Robert H. Mears

COURTLAND, Va. – Robert Henry Mears, 74, a native of Margarettsville, died March 1, 2004, at his residence.

A funeral was conducted Wednesday at Wright Funeral Home, Franklin, by the Rev. Larry Cribb. Burial was in Southampton Memorial Park.

Mears was a retired master automobile mechanic from Blake Ford.

Survivors include his wife, Louise Kitchen Mears; and several nieces and nephews.

Claude C. Carter

LANCASTER, Pa. – Claude C. Carter, 86, a native of Como, died March 1, 2004 at Conestoga View.

A Life Celebration funeral service will be conducted at 1 p.m. Saturday at Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church, Como, by the Rev. Lawrence Houston. Interment will be in Mt. Gilead Church Cemetery, 816 Monroe Rd., Newsoms, Va. Fred F. Groff Inc., Lancaster, Pa., is in charge.

Carter was a tailor for Filling’s Cleaners, previously worked for C & D Battery

and Pennsylvania Malliable Co. He served in the U.S. Army during WWII.

Survivors include his wife, Willie B. Carter; four sons, Hosea A. Carter of Lancaster, Claude W. Carter of Chesapeake, George H. Carter of Onset, MA, and Walter A. Carter of Woodbridge; two daughters, Ellen Matthews of Norfolk and Donie O. Ciurczak of Union, N.J.; five stepsons, Larry B. Carter of Chesapeake, Bobby L. Carter of Raleigh, Isaac L. Carter, Albert Carter and Norman V. Carter, all of Lancaster; two stepdaughters, Marjorie D. Myers of Lancaster and Josephine B. Parncutt of Coatesville; two sisters, Odell Van of Hampton and Judy Wood of San Antonio, Texas; 22 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; 14 great-great-grandchildren; 29 step grandchildren; and 21 step great-grandchildren.

Connie Outlaw

RICH SQUARE – Connie Winona Boyce Outlaw, 83, died February 29, 2004.

A funeral will be conducted at 2 p.m. Thursday at Willow Oak AME Church, Rich Square, by the Rev. James Baker. Burial will be in the Moore’s Cemetery. Smith-Whidbee Funeral Home, Rich Square, is in charge.

Maude E. Dorsey

WINDSOR – Maude E. Dorsey, 76, died March 1, 2004.

A funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. Thursday at Indian Woods Baptist Church, Windsor. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Gilliam Funeral Home is in charge.

Patricia E. Roberts

SUFFOLK, Va. – Patricia Edwards Roberts, 54, a native of Suffolk, died March 1, 2004.

A funeral will be conducted at 2 p.m. Thursday in the Sidney F. Harrell Chapel of Harrell & Hill Funeral Home. Interment will be in Western Branch Baptist Church Cemetery by Pastor Tony Peaks.

Mrs. Roberts was a leasing consultant with Trice & Co. and a Baptist. She was a member of PACE and coordinator of a Neighborhood Watch Program.

Survivors include her husband, William T. Roberts; a daughter, Brenda Faucett of Suffolk; sons, Kevin W. Truitt of Virginia Beach and Lewis &uot;Bobby&uot; Truitt of Suffolk; a stepson, William Aubrey Roberts of Virginia Beach; a sister, Sammie Jones of Corapeake; a half brother, Megis Lassiter of Suffolk; and six grandchildren.

Marty Thomas

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Marty Thomas, 66, a native of Hurst Green, Surrey County, England, died March 1, 2004, at Sentara Bayside Hospital. He was the widower of Charlene Willoughby.

Visitation will be conducted at Hollomon-Brown Funeral Home, Bayside Chapel, Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. A service will be conducted at 6 p.m. Friday by Dr. Richard Keever of Bayside Presbyterian Church. Burial will follow at 11 a.m. Saturday at Ahoskie Cemetery. Condolences may be offered to the family at www.hollomon-brown.com.

Thomas was a retired navigation systems engineer, whose recent years had been spent as a hospital volunteer.

Survivors include a son, Derek; a brother, Ian of Tunbridge Wells, England; a granddaughter; and a sister-in-law, Janice Doughtie of Ahoskie.

Mary Mumper

AHOSKIE – Mary Darlene Spruill Mumper, 35, a native of Pasquotank County, died February 28, 2004, in her home.

A memorial service will be conducted at 3 p.m. Saturday at Garrett Funeral Home, Ahoskie, by the Rev. Danny Harris.

Mrs. Mumper was a member of Askewville Baptist Church and a homemaker.

