BODY OF MISS NORTH CAROLINA, WHO DIED OF CANCER, TO BE BURIED IN AFRICA

By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer

The family of Carrie Everett, the first woman to attend an HBCU who was selected to be Miss North Carolina, says her body will be taken to her native Africa for burial after her funeral services on April 18th.

Those services will be held in Auburn, Washington, where the family resides, as well as here in North Carolina on a later date.

Everett, 22, died surrounded by her family on Easter Sunday after succumbing to signet ring cell carcinoma, an advanced form of gastric or stomach cancer.

In an interview with Durham television station WTVD, Ms. Everett’s parents, grandmother and older siblings talked about how hard it has been after her passing to cope with the fact that she is gone at such a young age.

“It’s hard. We’re not going to pretend. It’s been the hardest moment of our life as a family,” said her mother, Mary Everett from their home in Auburn, Washington.

The Everett family is originally from Liberia, and moved to Washington prior to Ms. Everett then moving to North Carolina to attend North Carolina Central University in 2023. She entered the Miss North Carolina competition, representing Johnston County, during her sophomore year, planning to graduate in 2027.

She won Miss North Carolina in June 2024, with hopes of going on to compete in that year’s Miss America Pageant, but never made it.

Ms. Everett was the youngest of her siblings, and is remembered by them as being “compassionate and bold.” “She was never shy to tell the way she felt about things, sometimes not even sparing feelings, but that’s who she was,” said her older brother, Abenego Kondiano.

Her older sister, Rufina Everett, recalls the strength and courage Carrie displayed while battling the deadly disease.

“In this battle, she would always say she didn’t set out to be an inspiration, but she wanted to fight to live so with her life she could love people,” Rufina said.

Carrie Everett’s legacy will now live on as a symbol of strength and great promise. She loved singing, and attended NCCU as a vocal performance major.  Her family calls her a “true child of North Carolina.”

“Thank you for loving her, supporting her, [and] supporting her in prayer.” Everett’s mother, Mary, said. “It meant a lot.”