Mrs. Loretta’s family and all who loved her during this difficult time.

Our hearts are heavy as we send our deepest condolences to the family of Mrs. Loretta Oxendine. Mrs. Loretta passed from this life on October 6, 2024. She was a beloved elder and a citizen of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. She will be remembered for her humble spirit, her precious smile and her willingness to share about her Lumbee People and our way of life.  

Mrs. Loretta was a keeper of our culture. As a master Pine needle basket weaver, her baskets have been recognized and celebrated across the nation. She was one of the first Lumbee Tribal Citizens to have her artwork and  basketry showcased at the National Museum of the American Indian. She also made China Berry necklaces. In 2004, Mrs. Loretta shared her traditional knowledge of herbs and healing as she collaborated on a book to preserve Lumbee remedies.

Mrs. Loretta was a trail blazer for our people. Even though she is well known for basketry, Mrs. Loretta’s first passion was teaching. She began her teaching career at the Haliwa-Saponi Tribal School, which follows the tradition of our elder teachers who graduated from Pembroke State College during its early years and traveled to teach at tribes across North Carolina. She later taught at Piney Grove Elementary in Lumberton. Mrs. Loretta became one of the first Lumbee teachers to work in the Lumberton City School system following integration. She received teacher of the year during her final years of teaching as a 4th grade teacher at West Lumberton Elementary School, which was a testament to her impact on youth and that community.

Mrs. Loretta carried our culture across the state and across the nation. Many people would remember her traveling to the Frisco Native American Museum in the Outer Banks of N.C. to share basketry art and tell about the Lumbee Tribe. She also traveled numerous times to Washington, DC to present. In September 2022, she received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine from Governor Roy Cooper.

Mrs. Loretta’s gift of basketry is weaved into the very fabric of our Lumbee Tribal nation. Lumbee Tribal Chairman John L. Lowery said Mrs. Loretta’s passing is a great loss to our nation. “Mrs. Loretta contributions to the Lumbee People can never be measured and her legacy will live on as a visual and cultural testament for future generations,” said Chairman Lowery.  

Please remember Mrs. Loretta’s family and all who loved her during this difficult time.

Loretta Oxendine Obituary

Mrs. Loretta Oxendine of Pembroke was born on April 21, 1938 to the late Willie C. Oxendine and Jennie Oxendine. She departed this life on October 6, 2024 completing her journey of 86 years.

Along with her parents, she was preceded in death by five sisters: Willie Mae Jones, Mozella O. Locklear, Sadie Mae Oxendine, Georgia Mae Oxendine and Jessie Lee Oxendine; five brothers: William "Hoover" Oxendine Jr., James Alton "Dink" Oxendine, Rady Oxendine, Grady Oxendine, and infant Oxendine; her son-in-law: Arnold Raye Oxendine and a special niece: Brenda Fay Cummings.

Mrs. Oxendine leaves to cherish her memories, her husband of 60 years: Herman Oxendine; two children: Laurie Ann Oxendine Locklear of Lumberton and Virgil Oxendine (Robert L. Canida II) of Lynchburg, VA; her siblings: Ella Mae Oxendine Taylor of Charlotte, Annie Mae Oxendine Jones of Prospect, Vanzetta Oxendine of California, and Andrew C. Oxendine (Rachel) of Prospect; a special niece: Patricia Oxendine Jones of Pembroke as well as a host of relatives and friends.

Mrs. Oxendine had a zeal for people, her tenure of 35 years as an educator was a testament of this. She was also a member of Freedom Assembly of God and National Educators Association. Along with being an educator, she also enjoyed learning about the history of North Carolina, traveling and crafting. She especially loved pine needle basket weaving, making China Berry necklaces and writing short stories. Her creativity would flow through her teaching, crafting and also her cooking which she was very fond of.

The family will receive friends on Friday, October 11, 2024 from 1-2 P.M. at Freedom Assembly of God. The funeral will begin immediately following the visitation beginning at 2 P.M. Burial will follow at Oxendine Cemetery.

Services entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Red Springs.