FREDA MAE BRIDGERS SMITHFIELD Freda Mae Bridgers, 90, of 3420 US 301 South, Smithfield, died Wednesday, October 17, 2001. She was born in Brunswick County on July 16, 1911, daughter of the late Green Lewis and Mattie Cox Lewis. Funeral service 2 p.m. Friday, October 19, 2001, at Minshew Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Bill Altman officiating.
Entombment at Hills of the Neuse Memory Gardens. Mrs. Bridgers was preceded in death by her husband, George W. Bridgers. Survivors include: daughters and sons-in-law, Myrna and Edward Earl Sutton of Four Oaks, and Kay and Frank Creech of Smithfield; sister, Vera Eadon of Wilmington; grandchildren, Eddie Sutton and wife Kelly of Smithfield, Angie Williams and husband Don of Cary, Franklin Creech and wife Sherri of Garner and Georgeanna Creech of Boone; great-grandchildren, Breanna Williams, Meredith Williams, and Emma Creech.
Minshew Funeral Home of Four Oaks is in charge of arrangements. JULIAN D. CROY II CLAYTON, NC Julian Douglas Croy, II, was born on April 17, 1969 to Julian Douglas Croy and the late Barbara Ann Croy. After a long and courageous fight against colon cancer, Julian, known as to all that knew and loved him, of which there were many, died on Wednesday October 17, 2001. Jay was born in Hampton, Virginia and moved to Radford, Virginia with his parents and sister, Jennifer in 1970.
Jay was a much loved teammate on the Radford High School Bobcats football team and graduated in 1987. Upon graduation, Jay was awarded a certificate of Perfect attendance for grades K-12. This was just one of the many examples of his dependability, dedication and strength. Jay then attended New River Community College and earned two degrees, one in Instrumentation and one in Electronics. He was a member of an Honors Fraternity and listed in Who in Junior Colleges.
Soon after, Jay married his high school sweetheart, Shellie Lynn Simpkins and they moved to Raleigh, N.C. They added to their life together two sons, Matthew Austin and Tanner Mason. Two years ago the Croy family moved to Clayton, NC, to be closer to place of employment, Bayer, Inc. where he will surely be missed by all the friends and coworkers who loved him so much. Shellie, Matt and Tanner will continue to reside in Clayton, NC.
Visitation will be held at McLaurin Funeral Home in Clayton, Friday, October 19, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, October 20 at 11 a.m. at the First Baptist Church of Clayton. In lieu of flowers, Jay requested a donation be made to the American Cancer to continue his fight.
Arrangements by McLaurin Funeral Home, Clayton. 919-553-7143. MYRTLE UTLEY PEARSON RALEIGH Myrtle Utley Pearson, 83, of 5109 Norman Place, died Wednesday. Mrs. Pearson was born in Chatham County on February 22, 1918 to the late Fred M.
and Hester Rollins Pearson. Preceded in death by her husband W.T. Pearson, she is survived by three sons, Douglas T. Pearson and wife, Ann of Raleigh, Donald R. Pearson and wife, Millie of Raleigh and Daniel F.
Pearson of Palm Harbor, Florida; sister, Mary Lee Johnson of Holly Springs; two sister-in- laws, Sudie Utley of Apex and Annie L. Bell of Raleigh; seven grandchildren; six great grandchildren. Funeral service will be held 11:00 a.m. Saturday, October 20, 2001 at Ephesus Baptist Church. Internment will follow in Montlawn Memorial Park.
The family will receive friends Friday 7-9 p.m. at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home on Saint Street. Memorial contributions may be made to the Ephesus Baptist Church, 6767 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27606. INFANT AMBER LYNN COOK MORRISVILLE, N.C. Infant Amber Lynn Cook born October 15 died October 16, 2001.
She is survived by her parents, Matt and Jennifer Cook of 104 Gra- hamwood Ct. Morrisville; paternal grandparents, Jerry and Mickey Cook, Larry and Dianne Lynch both of Cullowhee; maternal grandparents, Bernard and Linda Parker of Apex; paternal great-grandmothers, Mary Cook of Asheville and Peggy Gant of Swannonoa; maternal great-grandmother, Phoebe H. Parker of Apex; aunts and uncles. A private graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, October 20, 2001 in the Apex Cemetery.
The Rev. Phil Qualls will officiate. Arrangements are with Apex Funeral Home, 511 W. Williams St. (Hwy.
