Obituaries

OCEAN ISLE BEACH -- Marjorie Hughes Aloi, 76, died Thursday, May 18, 2006 at Columbus Regional Healthcare. She was born on April 28, 1930 in Bladen County, the daughter of the late Percy and Mable Hall Hughes.

Graveside services were conducted Saturday, May 20 at Brunswick Memorial Gardens. Brun-swick Funeral Services of Shallotte handled the arrangements.

Survivors include a son, Steve Aloi of Cort-land, N.Y.; a daughter, Victoria Aloi Parker and husband, Jeff, of Ocean Isle Beach; a brother, Rudolph Hughes of Blad-enboro; a sister, Esther Rae Hart of Pennsylvania; and three grandchildren, Brooke Williamson, Chloe Parker, and Kelsie Aloi.

BOLTON - Shirley Smith, 54, died Tuesday, May16, 2006. She was a factory worker.

Final rites were held Saturday, May 20 at Lee's Chapel AME Zion Church by the Rev. Annie McMillian. Burial followed in the Restwell Cemetery #2. Peoples Funeral Home of Whiteville handled the arrangements.

Survivors include her mother, Ida Mae Smith of Bolton; three sisters, Linda Diane Smith, and Adrenollyn Moore of Bolton, and Ruth Munn of Riegelwood; three brothers, Alton Smith of Riegelwood, Michael Smith Pendarvis of Bolton, and Terry Smith of Burgaw.

BLADENBORO - Jessie "J.Z." Hinson, 89, died Wednesday, May 17, 2006 at Columbus Regional Healthcare.

Final rites were held Saturday, May 20 at Lennons Cross Roads Baptist Church with the Rev. Warren Hill officiating. Burial followed in Kelly Cemetery, Old Boardman Road. Lewis Funeral Home of Bladenboro handled the arrangements.

Survivors include a son Tommy Hinson of Bladenboro; a brother, Dale Hinson of Evergreen; three grandsons, and five great-grandchildren.

EVERGREEN - Elzena P. Powell, 84, died Tuesday, May 16, 2006 at Columbus Regional Healthcare. She was a hospital dietician.

Final rites were held Friday, May 19 at Mt. Horeb AME Church. Burial followed in Evergreen Community Cemetery. Peoples Funeral Home of Whiteville handled the arrangements.

Survivors include five daughters, Callie Freeman of Greensboro, Joanne Sharpe of Selma, Ala., Ruth Jeannette Morgan of High Point, Nellie Lee Graham of Whiteville, and Lucille Hill of Baltimore, Md.; three sons, Levi Daniel Powell of Washington, D.C., Moses Alexander Powell and Christopher Lee Powell, both of Evergreen; a stepdaughter, Beulah Mae Regan of Goldsboro; and a sister, Esther Page Long of Baltimore, Md.

CHADBOURN - Sarah Lee Benjamin, 80, died Tuesday, May 16, 2006 at Columbus Regional Healthcare.

Arrangements will be announced by Peoples Funeral Home of Whiteville.

TABOR CITY - Dixie Leigh Wright, 65, died Tuesday, May 16, 2006 in Columbus Regional Healthcare. She was a native of Cumberland County, and the widow of Donald K. Wright.

Final rites were held Thursday, May 18 at the Inman Funeral Home Chapel conducted by the Rev. Jim Ponder. Interment followed in the Powell Cemetery at Tabor City. Inman Funeral Home of Tabor City handled the arrangements.

She is survived by three daughters, Carrie Wright Whittington and Shannon Soles, both of Tabor City; Donna Billings of Winston-Salem; eight grandchildren, and four great-grand-children.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Forest Lawn Baptist Church, P.O. Box 593, Tabor City, N.C. 28463.

WILMINGTON - Katherine Magdalene Floyd, 70, died Wednesday, May 17, 2006 at New Hanover Regional Medical Center. She was born in Florence, S.C. on Oct. 11, 1935, daughter of the late William C. Dyson and Ethel Allen Dyson.