Survivors include her husband, Timothy Eugene Mumper; a daughter, Candace Harmon; a son, Kendall Harmon, all of Ahoskie; a stepdaughter, Devin Mumper of Edenton; her father, Lloyd Gene Spruill of Elizabeth City; sisters, Cindy McClenny of Pembroke, Barbara Cobb of Askewville, and brothers, Bobby Wiggins of Edenton, Lonnie Foxworth of Marion, SC, and Hayward Spruill of Edenton.

Virginia J. Beddingfield

RALEIGH – Virginia Johnson Beddingfield, 84, passed away on February 27.

She was born April 16, 1919, in Bertie County, the daughter of the late William Ruffin and Sarah Myers Johnson.

Brothers Fate, Sam, Sidney, and Kyle Johnson and sister, Willie Mae Odom preceded her in death.

She is survived by her husband Peyton S. Beddingfield; daughter and son-in-law JoAnn McLeod and William R. Sessoms, Jr., of Raleigh; grandson William R. Sessoms, III, of Raleigh; granddaughter Christine and husband William S. Schmidt and great-grandson William Reagan Schmidt of Bunn, NC; and brother William Ruffin Johnson of Fayetteville, NC.

After the death of her father, she resided at Kennedy Baptist Children’s Home in Kinston from grade 5 thru high school. She was graduated from Campbell College, Buies Creek, NC in 1937.

She lived many years in Ahoskie, NC, where she worked at the Bank of Ahoskie.

She was active in the Business Professional Woman’s Club and the First Baptist Church where she sang in the choir. She was the wife of the late Sessoms Odom of Ahoskie. After the death of her husband, she moved to Raleigh in 1959 where she worked at North Carolina National Bank and later became bookkeeper for Winn Dixie Stores until she retired in 1974.

She was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church.

A memorial service was held at Mitchell Funeral Home, 7209 Glenwood Ave, at 3:00 p.m. on February 29, with the Rev. James Harry officiating.

Burial followed in Raleigh Memorial Park, 7501 Glen-wood Avenue.

The family received friends at Mitchell Funeral Home one hour prior to the service.

Memorial gifts may be directed to Kennedy Baptist Children’s Home, 2557 Cedar Dell Road, Kinston, NC 28504.

Edward E. Perry

AHOSKIE – Edward Earl &uot;Whitey&uot; Perry, 60, of the 100 block of Albemarle Drive, died Monday, March 1, 2004, in Pitt County Memorial Hospital, Greenville.

Mr. Perry was born in Bertie County, a son of the late Thomas Wesley and Fannie Ruth Matthews Perry. He was a member of Ahoskie United Methodist Church. Whitey was retired as a supervisor for the Hertford County A.B.C. Board, after 35 years of service. He was an Army veteran having served 18 months in Vietnam.

Survivors include his wife, Barbara Bennett Perry; a daughter, Lesley Casper and her husband, Chris, of Ahoskie; a granddaughter, Haley Casper of Ahoskie; brothers, Mack Perry and wife, Donna, of Colerain, Tom Perry and wife, Frances, of Stafford, VA; sisters, Evelyn Perry of Colerain, Linda Underwood and husband, Arnold, of Goldsboro; and sister-in-law, Barbara Perry of Powellsville. His brothers, Milton Perry and Eugene Perry, predeceased Whitey.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, March 5, 2004, at 11 a.m. at Ahoskie United Methodist Church, with the Rev. Jerry Cribb, officiating. Interment will be in Highland Memorial Gardens.

The family will receive friends at Garrett Funeral Home, Ahoskie, from 7 until 8:30 p.m. Thursday, and other times at the home on Albemarle Drive, Ahoskie. The family suggests that memorial donations be made to The Steeple Fund, Ahoskie United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 665, Ahoskie, NC 27910.

Mae B. Anderson

Mae Willie Britt Anderson departed this life and completed her earthly journey on 26 Feb. 2004, Southern Maryland Hospital Center, Clinton, Mary-land.

Mae Willie spent most of her life in Murfreesboro, Hertford County, North Carolina.

She will be funeralized 6 March 2004

at 1:00 PM. Parkers Grove Baptist Church, Murfreesboro, North Carolina.

She was born 16 Nov 1921, in Hertford County, North Carolina to the late William Edward Britt and Bessie Newsome Britt. In 1940 she was united in holy matrimony to Roger Vaughan and to this union two children were born.

An infant son, deceased at birth and a daughter Annie Willie Vaughan. She later married Willie (Sack) Boone who preceded her in death Dec. 1974. In 1979 she married Burn Anderson, who also preceded her in death June 1994.

She leaves to cherish her memories one daughter Annie Willie Vaughan of Temple Hill, Maryland, three brothers William (Grace), Henry (Catherine), Joseph (Jean), one sister-in-law, Josie Mae, one brother-in-law Alton Howard, one stepdaughter (Annie Clemens), one stepson (Roosevelt Anderson) and a host of nieces,

nephews, step

grand children and friends. She was preceded in death by her mother and father, two sisters Odessa and Ruth and two brothers Zollie and Sidney.

