Ethel M. Lassiter

CHESAPEAKE n Ethel Mae Lassiter, 83, a native of Aulander, died January 29, 2005, in a local hospital. She was the widow of William L. Lassiter.

Survivors include three daughters, Frances Lassiter of North Carolina, Rachel Rabeau and Carolyn Barnette, both of Chesapeake; two sons, Billy Lassiter of North Carolina and James Lassiter of Chesapeake; two sisters, a brother, thirteen grandchildren, and fifteen great-grandchildren.

A funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. Tuesday in Hollomon-Brown Funeral Home, Great Bridge Chapel, by Calvin Lassiter. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The American Cancer Society. Condolences may be offered to the family at www.hollomon-brown.com.

Hazel J. Lane

ROXOBEL – Hazel Jilcott Lane, 90, a native of Bertie County, died January 27, 2005, at Roanoke Chowan Hospital. She was the widow of Elton Alanson Lane.

Mrs. Lane was a retired teller for Southern Bank, a member of and very active in Sandy Run Baptist Church.

Survivors include two daughters, Annette Lane Mize of Waxhaw, and Bonnie Lane Shelor of Morehead City; two sons, Elton A. Lane Jr. of Carrollton, Va., and Ashley H. Lane of Durham; one sister; Marie Baron of Lancaster, Pa.; six grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.

A funeral will be conducted at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Sandy Run Baptist Church with the Rev. Dr. Dave Rimel and the Rev. H.C. Boschen. Burial will be in Roxobel-Kelford Cemetery. Garrett Funeral Home, Ahoskie, was in charge. Memorial donations may be made to Sandy Run Baptist Church Building Fund, Roxobel, NC 27872 or the Bertie Rescue Squad.

Elsie L. Whitley

WOODLAND – Elsie Lee Whitley, formerly of Woodland, died January 28, 2005. Arrangements are incomplete. Sykes Funeral Service of Rich Square is in charge.

Ruby E. Overton

WILLIAMSTON -Ruby Ellis Overton, 85, a native of Hertford County, died January 28, 2005 at Martin General Hospital. She was the widow of J.C. Overton.

Mrs. Overton was an active member of Cashie Baptist Church.

Funeral services were conducted Monday at Cashie Baptist Church by the Rev. Dennis Conner and the Rev. Jack Byrd. Burial was in Edgewood Cemetery.

Walker Funeral Home, Williamston, was in charge.   Memorial gifts in Ruby’s memory may be made to a charity or church of one’s choice.

 Survivors include her daughters, daughters, Jean Overton of Raleigh and Peggy O. Harrell of Williamston; a son, Jack of Greenville; a sister, Clarine Bazemore of Virginia Beach, VA; five grandchildren; and a godchild.

Velnor L. Burke

HAMPTON, Va. n Velnor Lassiter Burke, 64, a native of Hertford County, died January 28, 2005, in her home.

She worked at Fort Eustis, VA Army base and was a member of First Church of Newport News.

Survivors include her children, Todd M. Burke of Fairview Heights, IL and Beverly A. Hamilton of Woodbridge, VA; one sister, Mary Harmon of Ahoskie, NC; four brothers, Herbert Lassiter, Everett Lassiter and Northern Lassiter, all of Ahoskie, NC, and Acie Lassiter of Bronx, NY; one aunt, Mary Vinson of Woodland, NC; six grandchildren; and a host of other relatives.

A funeral will be conducted 1 p.m. Thursday, February 3, 2005 at First Church of Newport News by the Rev. Fred J. Boddie. A family burial will be held Friday at Menola First Baptist Church cemetery in Woodland, NC.

Louise M. Martin

HARRELLSVILLE n Louise M. Martin, 86, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., died January 28, 2005 at her residence. She was the widow of Paul Clifford Martin.

There will be no funeral services. Garrett Funeral Home, Ahoskie, is in charge.

Mrs. Martin was a homemaker.