55), Apex, N.C. Memorials may be given to the Apex Baptist Church Building Fund 110 S. Salem St. Apex, N.C. 27502.
ELLIS COOKE RALEIGH Ellis Cooke, of 1908 Hadley Road, died Monday. Funeral 1 p.m. Saturday at Lea Funeral Home. Burial, Carolina Biblical Gardens. Surviving: wife, Lucinda Cooke of the home; daughters, Yvonne Turner of South Hampton, PA, Constance B.
Jones of Philadelphia, PA, Yvonne Deas of Raleigh, Lula Massenburg of Charlotte; son, Kenneth E. Cooke of Trevose, PA; sister, Hasty McClain of Raleigh, Luvenia Shipman of Deer Park, NY, Mable Raiford of Sickerville, NJ; brothers, Penton Cooke and Rob M. Cooke, both of Philadelphia, PA; 15 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; 14 great-great-grandchildren. Visitation 12:30 1 p.m. Saturday at Lea Funeral Home.
A Lea Funeral Home Service, 231-1000. GRAHAM ELLIS FERRELL, SR. RALEIGH Graham Ellis Ferrell, 78, passed away Wednesday, October 17 after an extended illness. Mr. Ferrell was born in Knightdale, NC on November 23, 1922 to Raymond and Hallie Ferrell.
He served in the Merchant Marines during World War II. Upon his return from the war, Graham went to work for Davidson and Jones. He retired with the company after 43 years as a construction superintendent. He was preceded in death by his former wife of 25 years, Mary Louise Aswell Ferrell. He is survived by his loving and devoted companion of more than 25 years, Jean T.
Frazier; daughter, Marcia F. Hicks and her husband, Johnny; sons, G.E. Ferrell, Jr. and wife, Tricia, Raymond E. Ferrell, William F.
Ferrell and wife Heidi; brothers, Lewis and James D. Ferrell; grandchildren, Chad Hicks and wife, Hope, Melanie Meadows and husband, Michael and Dylan Ferrell; and great-grandchild, Beth Hicks. A memorial service will be held Friday 7 p.m. October 19, 2001 at the Cremation Society of the Carolinas Chapel, 2205 E. Millbrook Raleigh.
The family will receive friends following the service. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Mr. memory to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, P.O. Box 14405, Raleigh, NC 27620 or to the charity of choice. Arrangements by the Cremation Society of the Carolinas, Raleigh.
HUBERT A. HARDISON WILMINGTON, N.C. Hubert A. Hardison, 78, of 320 Robert E. Lee of Wilmington, died Wednesday, October 17, 2001.
He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Kathryn G. Hardison; and daughters, Bonnie Young of Tifton, Carol A. Kell of Charleston, WV, and Martha E. Mitchell of Richmond, VA; also several grandchildren; and siblings, Mildred Lilley of Williamston, NC, Leland B. Hardison of Raleigh, NC, Rose Emmett Helms of Swansboro, NC and Elva Smith of Swansboro, NC.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, October 20, 2001 at Andrews Mortuary Valley Chapel, 4108 S. College Rd. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the American Cancer Society, 3131 Wrightsville Wilmington, NC 28403. SARAH ELIZABETH HARRIS ELKIN Sarah Elizabeth Harris, 98, of Elkin, NC, passed away on October 17th at Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital in Elkin, NC.
She was born March 8, 1903 to Richard Lafayette Harris and Iris Poplin Harris and was a lifetime resident of Elkin. Betty received her degree from Greensboro College and began her teaching career in Norwood, NC. In 1930 she joined the Elkin Public Schools and continued to teach there until her retirement in 1968. Betty was an accomplished artist and gardener, sharing her talents generously with family and friends throughout her life. She was a loyal and supportive friend and was loved by all who knew her.
She was a member of the First Methodist Church in Elkin and a member of the Delta Kappa Gamma Professional Sorority. A devoted daughter, sister, and aunt, Betty is survived and loved by two nieces, Libby Garland and husband Jim of Raleigh, NC, and Patsy Hoffenberg and husband Hal of Raleigh, NC; six nephews, Harris McKay Farrell of Winston-Salem, NC, Dr. Edwin Gayle Farrell and wife Susan of Greensboro, NC, Dr. Claude H. Farrell III and wife Linda of Wilmington, NC, Dr.
