Kenneth Poe Funeral Services

December 18, 2024

CHARLOTTE – Marinell Hargrove Bostian died on Wednesday, December 18, 2024, following a brief illness.

Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, on October 13, 1930, Marinell grew up with her family in Brandon, MS, where her father worked on the construction of the Keesler military base and other projects. Following high school, she attended Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, graduating in 1952, then moving to Jackson, MS, to work as a registered nurse.  She married Prentis Hoyt Jernigan in 1954.  Marinell continued her education, earning M.S. and Ed.D. degrees from the University of Alabama.  Dr. Bostian and her family moved to Charlotte, NC, where she became Dean of Nursing at the University of North Carolina - Charlotte College of Nursing from 1972 to 1977 and Professor of Nursing until her retirement in 1996.  Marinell and Prentis divorced during her tenure at UNC-C. 

Marinell remained active during retirement, serving on the Board for The Sharon at Southpark and participating in the Davidson Community Players.  Marinell was a longtime member of First Presbyterian Church of Charlotte, where she served as a Stephen Minister, on committees, and volunteered at the Loaves and Fishes food pantry, and participated in international mission trips. It was at FPC she met and later married Ralph Woodson Bostian in 1996.  After many years of happy marriage living in Charlotte’s Fourth Ward, Marinell and Ralph moved to The Sharon at Southpark in 2014, where they lived the rest of their lives.

Marinell loved to travel.  She visited all the states and traveled throughout the world.  She and Ralph rode the Trans-Siberian railroad from Vladivostok to St. Petersburg, cruised through the Panama Canal, and took a 57-day car trip across the western United States. Marinell also loved pottery. She collected more than 40 pieces from well-known and many up-and-coming potters. She was a regular patron of the Potters Market at the Mint Museum.

Marinell is survived by her daughter, Kelly Jernigan Hunter, and her husband, Sid, of Chapel Hill, NC; Ralph’s son, Larry Bostian, and his wife, Cindy Allen, of Silver Spring, MD; Ralph’s daughter, Gail Schutz, and her husband, Ron, of Hudson, Wisconsin; nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.  Also surviving are her sister, Marty Hargrove Bobo, Jackson, MS. 

A memorial service will be held 1:00 PM on Saturday, January 18, 2025, at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 1000 E. Morehead Street, Charlotte, NC.  The family will receive friends following the service at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be offered in memory of Marinell to The Sharon at Southpark Residents’ Assistance Fund, 5100 Sharon Road, Charlotte, NC 28210, or Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Attn: Sharon Trivino, Development & Alumni Relations, 525 N. Wolfe Street, Student House, RM 116, Baltimore, MD 21205.

Arrangements are in the care of Kenneth W. Poe Funeral & Cremation Service, 1321 Berkeley Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28204 (704) 641-7606. Online condolences may be shared at www.kennethpoeservices.com.