James D. Pearce

RALEIGH – James David (Jim) Pearce, 77, of Raleigh, died Monday at Rex Hospital. He was a printer, newspaperman and Internet publisher. He worked with The News & Observer Publishing Co. for 39 years before his retirement in 1989.

Jim was a native of Hertford County, North Carolina. He married the former Rebecca Parker of Murfreesboro in 1947. They raised three sons and a daughter.

Jim was 13 when his father died during the Depression. Jim went to work at Parkers Brothers Newspapers to support his mother and family. For the rest of his life, Jim took care of his immediate and extended family. He delighted in taking children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and any willing adults and children fishing, canoeing and to the beach.

Jim enlisted in the Navy at age 17 and served in the Seabees at the end of World War II. He then returned to Hertford County to resume his newspaper career.

In 1950 he became a printer in the composing room of The N&O in Raleigh. He was elected President of the local chapter of the International Typographical Union. He later was named foreman of the composing room, directing the newspapers’ nightly production. When technology dramatically changed the production process, he became a copy editor and occasional editorial writer for The Raleigh Times.

After retirement, Jim and his wife Becky published a free Internet website, www.poortown.com. They wrote and collected stories about the Hertford County community where Jim grew up, as well as other tales, anecdotes and poems. The webite featured &uot;no fees, no ads.&uot; It became popular with Eastern North Carolina natives and non-natives who enjoyed recollections of simpler, harder times.

Jim is survived by his wife, who lives in Raleigh; three sons, Gary and his wife, Gwyn of Raleigh, Kevin of Greensboro and Fred and his wife, Sandi of Summerland Key, Fla.; a daughter, Cricket of Raleigh; four grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; a sister, Lois Horne of Ahoskie; a brother, Stanley of Raleigh; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral arrangements are by the Cremation Society of the Carolinas in Raleigh.

The family will at the home of Gary and Gwyn Pearce, 7409 Spyglass Way, Raleigh, from 6-8 p.m. Thursday.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Rex Heart Center, 2500 Blue Ridge Road, Suite 325, Raleigh, NC 27607.

C.P. Cooper

ROCKY MOUNT – C.P. Cooper, 73, died January 2, 2005 at Nash General Hospital.

A funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. Thursday at Thorne Chapel Baptist Church, Rocky Mount, by the Rev. Richard Battle. Interment will be in the Gardens of Gethsemane. H.D. Pope Funeral Home is in charge.

William J. Jilcott

ROXOBEL – William &uot;Bill&uot; Joseph Jilcott, a native of Roxobel, died January 2, 2005.

A funeral service will be conducted at Sandy Run Baptist Church, Roxobel, by Dr. David Rimel. Burial will be in Roxobel-Kelford Cemetery. Sykes Funeral Service, Rich Square, is in charge.

Jilcott was a veteran of the U.S. Army. He was a lifelong member of Sandy Run Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon on two occasions.

Survivors include a sister, Frances Jilcott Benson of Battleboro; a nephew; and two nieces.

Mary Holder

MERRY HILL – Mary Louis Holder, 99, of the 1300 block of NC 45 North, died Tuesday, January 4, 2005 in her home.

Mrs. Holder was born in Bertie County and was the daughter of the late James B. and Mary Britt Cullipher. She was a homemaker, a member of Riverside Baptist Church and would have celebrated her 100th birthday on the 20th of January. In addition to her parents she was predeceased by her husband, Ira Holder, who was a veteran of WWI, a sister, Edith Aldridge and brothers, Edwin, Roger and Milton Cullipher.

Surviving are a daughter, Elaine H. Taylor of Merry Hill; granddaughters, Patsy McCulley, Sandy Douglas, Emmie Taylor and Cherry Ann Shuey; and six great-grandchildren.

Graveside service will be held Friday at 11 a.m. in Hillcrest Cemetery in Colerain by the Rev. Al Jarrell. Miller Funeral Home of Edenton is in charge of arrangements. Friends may join the family at the residence.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to University Health Systems Hospice Care, P.O. Box 272, Ahoskie, NC 27910.

Louise D. James

EURE – Louise Deal James, 83, a native of Gainesville, Ga., died January 3, 2005, in Warrenton, Va. She was the widow of Samuel Clinton James.

A graveside service will be conducted at 3 p.m. Thursday in Eure Christian Church Cemetery by the Rev. Michael Brinkley and the Rev. Wayne Gardner. Miller Funeral Home, Gatesville is in charge. Memorial contributions may be made to any chapter of the American Cancer Society.

Mrs. James retired from the U.S. Postal Service and served as the postmaster of both the Eure and Frisco, N.C., post offices. She was a member of Eure Christian Church, the Gates County Extension Homemakers and an avid quilter, she formerly served on the Gates County Library Board and volunteered with the American Red Cross.