Richard Graham and wife Jane (Sherry) of Lenoir, NC, Dr. Richard M. Royall and wife Martha of Baltimore, MD, and Robert C. Harris and wife Kathy of Burnwell, SC. Three nieces, grandnieces, and great-grandnieces bear her name.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 20, at First Methodist Church in Elkin with Sanford Giles officiating. Visitation will be at Parkwood Retirement Center on Friday, October 19th, from p.m. Memorials may be made to the First Methodist Church, 340 Hawthorne Road, Elkin, NC 28621. KENNETH MACK HUNT WENDELL Kenneth Mack Hunt, 43, died Tuesday, October 16, 2001.
Kenneth was born July 8, 1958 in Wake County to Johnny Mack Hunt and Esther Whitley Hunt. He served in the National Guard for six years and worked as a steel metal mechanic. Funeral service will be held 2:00 p.m. Saturday, October 20, 2001 at Chapel Baptist Church. Interment will follow in the church cemetery.
Surviving, parents, Johnny Mack Hunt and Esther Whitley Hunt; son, Matthew Mack Hunt of Columbia, GA; brothers, Johnny Wayne Hunt of Spartanburg, SC, Sammy Ray Hunt of Pinehurst; paternal grandmother, Lelia Hunt of Clayton. Family will receive relatives and friends from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, October 19, 2001 at L. Harold Poole Funeral Service Crematory, 944 Old Knight Road, Knightdale, NC 27545 and other times at the home of his parents, Johnny and Esther Hunt, 225 Lakewood Drive, Wendell, NC 27591. MARGARET C.
LANDIS CHAPEL HILL Margaret Clary Landis of Chapel Hill died on Tuesday, October 16, 2001. She was 91. A memorial service will be held on Sunday at 4 p.m. at The Church of the Holy Family in Chapel Hill. Mrs.
Landis is survived by her daughter, Suzanne Simpson; and her husband, David Simpson; grandchildren, David and Laura Simpson; brothers, Frank M. Clary of California and Julian Clary of Florida; and sister, Madge Coppock of Georgia. Memorials may be made to The Church of the Holy Family, 200 Hayes Road, Chapel Hill, N.C. 27514. Arrangements by the Cremation Society of the Carolinas, Raleigh.
JAMES SHERWOOD LASSITER CLAYTON James Sherwood Lassiter, 83, of 109 Hardee Street, died Wednesday at Johnston Memorial Hospital. He was the retired owner of IGA grocery store in Clayton for over 30 years. He previously operated two other grocery stores and was a retired farmer. He was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, Myra S. Lassiter.
The funeral services will be held on Saturday, October 20, 2001 at 3 p.m. at McLaurin Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will follow at Pinecrest Memorial Gardens. The Rev. Danny Stephenson and Rev.
Wade Daughtry and Rev. Otis Durham will be officiating. He is survived by his son, Jimmy S. Lassiter of Smithfield; daughters, Joy L. Overby of Clayton, Bertha A.
Rivett of Durham and Jane L. Adams of Smithfield; sister, Maxine L. Stephenson of Conway, NC; sister- in-law, Delsie Lassiter of Four Oaks; grandchildren, Deanna and Dirk Thomas, Myra and James Brown, Ross Adams, James S. Lassiter, III, Barney Overby and Robert Overby; great-grandchildren, Dustin Brown, Amanda Brown and Taylor Thomas. The family will receive friends on Friday, October 19 from 7 to 9 p.m.
at McLaurin Funeral Home and other times at the home of Nathan and Jane Adams, 3522 Cleveland Road, Smithfield. Flowers are appreciative or you may make a memorial contribution to the American Diabetes Association. Arrangements by McLaurin Funeral Home, Clayton, 919-553-7143. FLOYD CLIFTON PRICE JR. SELMA Floyd Clifton Price, 86, retired agri-businessman died at home on October 18th following a lengthy illness.
Born on September 14, 1915 in Johnston County to the late Floyd and Stella Fitzgerald Price. He was preceded in death by his wife, Sue Williams Price in 1997. Floyd was an active member of the Selma Baptist Church, the Selma Masonic Lodge and was a former member of the Johnston County Economic Development Committee and the Board of Directors for Johnston Memorial Hospital. He had also been a director of Peoples Bank and a former Chairman for the Moccasin Creek Watershed Board. A memorial service will be conducted at 11:00 a.m.