At an early age she joined Parkers Grove Baptist Church in Murfreesboro, NC and was a faithful member until her death. She served on the usher board and sang in the Senior Choir for a number of years, she was also an active member of the Guiding Star Chapter #600, Order of the Eastern Star.

She attended public schools in Hertford County, North Carolina.

&uot;Weep Not, She is not dead, She is resting in the bosom of Jesus.&uot;

David L. Cherry

AHOSKIE – Mr. David Lawrence Cherry, age 54, of Ahoskie, NC, died Saturday, Feb. 28, 2004 at Pitt Memorial Hospital in Greenville, NC.

Mr. Cherry was born August 15, 1949, in Hertford County, NC, the son of the late Thomas Franklin Cherry and Ethel Tripp Cherry. He was employed with Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald in Ahoskie, NC for 29 years and was a member of the Ahoskie Free Will Baptist Church.

David leaves to cherish his memories, his sister, Sandra Riddick and brother-in-law, Kenneth Riddick; and a niece, Jennifer Elaine Riddick, all of Yorktown, Va.

He will be greatly missed by many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday, March 2, 2004 at 2 p.m. at Massey Funeral Home in Aulander, NC, with the Rev. Jeffery Skiles officiating. Burial will follow at Aulander Cemetery.

The family received friends at Massey Funeral Home in Aulander, NC, Monday from 7 until 8:30 p.m.

Memorial contributions may be made to the National Kidney Foundation or the American Cancer Society.

The family wishes to express its gratitude to all the family, friends, and medical professionals who supported David through his years of sickness.

Lloyd W. Parker

MURFREESBORO – Mr. Lloyd Wayne Parker, age 52, of Benthall Bridge Road, Murfreesboro, NC, died February 28, 2004 at his home.

Mr. Parker was born April 27, 1951, in Hertford County, NC. He had retired from Easco Alumnium Co. with over 29 years of service.

Survivors include his sons, Jacob Parker of Ahoskie, NC and Brian Keith Parker of Winton, N.C.; his daughter, Kimberly Kay Harrell of Aulander, N.C.; his parents, Lloyd A. Parker and Lila Brown Parker of Murfreesboro, N.C.; his sisters, Wanda Vinson of Murfreesboro, N.C., and Marlene Askew of Asheboro, N.C.; two brothers, Timmy Parker of Franklin, Va., and Nick Parker of Murfreesboro, N.C. Also, three grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held, Wednesday, March 3, 2004 at 2 p.m. at Massey Funeral Home in Aulander, NC with the Rev. Mike Blowe officiating. Burial will follow at Mount Tabor Baptist Church, Murfreesboro, N.C.

The family will receive friends at Massey Funeral Home, Tuesday from 7 until 8:30 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Lloyd W. Parker Memorial Fund, c/o Centura Bank, P.O. Box 67, Murfreesboro, N.C. 27855.

Goldie F. Wade

CONWAY – Goldie Futrell Wade, 93, died Saturday, February 28, at Britthaven of the Outer Banks Nursing Home in Nags Head. She had been preceded in death by her parents, Will and Hallie Odom Futrell, her husband, Vernon Wade, a son, Jackson Wade, and brothers, Adgie, Vance, and Randall Futrell.

A native of Northampton County, she was a homemaker and had been a member of Zion United Methodist Church throughout her married life.

Survivors include one daughter, Marie W. Chitty of Kitty Hawk; two sons, Earvin L. Wade and wife, Daphne of Conway and Tex Wade and wife, Viki of Franklin, Va.; one sister, Mary Ella Davis of Conway; 10 grandchildren, Wada Jenkins, Lee Wade, Kim Lafferty and Mark Wade of Conway, Jimmy Chitty of Shelby, Deborah McKinny of Kitty Hawk, Amanda Jenkins of Greenville, Elizabeth Johnson of Camby, OR, and Zach and Texie Wade of Franklin, Va.; 15 great-grandchildren, April Liverman, Jonathan Jenkins, Shelly Lafferty, Adam Wade and Brittany Wade of Conway, Scott Lafferty of Rocky Mount, Halley Chitty of Memphis, TN, and Jay Chitty and Taylor Chitty of Shelby, Franklin McKinny of Robinsville, Jaynie Piland and Stevie Piland of Greenville, and Kelsey John-son, Kevin Johnson, and Kallie Johnson of Camby, OR; five great-great-grandchildren, Ashton, Anna, and Allie Liverman and Wade Jenkins of Conway and Christina Brown of Greenville; two step great-granddaughters, Bobbie Lassiter of Castorville, Texas and Geneva Poole of Roanoke Rapids; seven step great-great-grandchildren, Sarah Jenkins of Greenville, Joseph Brantley, Nicole Lassiter, Rhianna Lassiter, and Shayla Lassiter of Castorville, Texas and James Brantley and Taylor Brantley of Roanoke Rapids.

