Rickie Moody Jr.

QUEENS, N.Y. – Rickie Alan Moody Jr., 40, formerly of Garysburg, died August 12, 2004, at Mt. Sinai Hospital, Queens.

A visitation will be held from 1 to 1:45 p.m. Tuesday with the funeral service beginning at 2 p.m. in the chapel of H.D. Pope Funeral Home by the Rev. Albert Lee. H.D. Pope Funeral Home, Roanoke Rapids, is in charge.

Wiley A. Pullen

GUTTENBERG, N.J. – Wiley A. Pullen, 52, formerly of Enfield, died August 10, 2004, at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, N.Y.

A visitation service will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. in the Roanoke Chapel of H.D. Pope Funeral Home. The committal service will be held immediately following the visitation service at Bear Swamp Baptist Church Cemetery, Littleton.

Henry Keeton

GATES – Henry &uot;Bert&uot; Keeton, 77, a native of Lovilia, Iowa, died August 14, 2004, at his home. He was the widower of Annie Mae Keeton.

A graveside service was conducted Monday in the Garden of Christus at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens, 6309 Virginia Beach Blvd., Norfolk. Woodlawn Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Keeton was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps where he participated in action patrolling against enemy forces at Guam, Mariana Islands and in action on Iwo Jima where he was wounded and received the Purple Heart medal. He was a Marine first, last and always. Mr. Keeton also worked 18 years at Kempsville Building Supply and 16 years driving over-the-road tractor-trailer trucks.

Survivors include a brother, Marion Keeton of Iowa; sister, Ruth Clark of Virginia; a son, David Keeton of California; a son, Richard Keeton of Washington; daughter, Ruth Tyler of Kentucky; son, Daniel Keeton of Virginia; son, Duane Keeton of North Carolina; son, Dean Keeton of Virginia; daughter, Debra Ann Sykes of Gates; 13 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

Johnny M. Rudd

ROXBORO – Johnny Mack Rudd, 55, died August 13, 2004 at Duke University Medical Center.

Rudd was the chief appraiser for the Person County Tax Office. He was president of the Roxboro Kiwanis Club and also a member of Salem United Methodist Church.

Survivors include his wife, Kay B. Rudd; one daughter, Jessica M. Rudd of the home; one stepson, Jordan Owen Whitmire IV of St. Augustine, Fla.; one brother, Terry Lynn Rudd of Cope, S.C.; three sisters, Meredith Wood of Woodville, Vivian Lowry of Elizabeth City and Wilma &uot;Skippy&uot; Delorenzo of St. Augustine, Fla.; and one stepgrandchild.

A funeral was conducted Sunday at Salem United Methodist Church by the Rev. Bud Budzinski. Burial was in Westlawn Cemetery in Elizabeth City. Brooks & White Funeral Home was in charge. Memorials may be made to the Roxboro Kiwanis Club, P.O. Box 1343, Roxboro, NC 27573.

Blanche E. Cross

PORTSMOUTH, Va. – Blanche Elizabeth Cross, 76, a native of Williamston, died August 14, 2004 in her residence. She was the widow of William E. Cross Sr.

A funeral will be conducted at 11 a.m. Wednesday in Lee Memorial Baptist Church by the Rev. Jay McCoy. Burial will be in Meadowbrook Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday in Sturtevant Funeral Home, Portsmouth Blvd. Chapel, and will be at her residence at other times.

Survivors include three daughters, Edith Ramey of Portsmouth, Carol Berry of Chesapeake and Patricia Harris of Elizabeth City; a son, William E. Cross Jr. of Portsmouth; a sister, Louise Leary of Windsor; eight grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Ethel Moore

RICH SQUARE – Ethel Lee Wynn Moore, 90, died August 12, 2004.

A funeral will be conducted at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at First Baptist Church, Rich Square, by the Rev. William Clark. Burial will be in the Moore family cemetery. Smith-Whidbee Funeral Home, Rich Square, is in charge.

Virginia A. Watson

SILVER SPRINGS, Md. – Virginia Anderson Watson, 96, a native of Waverly, Va., and formerly of Ahoskie, died July 31, 2004. She was the widow of Leroy Watson.

A funeral was conducted August 6, 2004 at Trinity AME Zion Church, Washington, D.C., by Pastor William E. Kelly. Interment was in Fort Lincoln Cemetery, Brentwood, Md. McGuire Funeral Service was in charge.

Mrs. Watson worked to send herself through college earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education from Elizabeth City State Teachers College in Elizabeth City. She also studied at Miner Teachers College. Her passion for studying geography led her to complete advanced courses in geography at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., and Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va. She taught at Simmons, Eckington and Cleveland Elementary schools retiring in 1974 after 41 years of teaching. She and two more members were instrumental in establishing Wactor Temple AME Zion Church located on First Street and Catherine Creek Road in Ahoskie, which was an outgrowth of Old Saint Paul AME Zion Church, was located on the corner of Hayes and Catherine Streets, which also became the city’s only active African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and was a part of the small congregation that successfully developed Wactor Gardens Senior Citizens Complex of Apts.

She also mentored students at Fides House, a Catholic charity. Her affiliations included membership in Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., The Women’s Post of VFW, and the Women’s Home and Overseas Missionary Society of the AME Zion Church.

She is survived by a sister, Bernice A. Dickenson.

Josephine T. Horton

RALEIGH – Josephine Taylor Horton, 85, formerly of Mitchell Street, Ahoskie, died August 15, 2004 at her home.

A funeral will be conducted at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Cool Spring Baptist Church, Eure. Burial will be in the church cemetery. The body will lie in state at the church for one hour prior to the funeral and the family will greet friends at this time also. The family will receive friends at Bryan-Lee Funeral Home, 831 Wake Forest Road, Tuesday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and other times at the home of Joe and Linda Horton, 3204 Barnsley Lane, Raleigh.

Survivors include a daughter, Syvillia H. Lee of Mobile, Ala.; sons, Henry N. Horton of Fort Worth, Texas and W. Joseph &uot;Joe&uot; Horton of Raleigh; a half sister, Eris E. Calimer of Virginia Beach, Va.; half brothers, the Rev. A.J. Eure of Sims and Edsel Eure of Gates County; seven grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.