Saturday in the Selma Baptist Church. Surviving are his son, Floyd C. Price, III of Wrightsville Beach; daughters, Gayle Price Van Velsor of Wilmington, Lanie Price Woodard of Clayton and Florence Price Batten of Wilson; brother, H. Blake Price of Pine Level; sister, Frances Price Oliver of Pine Level; eight grandchildren; and three great- grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to either the American Cancer Society, Johnston County Unit, P.O.
Box 1544, Smithfield, NC 27577 or the Boys and Girls Home of North Carolina, P.O. Box 127, Lake Waccamaw, NC 28450. The family will receive friends immediately following the memorial service in the church fellowship hall. ROBERT T. ZIMMER MARCH 20, 1975-OCT.
12, 2001 RALEIGH Robert Thomson Zimmer, 26, of Baltimore, MD, formerly of Raleigh, died Friday. A Mass of the Resurrection will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday at St. Catholic Church. Burial, Montlawn Memorial Park.
The family will receive friends 7-9 p.m. Friday at Bryan-Lee Funeral Home, Garner and at other times at the home of Philip and Hilda Zimmer, 700 Buffaloe Road, Garner. Memorial contributions may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. BRUCE R. CHAMPION WAKE FOREST Bruce R.
Champion, 52, of 3530 Bruce Garner Road, died Monday, October 15, 2001. Funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon, October 20, 2001 in the chapel of Bright Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Wake Forest Cemetery. Friends may visit with the family from p.m.
Friday evening at Bright Funeral Home. (919-556-5811) 6B, Friday, October 19, 2001 Obituaries 6 HE EWS BSERVER RIDAY CTOBER 19, 2001 More deaths, page 7B MYRTLE BARLOW SILER RALEIGH Myrtle Barlow Siler, native of Raleigh, went to be with the Lord October 16, 2001. Mrs. Siler was born June 10, 1919, in Raleigh, NC. She was the daughter of Bruce and Mary Barlow.
She was employed by Pine State Creamery for 36 years. She was an active and devoted member of the Gospel Chapel in Raleigh until it was destroyed by an arsonist in 1993. She later attended North Ridge Bible Chapel. Mrs. Siler leaves behind her husband, Sammie Teague Siler of Siler City; stepchildren, Marian Sumner of Covington, Kentucky and Sammie Siler Jr.
who resides in Florida; a brother, Hugh Barlow and wife Marie of Conyers, GA; sisters, Donnie Griffin and husband Robert of Louisburg, NC, Erma Sutherland and husband Dan, both of Los Angeles, and Helen B. Sanderford of Raleigh. Mrs. Siler also leaves behind numerous stepchildren, nieces and nephews who were greatly beloved. She was a devoted wife, daughter, sister, aunt and friend.
Funeral service will be held 10 a.m. Friday, October 19, 2001, at the Chapel at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home on Millbrook Road. Interment will follow on Friday after the funeral service at Loves Creek Baptist Church in Siler City. Arrangements by Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, Millbrook Road. DESIGNER STATE EDITION DEATH NOTICES Families may present additional information for a death notice at a cost.
For more information, call the at 919-829-4545 or consult your funeral director. Announcements may be edited and republished in any format. All announcements submitted become the property of The News Observer. MR. JESSE R.
DeGRAFFENREAIDT RALEIGH Jesse Roscoe De- Graffenreaidt was born January 25, 1917 in Pittsboro. He was the youngest son of Wesley and Mary Alston DeGraffenreaidt. At a very early age he became a member of Mitchell Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church. He married the late Minnie Ellis, later moved to Raleigh to make a home, and became members of Rush Memorial A.M.E.
Zion Church. His affiliations included the Rush Metropolitan A.M.E., Zion Church Trustee Board, Sunday School Superintendent, Male Chorus and Council, The Boy Scouts of America and the Dunbar Club. He retired from N.C. Human Resources Administration custodial services. In his retirement he continued to keep busy and was a volunteer in the City of Foster Grandparent Program at the New Bern Avenue Day Care Center.
In his spare time he enjoyed fishing, hunting, gardening, baseball and travel. One of his more recent trips was to Accra, Ghana and Abidjan, Cote Ivoire in West Africa. While in West Africa he was made a Tribal Chief and was given the name Nana Ofosu Osiakwan, chief of knowledge and development. He is predeceased by his youngest son, James Jerome. Survivors include his wife of 16 years, Rev.
