Penny Elizabeth Dollar Farmer

                                                         **Service date and time has changed due to inclement weather forecast***

The Reverend Penny Elizabeth Dollar Farmer, age 72, was called home to be with the Lord early in the morning on Saturday, January 24, 2026. Penny was born to James Pasley Dollar, Jr. and Ruby Kimrey Dollar on July 14, 1953, in Alamance County, NC. She was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers, David Kimrey Dollar and James Pasley Dollar III (Jimmy); and her granddaughter, Lillian Grace Tillman.

Though Penny was born and raised in Burlington, NC, she lived the latter forty years of her life in Pamlico County with her husband, the Rev. John A. Farmer. Penny and John were married on November 16, 1985. Penny is survived by her husband; her daughters, Elizabeth Kimrey Farmer Tillman (Chris) and Grace Farmer Nanney (Phillip); grandchildren, Paisley Tillman, Grayson Nanney, and Audrey Nanney; brothers, Nelson Dollar (Lorrie) and Daniel Dollar (Ellen); close cousins, Sandra Bass (Tom) and Barbara Deal; as well as several nieces and nephews.

Penny grew up at Davis Street United Methodist Church in Burlington, NC and graduated from Williams High School. In her youth, Penny enjoyed working at her dad’s service station, Phillips 66 at the Huffman Mill Road/Elon College exit — a time she recalled fondly throughout her life. She went on to graduate from UNC - Charlotte with her Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology. While attending UNCC, she was a charter member of the campus’s chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority. At that time, she was an active member of the Order of the Eastern Star. After undergrad, Penny heard God’s call to ministry and served in Dillion, SC as a youth pastor, eventually earning her Master in Divinity from Duke University. While attending Duke she interned along the Outer Banks including churches in Manteo and Hatteras. A few years later Penny became an Ordained Elder of the United Methodist Church and was appointed as the associate pastor of Garber UMC in New Bern, followed by Trinity UMC in Jacksonville. Penny followed God’s direction to Pamlico County, where she served as a pastor for the eight-church Pamlico Parish, eventually becoming the senior pastor of two-point charge of Alliance and Arapahoe United Methodist Churches. Reaching beyond her local church ministry, Penny served as president of the NC Conference Parish Fellowship, which supports churches of small membership. She furthered her ministry by serving on the Governing Board of the NC Council of Churches, and was a delegate to the General Conference of the United Methodist Church, which allowed her to help shape ministry efforts throughout the country, as well as travel abroad to meet with religious leaders from around the world, including an extended conference with leaders in Moscow.

Ms. Penny, as she was fondly called, passionately served God in the Pamlico County community. While there were many important ministries she enjoyed, being a youth pastor stands out among the most memorable. In thirty years of youth group (or MYF), Ms. Penny created countless memories with the youth of Pamlico, including driving vans full of teenagers on annual ski trips, going on adventures to Busch Gardens, and even tackling a youth group trip to Disney World! Ms. Penny remained a treasured mentor and friend to many of those youth as they grew up, officiating their marriages, baptizing their children, and offering counsel through life’s struggles.

Penny also had a unique and impactful role in the ministry of Camp Don Lee, where her husband, John, served as director for 38 years. Penny was dedicated to supporting campers in their walk with God and helping them strengthen their faith through Bible studies and experiences such as “Day Apart” for the Leaders-in-Training program each summer.

A loving mother and grandmother, Penny was the center of her family’s life in Pamlico County. Penny loved her family out loud, calling each one on birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays with a celebratory song. She was always ready with a hug, a snuggle, or a back scratch. As “Moo Moo” to her beloved grandchildren, she welcomed them into her home and heart with a sense of fun and unconditional love. Penny’s family understood that they shared her with an entire community — it was impossible to go anywhere with Penny without running into people who knew and loved her — and they also knew that they were always her first priority.

While it’s hard to capture the extensive roles, accolades, and accomplishments Penny had throughout her life, one thing is clear: She had a passionate love for God and for His people. Whether it was finding four-leaf clovers for others without a drop of effort (each was given with a small sermon of course) or recognizing someone by their voice in a crowded room after her eye-sight failed, she had an innate ability to connect with others. Being a daily example of God’s love for others continued into her retirement years and as she battled health challenges. The communities she served and loved, along with her family and friends, will miss her immensely. Her bright smile and infectious laugh will live in their memories. They will aim to carry her love for God’s people forward in the world, as she would have encouraged them to.

A service of life and resurrection will be held on Friday, January 30th at 3:00 pm at Centenary United Methodist Church in New Bern with the Rev. Ben Williams officiating.

Penny’s family will greet friends Friday, January 30th from 6-8pm at Daniels-Sadler Funeral Home in Alliance.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Methodist Home for Children, 1041 Washington St. Raleigh, NC 27605-1259.