Survivors include her daughters, Lisa Adrienne Freeman of Holden, Maine and Sherri Louise Bonser of Harrellsville; a son, Paul Bernard Martin of Brookfield, Conn.; a brother, Albert Bernard Malmsjo of Tampa, Fla.; one sister, Marta McMurtrie of Mayo, Fla.; two grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Kayla J. Gray

ROCKY MOUNT n Kayla Jade Gray, 3, died January 27, 2005 at Pitt Memorial Hospital, Greenville.

There will be a visitation and service from 12 noon to 2 p.m. on Tuesday at H.D. Pope Funeral Home Chapel, Rocky Mount, by Pastor Norman Orrell.

Alonza Northington

HALIFAX n Alonza "Sonny Boy" Northington, 72, died January 30, 2005 at Halifax Regional Medical Center, Roanoke Rapids.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete. H.D. Pope Funeral Home is in charge.

Annie M. Harrell

RICH SQUARE n Annie Mae Harrell, 76, died January 27, 2005.

A funeral was conducted Monday at Chapel Hill Baptist Church, Rich Square, by the Rev. Rexx Edwards. Burial was in the church cemetery. Smith-Whidbee Funeral Home was in charge.

Tony C. Elliott

GREENVILLE n Tony Curtis Elliott, a native of Norfolk, Va., died January 21, 2005 at Pitt County Memorial Hospital, Greenville.

A funeral was conducted Thursday at Bible Way Apostolic Church by Bishop Bryant Hill. Burial was in Hillcrest Cemetery. Gilliam Funeral Home was in charge.

Elliott was a mail truck driver for United States Postal Service.

Survivors include his wife, Lynette of the home; his mother, Irene Elliott of Windsor; and three brothers, Terry Elliott of Temple Hills, Md., William Elliott and Melvin C. Elliott, both of Windsor.

John W. Powell Jr.

WINDSOR n John Willis Powell Jr., a native of Bertie County, died January 25, 2005.

A funeral was conducted Saturday at Gilliam Funeral Home Chapel by Minister Clinton Powell. Burial was in Hillcrest Cemetery.

Powell was a sharecropper and a logger.

Survivors include his so, Otis James Powell; a brother, Samuel Powell; his sisters, Mary Jane Pugh and Eula Mae Smallwood; 11 grandchildren; and a great-grandchild.

Pearl F. Mitchell

WINDSOR n Pearl Fannie Mitchell, a native of Bertie County, died January 21, 2005.

A funeral was conducted Saturday at Peterson Grove Missionary Baptist Church by the Rev. Zachariah Wilson. Burial was in the Mitchell family cemetery. Gilliam Funeral Home was in charge.

Miss Mitchell taught school in North Carolina and Virginia.

Survivors include an adopted son, Monyal Smith; three sisters, Mary Clay of Windsor, Emma Turner of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Alice Williams of Baltimore, Md.

Mary Speller

WINDSOR n Mary Speller, died January 30, 2005 at Pitt Memorial Hospital, Greenville.

A funeral will be conducted at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Cedar Landing Baptist Church, Windsor. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Gilliam Funeral Home, Windsor, is in charge.

Cynthia B. Winborne

COFIELD n Cynthia Burke Winborne, died January 29, 2005 at Roanoke-Chowan Hospital, Ahoskie.

A funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. Thursday at Calvary Missionary Baptist Church by Brother Larry Nicholas. Burial will be in Hillcrest Cemetery. Reynolds Funeral Home, Inc., Ahoskie, is in charge.

Mrs. Burke was a member of Faith Temple.

Survivors include her husband, Kevin Winborne of Winton; three daughters, LaToya, Latara and Shanta Latrice Jones, all of Cofield; her mother, Carolyn Burke of Ahoskie; and three sisters, Jean Newsome and Shata Burke, both of Ahoskie and Mia Barnes of Cofield.

Noah W. Deloatch

CONWAY n Noah W. Deloatch, 81, a native of Northampton County, died January 29, 2005 at Roanoke-Chowan Hospital, Ahoskie.

