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TABOR CITY -- Myrtle Norris Soles died late Wednesday night, Oct. 4, 2006 in Loris Community Hospital. She was 96 years old.
Mrs. Soles was born on June 20, 1910, one of 13 children born to Lewis Irdel Norris and Mary Grainger Norris.
Ardent supporters of education, Mr. and Mrs. Soles both served on college boards and established scholarships at their respective institutes of higher education. She served on the Southeastern Community College Board of Trustees and her husband was the first lifetime member appointed to the Campbell University Board of Trustees.
Mr. and Mrs. Soles were recognized by the N.C. General Assembly on July 13, 2005, their 75th wedding anniversary. They were in a delegation of Tabor City residents who were in the Senate and House galleries that day when the Town of Tabor City was also recognized for its 100th year anniversary.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 7 at Tabor City Baptist Church, with visitation and lunch to follow in the church fellowship hall. Burial will be at 2 p.m. in Myrtle Green Cemetery. Inman Funeral Home of Tabor City is handling the arrangements.
Survivors include her husband of 76 years, Robert C. Soles Sr.; a son, Sen. R.C. Soles Jr. of Tabor City; a daughter, Darcus S. Woody and husband James W. Woody Jr. of Roxboro; sisters, Ruth N. Brice of Tabor City, and Peggy N. Davenport of Spartanburg, S.C.; a grandson, James W. Woody III and wife Heather of Oak Island; a granddaughter, Deanne W. Maynard and husband Rob of Greensboro; two great-grandchildren, Campbell Woody of Oak Island and Hayleigh Maynard of Greensboro; and a special friend, Kenneth Harold Jordan of Tabor City.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Tabor City Baptist Church where Mrs. Soles and her husband have been lifelong members, Southeastern Community College or Campbell University.
MARGARET J. ‘MARGIE’ SMERZ
RACINE, Wis. – Margaret J. “Margie” Smerz, 62, died Monday, Sept. 11, 2006, following her courageous battle with cancer since Jan. 1, 2004. She was born in Columbus County on Jan. 19, 1944, to Mary Ellen S. Sellers and the late Lonzie Ray Sellers.
A graduate of Lincoln High School in Milwaukee, she went to manage Adelman Poly-Prim Dry Cleaners. Following that she earned many automotive certifications to enhance her 22-year career as manager of Car-X Muffler and Brake Shop in Racine.
Smerz was a 46-year member of the Church of God of Prophecy, where she served as a Sunday school teacher for more than 16 years. Her interests were fishing, camping, and admiring flowers.
Final rites were held at the funeral home on Saturday, Sept. 16 followed by burial in West Lawn Memorial Park. Draeger-Langendorf Funeral Home of Racine, Wisc. handled the arrangements.
Survivors include her husband, George Smerz; daughters, Cynthia Hargraves, and Tammie Tylock, both of Racine, Wisc; five grandchildren; her mother, Mary S. Sellers of Grand Marsh, Wisc.; her grandmother, Pearl Thompkins of Tabor City, brothers, Mitchell Sellers of Milwaukee, Wisc., and Rev. Earl Sellers of Orrum.
EMMA LONG ALLEN
WHITEVILLE – Emma Long Allen, 93, died Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2006. She was the daughter of the late Henry Mincey Long Sr. and Isabelle Cartwright. She was preceded in death by her husband, A.J. Allen; son, Curtis Allen; daughter, Lorena Allen, and a great-grandson, Eddie Stevens. Allen was taken care of by a very special granddaughter, Wanda Stevens.
Final rites will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5 at McKenzie Mortuary Chapel with burial following in the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Tabor City. McKenzie Mortuary of Whiteville is handling the arrangements.
Survivors include daughters, Kathleen A. Todd and husband Windell, and Peggy A. Stevens, all of Whiteville; sons, Kenneth Allen, and Vernon Allen and wife Geraldine, all of Tabor City; 14 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grand-children.
JOHN C. WILLIAMS SR.
TABOR CITY – John C. Williams Sr., died Monday, Oct. 2, 2006 at his residence. He was the son of the late Oscar Lee and Mamie Williams and the husband of the late Elder Christyne V. Williams.
Final rites will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6 at the First Baptist Church in Tabor City with the Elder John C. Williams Jr. officiating. Interment will follow in the Columbus Singing Union Cemetery in Tabor City. Westside Funeral Home of Tabor City is handling the arrangements.
Survivors include a son, Elder John C. Williams Jr.; and two daughters, Lorretta Thoams and Dianna Bellamy, all of Tabor City.
Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5 at the funeral home. (See story page 3A)
LUCILLE McKEITHAN
BLADENBORO – Lucille McKeithan, 90, died Sunday, Oct. 1, 2006 at her residence. She was predeceased by husband, Grover McKeithan, two sisters, two brothers, and a half-brother.
Final rites were held Wednesday, Oct. 4 at New Light Pentecostal Freewill Baptist Church in Bladenboro with the Reverends Ronnie Cox and Cameron McGill officiating. Burial followed in Lewis Cemetery, Bladenboro. Bladen Funeral Home of Elizabethtown handled the arrangements.
Survivors include her sons, Lonnie McKeithan, and Horace McKeithan, both of Bladenboro; a daughter, Katie Bowen of Bladenboro; half-brother, Perry Guyton of Bladenboro; six grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and five great-great-grandchildren.
JESSIE LEE KING
SMYRNA, Ga. – Jessie Lee King, 80, formerly of Fair Bluff, died Friday, Sept. 29, 2006 in Austell, Ga. She was a teacher’s aide.
Final rites will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5 at Butler Branch Missionary Baptist Church in Fair Bluff with the Rev. Ronald Alford officiating. Burial will follow in the Butler Branch Cemetery. Peoples Funeral Home of Whiteville is handling the arrangements.