Floyd was a member of Castle Hayne Baptist Church. She had been employed with the Pender and New Hanover counties public school systems.

A graveside service was held Saturday, May 20 at Oleander Memorial Gardens by the Rev. Billy Fowler. Andrews Mortuary of Wilmington handled the arrangements.

Survivors include her husband of 45 years, Roy Edward Floyd; a son, Stewart A. Floyd of Roanoke, Va.; and a half-brother, E.B. Harrelson of Florida.

Memorial gifts may be made to the Castle Hayne Baptist Church, 4535 Parmele Road, Castle Hayne, N.C. 28429.

RALEIGH - Mae H. Long, 92, wife of the late Quincy A. Long, died peacefully on May 18, 2006 in Raleigh.

She was born Oct. 31, 1913 in Columbus County to the late Callie and Taylor Hargrove.

Funeral services were held Saturday, May 20 at Wesley Memorial Methodist Church in Riegelwood. Burial followed in Weyman Cemetery. Andrews Mortuary of Wilmington handled the arrangements.

She is survived by a son, Alan Long and his wife Helen of Riegelwood and two daughters, Joy L. Mitchell and husband Rick and Catherine Sue Sisson, all of Cary; six grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

Long's family would like to extend thanks to Oaks of Carolina in Raleigh and Rolling Ridge Retirement in Newton Grove for the devoted loving care they gave their mother.

Memorials may be made to Wesley Memorial Methodist Church of Riegelwood.

RALEIGH - Herbert Gibson Simmons, 87, formerly of Holden Beach and Richmond, Va., died Wednesday, May 17, 2006 at Wake Medical Center. Simmons was the son of the late James Wesley Simmons and Theresa Libscob Simmons. He was preceded in death by three brothers, Earl, Wesley, and Ward Simmons.

Simmons served in the U.S. Army during World War II from 1941-1945 and was in the 4th Armored Division. He was in Normandy, northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland and Central Europe under General Patton. After the war he returned and worked for Merck and Eaton Laboratories. He was married to Mary Elizabeth Stephens of Hallsboro for more than 50 years. They lived at Holden Beach and worked in real estate from 1982 until 2005.

Graveside services were held Saturday, May 20 at Lake Waccamaw Hillcrest Cemetery with the Rev. Eddie Hill officiating. McKenzie Mortuary handled the arrangements.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Elizabeth Simmons, a son, Stephen G. Simmons of Raleigh, and three grandchildren.

WHITEVILLE - Richard Bernard Thompson, 76, died Thursday, May 19, 2006. He was born May 8, 1930 in Columbus County, the son of the late Clarence and Annie Mae Butler Thompson.

Thompson retired with International Paper Company after 28 1/2 years of service. He was a veteran of the United States Army and was a farmer. He was a member of New Hope Baptist Church.

Final rites were held Monday, May 22 at New Hope Baptist Church by the Rev. Roy Walker. Interment followed in New Hope Baptist Church Cemetery. Peacocks Funeral Home of Whiteville handled the arrangements.

Survivors include his wife, Bessie Lou Coleman Thompson; a daughter, Tamie Thompson Hales and husband, John of Ash; two sisters, Vivian Lewis of Whiteville and Oka Negley of Indianapolis, Ind.; two grandchildren, Emily Hales and Wyatt Hales.

He was preceded in death by a daughter, Emily Cheryl Thompson, and two brothers, Eugene Thompson and Roger Thompson.

Serving as pallbearers were Dana Negley, Alan Thompson, Gordon Thompson, Markus Thompson, Travis Thompson and Robert White. Honorary pallbearers were the Harvesters Sunday school class.

LORIS, S.C. - Terry Lynn Stevens, 37, died Wednesday, May 17, 2006 at his residence.

Graveside services were held Sunday, May 21 at Forest Lawn Cemetery, Tabor City. Inman Funeral Home of Tabor City handled the arrangements.