Surviving are two daughters, Janet J. Cercopely of Charleston, S.C., and Nancy Elizabeth Foley of Warrenton; a sister, Cornelia Deal Ziemian; a brother, James Franklin Deal;

four grandchildren; and six great-grandsons.

Joe R. Ward Sr.

NORFOLK, Va. – Joe Randolph Ward Sr., 79, a native of Bertie County, died January 2, 2005, at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.

A funeral will be conducted at 11 a.m. Friday at New Hope COGIC, 3232 Brest Ave., Elder Calvin Durham. Interment will be at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens, Norfolk. Family and friends will assemble at 4507 Colonial Ave. one hour prior to the service for the procession to the church. Metropolitan Funeral Service, Granby Chapel, is in charge. Condolences may be offered to the family at www.metropolitanfuneralservice.com .

Ward retired from Consolidated Freight Line in 1982 after 22 years, where he was a foreman/team master. He was entrepreneur for Wards Lawn Service. Joe was a member of New Hope COGIC where he served as a deacon. He was previously a member of Mason Memorial COGIC where he served as an usher and deacon. He also served as a Red Cross volunteer (1982-2002) and Team Master Local Union No. 22.

Survivors include his wife, Hattie Morris Ward; one daughter, Jo Ann Ward Obie of Gainesville, Va.; six sons, Larry Junior Ward, Randy Ward, Chester Lee Ward, Kelvin Eugene Ward, Steven Ward and Joseph Anthony Ward, all of Norfolk; 13 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren.

M. Francis Faucette

BOYKINS, Va. – Martha &uot;Deaton&uot; Francis Faucette, 95, died peacefully January 2, 2005. Born October 15, 1909, in Boykins, Va., she was the daughter of Albert Sidney and Frances Anne Sears Francis. She was an inspiring mother, grandmother, scientist, teacher and servant of the Lord. Family was at the center of Mrs. Faucette’s life and she drew great joy from raising her children and grandchildren. Her children revered her as a woman of great strength, integrity, moral conviction and determination. Each of her grandchildren valued the time they spent with her in the summers, attending vacation Bible school and frequenting the Tarrara Swim Club. They all remember her as a woman who taught them that they can be whatever they want to be.

Mrs. Faucette was an accomplished scholar and biologist. She graduated from Boykins High School in 1926 and State Teachers College in Farmville, Va., in 1930. She received her MAT degree at Converse College in 1965, and further studied at Randolph Macon Women’s College, Louisiana Polytechnic Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Utah, the University of Virginia, The College of William and Mary and North Carolina State University, where she extensively researched peanut pollen and wrote an article that was published in the first edition of Peanut Science. Mrs. Faucette’s passion for science and learning extended far beyond herself and into her beloved classroom.

A teacher for more than 40 years, she inspired thousands of science students and taught at Sedley Upper Elementary, Newsoms Upper Elementary, Windsor Academy, Southampton Academy, Southampton High School, Central Virginia Community College, Converse College, Mount Olive College and Chowan College, where a scholarship has been awarded in her name. Mrs. Faucette’s devotion to her students was only surpassed by her love for her family and as a teacher and professor, she sponsored numerous organizations, coached basketball and served as an acting Dean of Students.

Mrs. Faucette was actively involved at the Boykins Baptist Church throughout her childhood and joined the Boykins United Methodist Church after marriage. She made great contributions through her church activities as well as her community service. She was an active and honored member of the Tarrara Woman’s Club, the Virginia Chapter of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, Delta Kappa Gamma and other religious and community service organizations.

Mrs. Faucette is survived in loving memory by her children, Frances Deaton Faucette Mahanes of Boykins, Va., Sidney Lee Faucette of Rockford, Mich., and Ruby Faucette Salmon of Littleton, N.C.; grandchildren, Sandra Deaton Mahanes of Charlottesville, Va., Anne Mahanes Stryhn and husband Kaui of Atlanta, Ga., Christopher Andrew Faucette of Lansing, Mich., Michael Wayne Mahanes of Boykins, Allison Faucette Dunn and husband Mark of New York, NY, Sarah Katherine Faucette of Grand Rapids, Mich., Rebie Salmon Reed of Littleton, Douglas Faucette of Chevy Chase, Md., and Todd Faucette of Fairfax, Va.

Also surviving are and two sisters-in-law, Elizabeth Lincoln Francis-Brown and Jacqueline Renault Francis. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Elijah Whitford Faucette; her siblings, Albert Sidney Francis Jr., Katherine Leigh Francis Draper, Everette Sears Francis, Irma Nathaniel Francis Coleman, Gilbert Woodrow Francis; and her stepson, Joseph Pippen Faucette.

A memorial service will be held Thursday at 2 p.m. at the Boykins Baptist Church. The family received friends at the Wright Funeral Home in Boykins from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.