A funeral will be conducted at 2 p.m. Thursday at Allen Chapel AME Church by the Rev. Harold Sidbury. Burial will be in the Deloatch family cemetery. Hunter's Funeral Home, Inc., Ahoskie, is in charge.

Deloatch was retired from Georgia Pacific. He was a member of Allen Chapel AME.

Survivors include his wife, Lessie Deloatch of Conway; three sons, Raymond Deloatch, Thurman Deloatch and Herman Deloatch, all of Conway; three daughters, Arleen Majette and Shelby Deloatch, both of Conway and Sharon Bennett of Raleigh; two brothers, Leon Deloatch of New Brunswick, NJ and Bennie Deloatch of Jackson; seven grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.

Jesse Newsome

AHOSKIE n Jesse Newsome, 90, a native of Hertford County, died January 29, 2005 at Guardian Care Nursing Home, Ahoskie.

A funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Philippi Baptist Church by the Rev. W.C. Clark. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Hunter's Funeral Home, Inc., Ahoskie, is in charge.

Newsome was a farmer. He was a member of Philippi Baptist Church.

Survivors include his wife, Mattie Newsome of the home; a son, Keith Newsome of Ahoskie; a daughter, Yolanda Waters of Williamsburg, Va.; four grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

Walter T. Simmons

AHOSKIE n Walter Thomas Simmons, died January 29, 2005 at Roanoke-Chowan Hospital, Ahoskie.

A funeral will be conducted at 12 noon Wednesday at Newsome Grove Baptist Church, Ahoskie, by the Rev. Roy Sharpe. Burial will be in Hillcrest Cemetery. Reynolds Funeral Home, Inc., Ahoskie, is in charge.

Simmons was a member of Newsome Grove Baptist Church.

Survivors include three brothers, Levi Simmons and Leon Simmons, both of Ahoskie and Dallas Simmons of Richmond, Va.; and two sisters, Juanita James of Cofield and Pernell Reynolds of Portsmouth.

Elsie L. Whitley

DUNWOODY, Ga. n Elsie Lee Whitley, age 94, died in Georgia on Saturday, January 29, 2005. She was born on December 13, 1910 in Woodland, North Carolina to John W. and Blanche Lee. She was one of six children n the late Edward Lee, the late Sarah Liverman and the late Meredith Lee; Frances Rimmer and James Lee now reside in Woodland, NC.

She attended school in Woodland and East Carolina Teachers College in Greenville, North Carolina. After completing her education she returned home to Woodland and helped her family.

On November 2, 1933 she married Leon Edward Whitley. They were the parents of four children n Charles Whitley and wife Susan of Rich Square, N.C.; Jo Ann Ralston and husband Harold of Staunton, Va; Patricia Croxton and Robert of Dunwoody, Ga.; and Albert Whitley and Carolyn of Mechanicsville, Va. The family lived for a number of years in Norfolk, Va. Until Leon became a minister in the Virginia Conference of Methodist Churches. They then served churches in Orange County, Northern Neck, Lynchburg, Campbell County, Altavista and Charles City County where he passed away on December 30, 1966.

In 1967 she went to work at the Virginia Methodist Children's Home in Richmond, VA. After retirement she moved, with her sister Frances, back to Woodland and lived there until 2000 when her health began to fail. She then lived with her daughters until her death.

Her life was spent being a devoted daughter, sibling, wife, mother, mother-in-law and grandmother of ten and great-grandmother of fourteen all of who will miss her very much.

Funeral services will be conducted on Saturday, February 5, 2005 at 11 a.m. at the Woodland Baptist Church in Woodland, NC. The interment will follow at 3 p.m. at the Washington Memorial Park, 6217 Memorial Drive, Sandston, VA. Officiating will be the Rev. Heath Lloyd.

The family will receive friends at the Woodland Baptist Church at 10 a.m. prior to the service on Saturday.

The family requested that in lieu of flowers that donations be considered to the Woodland Baptist Church, PO Box 444, Woodland, NC 27897.

Sykes Funeral Services of Rich Square, NC is handling arrangements.