He is survived by his parents, Eloise and Bobby Hulon of Chadbourn; a brother, Frankie Stevens of Loris, S.C.; two sisters, Debbie Floyd of Loris, S.C.; and Amy Rose of Mocksville.

He was preceded in death by his father, Donald Franklin Stevens Sr.

MYRTLE BEACH S.C. - Venna Bullock Anderson, 94, formerly of the Spring Branch community died Saturday, May 20, 2006 at Covenant Towers Healthcare.

Anderson was born in Horry County, the daughter of the late N.A. "Bud" and Mary Williamson Shelley. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Bruce and Dennis, and her brothers, J.P. and Reece.

She attended Winthrop College and was an avid golfer.

Final rites will be held at 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 23 at Spring Branch Baptist Church in Nichols, S.C., with the Rev. Walt Cooper officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. Meares Funeral Home of Fair Bluff is handling the arrangements.

Survivors include a brother, Bill Shelley of Spartanburg, S.C.; and a sister, Bonnie Shelley Heald of Omaha, Neb.

The family will receive friends after the service in the fellowship hall at the church.

TABOR CITY - Marty Levon Bellamy, 49, died Saturday, May 13, 2006 at Loris Hospital in Loris, S.C.

Final rites were held Sunday, May 21 at Green Acres Baptist Church in Tabor City with Apostle Jeffrey Johnson officiating and the Rev. Thomas Nelson gave the eulogy. Burial followed in Columbus County Singing Union Cemetery in Tabor City. S&L Funeral Home of Fair Bluff handled the arrangements.

He is survived by two sons, Mary Lorenzo Ray of Fayetteville, and Tymar Rouse of Little River, S.C.; a adopted son, Joshua Walter Bellamy of the home; three step-daughters, Baretta McKnight, Treslyn Washington, and Delswa Washington, all of the home; three step-sons, Elijah Washington, Jodis Washington, both of Georgia, and Tomar Washington of Myrtle Beach, S.C.; two sisters, Wilma Jean Bease of Lakeland, Fla., and Joann Billings of Tabor City; three brothers, Alphonse Ellison, and Randy Bellamy, both of Fayetteville, and David Bellamy of Myrtle Beach, S.C.; three grandchildren, and nine step-grandchildren.

EVERGREEN - Lauren McCall Collins, infant (1 day old) daughter of Cory Delane and Heather McCall Fields Collins died Thursday, May 18, 2006 at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington.

A graveside service was held Saturday, May 20 at Boardman Baptist Church Cemetery with the Reverends Hal Stephens and Jay Weaver officiating. Worthington Funeral Home of Chadbourn handled the arrangements.

In addition to her parents she is survived by maternal grandparents, Jill and Tony Nance of Cerro Gordo and Rodney and Becky Fields of Evergreen; paternal grandparents, Lonnie and Nancy Collins of Evergreen; maternal great-grandparents, Eleanor Kinlaw of Evergreen and Marilyn Inman of Evergreen; paternal grandparents, Dot Hamilton of Whiteville and Nannie Simmons of Evergreen.

NAKINA - Lizzie C. Rhodes, 83, died Sunday, May 21, 2006 at her residence. She was born Sept. 14, 1922 in Columbus County the daughter of the late Henry and Elvanie Ward Clark. She was the widow of Woodrow Rhodes. She was a member of Happy Home Baptist Church.

Final rites will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 24 at Happy Home Baptist Church with the Reverends David Peterson and Wayne Faulk officiating. Interment will follow in the Clark Cemetery. Peacocks Funeral Home of Whiteville is handling the arrangements.

She is survived by a daughter, Estalene Rhodes Godwin of Lake Waccamaw; a sister, Ella Kerr of San Anselmo, Calif.; a granddaughter, Tammy Rhodes of Leland and a grandson, Shane Rhodes of Nakina; a great granddaughter, Samantha Rhodes of Whiteville; and several nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends from 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 23 at the funeral home.