Annabelle Derden Selph, age 97, passed on Tuesday, April 7, 2015. Born on May 30th, 1917 to the late Richard and Emma Belle Sutton Derden in Ellijay, Georgia. She graduated High School in Ellijay and worked and attended Rhinehart Junior College and Middle Tennessee State College. She did her graduate studies at Duke University and North Carolina State University earning her Master’s Degree. Annabelle taught High School and also taught at Rhinehart College. She moved to Durham, North Carolina in 1943 and was hired as director or Durham City Schools Luncheon System and remained there until retirement in 1981. She wrote a proposal fro a project in Health and Nutrition, in 1971 the proposal was funded and operated for over three years, from this project, curriculum guidelines were produced and used by the entire nation. Annabelle was a founding member of the North Carolina School Food Service Association. She co-authored books entitled Focus on Optimum Development and Alphabet Soup. She also received many awards including 1976 Mother of The Year, 1976 Service Award from the USDA and many others. Annabelle was a 72 year member of the First Baptist Church, she was also a Sunday School Teacher, a Training Union Teacher, and was president of her Sunday School Class three times.

Annabelle is survived by her son, Ellis L. Selph, Jr. and wife, Rhonda; granddaughter, Sandy Clinton and husband, Richard; brother, Willis A Derden of Winston-Salem, NC; four sisters, Marie Holt of Ellijay, GA, Savilla Oxford of Parrish, FL, Juanita Sanford of Braselton, GA and Geneva Colvard of Durham, NC; five great-grandchildren, Jessica, Richard, Joseph, Tyler and Elizabeth.

Funeral Service will be held 10 a.m. Saturday at the Chapel of Hall Wynne Funeral Service. Interment will follow in the Markham Memorial Garden.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.hallwynne.com