Mrs. Geraldine Wheeler Lee, age 96, of Juniper Road passed away on Wednesday, July 8, 2026 at Liberty Commons Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Benson surrounded by her loving family.

The family will receive friends from 10:00AM-10:45AM-Saturday, July 11, 2026 at Rose & Graham Funeral Home in Benson, NC. Funeral Services will be held 11:00AM-Saturday, July 11, 2026 at Rose & Graham Funeral Chapel in Benson, NC. Rev. Glenn McCullen will officiate. A Private Burial will take place in Roselawn Cemetery in Benson, NC.

Mrs. Lee was born on November 12, 1929 in Johnston County, NC, to the late Maxie Allen and Lila Mae Davis Wheeler. She was baptized in Tinker Howard's Pond in Benson and, at the age of 14, became a lifelong member of Benson Pentecostal Free Will Baptist Church—the same church her mother attended while pregnant with her. As a young girl, some of her favorite memories were roller skating uptown to pick up groceries, and going on camping trips with her Girl Scout troop. During the summers, she worked barning tobacco and picking cotton to earn money for shoes for the upcoming school year. She graduated from Benson High School in 1947.

After her sweetheart, Parlie McKinley Lee, returned from serving in the Army during WWII, they were married and settled in Four Oaks, where they raised three children together.

Mrs. Lee had a gift for making everyone feel welcome. Her home was host to countless holidays where multiple generations gathered. Her kitchen was often filled with the sounds of Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn playing on the radio while she prepared the fried chicken, cornbread, chicken pastry and chocolate pies that became family favorites. She attended many country music concerts. The only concert she missed was the day her grandchild Meredith Adams was born.

Nothing brought Mrs. Lee greater joy than her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They will forever remember her affectionate rendition of "A Bushel and a Peck and a Hug Around the Neck." She also loved to travel, especially to the Pamlico River and Kure Beach with family, as well as to one of her favorite destinations, Nashville, and many other places aboard Don Denning's travel bus.

Mrs. Lee worked at Blocks Shirt Factory for 29 years, then at Chicopee in Benson until 1992, eventually becoming a designer of floral arrangements at Carolina Pottery, where she worked for another 19 years before retiring at the age of 81. In retirement, she enjoyed working crossword puzzles, reading her Bible and the newspaper, and watching game shows, including Jeopardy!, Wheel of Fortune, and The Price Is Right. She also enjoyed sweet tea, caffeine-free Diet Coke, and Metropolitan ice cream. She will be remembered for her tireless work ethic, her devotion to faith and family, and her sweet tooth.

In addition to her parents, she was also preceded in death by her husband, Parlie M. Lee, Sr.; a daughter, Patricia Lee Adams; a granddaughter, Meredith Lee Adams; and her brother, Bobby Max Wheeler.

Survivors include her children, Parlie M. Lee, Jr. and wife, Kim and Michelle Lee Barbour; grandchildren, Lauren Adams and husband, Jake Peterson, Pamela Lee Wood and husband, Daniel, Bryn (Brandon) Barbour and wife, Jess, Preston Lee and wife, Taylor, Madi Barbour; great-grandchildren, Violet Wood, Austin Wood, Jackson Wood, Colliar John Lee; brother, Donald Wheeler; several nieces and nephews.

The family appreciates your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time and will also be receiving friends at the home of Michelle Barbour.

Arrangements by Rose & Graham Funeral Home in Benson, NC.