Survivors include two daughters, Jackie King of Smyrna, Ga., and Gloria Leach of Burgaw; a sister, Hattie Mae English of Fair Bluff; and three grandchildren.
Viewing will be at the church Thursday from noon until time of service and again following the service. Friends may visit the family at 95 Railroad Street, Fair Bluff.
CORBETT WARD
TABOR CITY – Corbett Ward, 90, died Monday, Oct. 2, 2006. He was born in Columbus County, the son of the late Jim and Victoria Reaves Ward. He was preceded in death by his wife, Flodie Geneva Ward.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5 at the Inman Chapel, conducted by the Rev. Timothy Soles. Interment will follow in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Tabor City. Inman Funeral Home of Tabor City is handling the arrangements.
He is survived by his wife, Annie Mae Lawson Ward of Shallotte; two daughters, Evelyn Ward Swaney of Lexington, and Wanda W. Caines of Tabor City; two sons, Corbett Ward Jr. of Tabor City, and Ronald Wayne Ward of Whiteville; 11 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren.
DORIS LONG PRITCHARD
LELAND – Doris Gray Long Pritchard, 73, died Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2006, at New Hanover Regional Medical Center. She was born Oct. 27, 1932 in Columbus County, the daughter of the late Enos Jasper and Lucy Rogers Stocks. She formerly worked with Timme Corporation.
Final rites will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7 at Peacock’s Chapel In The Pines by the Rev. Bill Haddock. Interment will follow in the Ward Family Cemetery. Peacock’s Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.
Survivors include her husband, John Pritchard; two sons, Elvin C. Long of Wilmington, and Larry Keith Long of Leland; two daughters, Donna Grey Anderson of Perrysburg, Ohio, and Sharon Kent of Inman, S.C.; two brothers, Billy Stocks of Whiteville, and Gayle Stocks of Delco; four sisters, Brenda Buffkin of Lumberton, Shelby Evans of Delco, Peggy Kelly of Wilmington, and Barbara Ann Duncan of Tabor City; six grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her former husband, Curtis H. Long; a son, Elmond Thomas Long and a brother, James Oscar “Ottie-Boy” Stocks.
The family will receive friends from 7-8:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6 at the funeral home.
B. WOODROW WARD SR.
WHITEVILLE – Burris Woodrow Ward Sr., 91, died Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2006. He was born Oct. 14, 1914, in Horry County, the son of the late Joseph Travis and Ellen May Graham Ward.
He was a member of Whiteville Church of God and retired from Anchor Motor Freight in Baltimore, Md., as a welder.
Final rites will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 7 at Whiteville Church of God. Interment will follow in Peacock’s Columbus Memorial Park. Peacock’s Funeral Home of Whiteville is handling the arrangements.
Survivors include two sons, Bill Ward of Fayetteville, and Burris Woodrow Ward Jr. of Chadbourn; three daughters, Ella Faye Groves of Spring Grove, Pa., Mary Elizabeth Dyson, and Linda Ann Groves, both of Whiteville; 13 grandchildren, and 20 great-grandchildren.
The family will receive friends from 7-8:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6 at the funeral home.
DAISY ‘MYRTLE’ HESTER
BLADENBORO – Daisy “Myrtle” Hester, 91, died Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2006 at Columbus Regional Healthcare. She was born on Aug. 26, 1915 the daughter of Archie Cromwell and Willow Herring Cromwell. She was preceded in death by her husband, Carl Dixon Hester; and a daughter, June Burney Pait.
Final rites will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 7 at West Bladenboro Baptist Church with the Rev. Boyd Britt officiating. Burial will follow at Godwin Cemetery in Cerro Gordo. Bladen Funeral Home of Elizabethtown is handling the arrangements.
Survivors include a brother, Davis Ray Godwin of Sanford; a sister, Dorothy Nance of Arkansas; four grandsons, Dennis Burney, Dwayne Burney, Keith Burney, and Bryon Pait; four great-grandchildren, Chr-ystal Burney, Jessica Burney, Paige Burney, and Amber Pait; a nephew, Gerald Deaver and wife Lois; and a niece, Daphine Coleman and husband, J.P.
Visitation will be from 7-9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6 at West Bladenboro Baptist Church, Bladenboro.
NELLIE KEMP
ELIZABETHTOWN – Nellie Kemp died Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2006, at New Hanover Regional Medical Center, Wilmington. She was preceded in death by her parents, Gaston Clyde Kemp and Naomi Kemp; a sister, Betty Rice; and by three brothers, Charles Kemp, Clyde Kemp Jr., and Horace Kemp.
Final rites will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8 at Kinlaw Funeral Home in Elizabethtown with burial following in Mt. Horeb Cemetery. Visitation will be held one hour before the service. Kinlaw Funeral Home of Elizabethtown is handling the arrangements.
Survivors include three sisters, Doris Jones of Jacksonville; Edith Bass of Lumberton, and Jessie Welch of Riverdale, Md.
In lieu of flowers family request that memorials be made to the American Cancer Society, 3131 Wrightsville Avenue, Wilmington, N.C. 28403.
BRIAN DEAN SANDERSON
BOARDMAN – Brian Dean Sanderson, 49, died Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2006, at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington.
Final rites will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7 at Worthington Funeral Home with the Rev. Hal S. Stephens officiating. Interment will follow in the Boardman Baptist Church Cemetery. Worthington Funeral Home of Chadbourn is handling the arrangements.
He is survivors include his parents, C.R. and Mary Nance Sanderson of Evergreen; a sister, Sue Yates of Chadbourn; brothers, Michael L. Sanderson Sr. of Evergreen and James Robert Sanderson of Tifton, Ga.
Visitation will be held from 7-9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6 at the funeral home.