A service celebrating her life was conducted 1 p.m. Tues-day, at Zion United Methodist Church by the Rev. Lee Pittard with burial following in the Conway Cemetery. Immediate-ly after, Mr. and Mrs. Earvin L. Wade received friends at their home on Hwy. 158 West, and also, informally received guests at all other times. The church was opened

at 11 a.m. on Tuesday for anyone wishing to come early to see Mrs. Wade.

The family has requested that anyone wishing to share a memorial gift, please do so to Pine Forest Rest Home in Potecasi or to Britthaven Nursing Home at 430 W. Health Center, Dr., Nags Head, NC 27959.

Bridgers Funeral Home, Inc., in Conway was in charge of arrangements.

Catherine Chitty

MURFREESBORO – Catherine Phillips Chitty, 74, died Tuesday, March 2, 2004, in Pitt County Memorial Hospital, Greenville.

Mrs. Chitty was born in Sussex County, Delmar, Delaware, a daughter of the late Medford L. and Helen K. Phillips. She later moved to Murfreesboro where she met and married the late Jerry N. Chitty. Catherine was a member of Meherrin Baptist Church, the Murfreesboro Lioness Club, and worked with Little People’s Day Care.

Survivors include four daughters, Beverly Umphlett, Deborah Parker and husband, Larry, Teresa Parker and husband, Keith, all of Murfrees-boro, Valeria Harrell and husband, Wayne, of Washington, NC; eight grandchildren, Shannon Umphlett, Gabriel Parker, Joshua Parker, Melissa Parker, Stephanie Parker, Catherine Parker, Tyler Harrell and Alexis Harrell; three great-grandchildren, Hunter Cottee, Noah Parker, and Ethan Parker; and &uot;Little Girl;&uot; three sisters, Diane Dixon of Murfreesboro, Madelyn Hodges of Atlanta, GA, and Jane Trader of Reno, Nevada.

A funeral will be held on Saturday, March 6, 2004 at 11:00 a.m. at Meherrin Baptist Church with the Rev. Billy Sellers, officiating. Burial will follow in Riverside Cemetery. The family will receive friends at Garrett Funeral Home, Murfreesboro, from 7 until 8:30 p.m. on Friday, March 5, 2004. Memorial donations may be made to the Elevator Fund at Meherrin Baptist Church or to the Hertford County Relay for Life.

William H. Stradley Sr.

MURFREESBORO – William Harrison Stradley, Sr., 69, of the 400 block of Harrell Street, died Tuesday, March 2, 2004 in Halifax Regional Medical Center, Roanoke Rapids, due to complications of Lewy Body Dementia.

Mr. Stradley was born September 15, 1934 in Hertford County, the only child of the late Harry Amos and Nettie Brittle Stradley. He was a graduate of Chowan College and attended East Carolina University. On December 26, 1956, William married the true love of his life, Margaret Paula Nicholson. To them were born two sons, William Harrison Stradley, Jr., and Paul Andrew Stradley. He was proud to be a U.S. Army veteran.

William Stradley loved Murfreesboro. Several times he had professional opportunities that would take him other places, yet his love and belief in his home town prevailed. He was employed by Georgia-Pacific and Farm Corporation. Later he was self employed as owner and manager of The Heritage Restaurant. Through the years, he was active in the Murfreesboro Chamber of Commerce and the Murfrees-boro Jaycees. He served on the Murfreesboro Town Council and actively served as a member of the Murfreesboro United Methodist Church until his health declined.

Survivors include his wife, Paula Stradley of the home; son and daughter-in-law, Bill and Sheryl Stradley of Boone, NC; son and daughter-in-law, Paul and Janet Stradley of Franklinton, NC; three beloved granddaughters, Audrey, April and Amber; two great-granddaughters, Lillian and Laurel; and his brother-in-law and wife, Steve and Gloria Nicholson.

A funeral service will be held on Friday, March 5, 2004, at 3 p.m. at Murfreesboro United Methodist Church with the Rev. Bob Hagerty, officiating. Burial will follow in Meherrin Baptist Church Cemetery.

The family will receive friends at Garrett Funeral Home, Murfreesboro, from 7 until 8:30 p.m. on Thursday. Memorial donations may be made to Murfreesboro United Methodist Church, Murfrees-boro, NC 27855.