Elise Langston Hagins DeGraffenreaidt; sister, Mrs. Tina Elizabeth Cheek of Pittsboro; son, Dr. Kermit J. DeGraffenreaidt, the Dept. of Overseas Mission A.M.E.
Zion Church, and his daughter-in-law, Guytanna, a former Secretary of the Supply Dept. of the W.H.O.M. Society of the A.M.E. ion Church, both of Mount Vernon, New York; a daughter, Mae Frances and son-in-law, Samuel R. Davis of Sarasota, Florida; four stepchildren, Bruce Hagins and family of Raleigh, Diane and Beverly Hagins and Lisa H.
Smith, and their families of Smithfield; three granddaughters, Pamela Davis-Clarke of Orange, NJ, Melanie Davis of New York City and Keisha D. Ashton of Pikesville, MD; four great-grandsons, Anthony and Kasey Ashton, Malcolm and Cameron Clarke; two great-granddaughters, Alicia and Keria; special step-granddaughters, Sonya McNeil of Atlanta, GA, Latoya Hagins of Raleigh, and Marlisa Smith of Smithfield; step-grandsons, Decorris Smith and Laforrest Leake; two grandsons-in-law, Michael Clarke and Anthony Ashton. He leaves his many nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and his foster family at the Day Care Center. In his life he touched many people and we loved him, but God loved him best. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the F.L.
Ellis Memorial Academy Scholarship Fund for a project to which he was dedicated, dug and named in his honor at the school in Ghana. is a water purification system providing pure clean water for the children and their families, of the school and the community of Old Tafo, Ghana, West Africa. Donations can be sent to: Well, 715 South Sixth Avenue, Mount Vernon, NY 19550-4803. Funeral service will be held 3 p.m. Saturday at the Mitchell Chapell A.M.E.
Zion Church in Pittsboro, NC. Visitation is Friday 7-8 p.m. at the Rush Metropolitan Zion Church in Raleigh, NC. Burial at church cemetery. Services entrusted to Lightner Funeral Home.
GRACE M. FAISON 1199,, 11991111 1188,, 22000011 WENDELL Grace Maddrey Faison, 89, of 10820 Poole died Thursday morning at her home. She was born on December 19, 1911 at 10820 Poole Wendell, NC, to Benjamin Maddrey and Florence Allen Maddrey. She attended Marshburn Hill School at the site of the current Central Baptist Church Cemetery and was a charter member of Central Baptist Church that was established January of 1925 and later became a Sunday School teacher and church treasurer. By watching and being around her grandfather, James who was one of the first doctors in the Wendell area and by watching and being around her mother, who was a midwife and assisted Dr.
Allen, she learned care giving skill which she would use the rest of her life. She learned kindness and generosity from watching her parents open their home to several people when they first arrived in the area. Some of which went on to become prominent community and church leaders. She was a caregiver to her Sister Ann until Ann died of scarlet fever in 1927, and to her father, Ben Maddrey until he died in 1929. She graduated from Wendell High School on April 25, 1930 and was married to McGruda A.
Faison on January 24, 1935. Mrs. Faison gave birth to her first son on March 27, 1936 who lived less than a day and gave birth to her second son, on January 14, 1938. She was a caregiver to her stepfather, until he died in 1950. On August 6, 1950, she gave birth to her third son, She was a caregiver to her mother, Maddrey until she died in 1964 and to her Uncle until he died in 1966 and to her husband, until he died in 1990.
Mix into this full caregiving vocation two careers, one as a wife and another as a sales clerk at Department Store on Main Street in Wendell for over 15 years. Most everyone in the community enjoyed the beauty of a flower or plant from her and greenhouse or enjoyed a vegetable from her and garden. Other hobbies included sewing and crocheting. She made quilts, rugs, comforters, doilies, dresses, blouses and shirts and never put a price tag on anything she made. She lived the last several years of her life pain free at the home in which she was born being as she was the recipient of caregiving by all of her remaining family which included her son, Jimmy and his wife Pat; her grandchildren, Lloyd East and his wife Cindy and their children Chris and Patty, Eugene East and his wife Jennifer, and Jamie Le Gail Faison.
After reading this you begin to understand why God gave her so many years on HIS great earth and has now chosen her to bring her talents to heaven. Funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Central Baptist Church with Reverend W.C. Barham officiating. Burial in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends from p.m. Friday at Strickland Funeral Home, 211 W. Third Wendell; other times at the home of Jimmy and Pat Faison, 10825 Poole Wendell..
