Russell Davis Sr.

MERRY HILL n Russell William Davis Sr., 81, died February 20, 2005 at Pitt Memorial Hospital, Greenville.

A memorial service will be conducted Saturday at Cashie Baptist Church, Windsor. The family will receive friends from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Friday at Walker Funeral Home.

Davis was a retired jeweler of 46 years. He was co-owner of G.T. Davis & Company of Windsor and owner of Davis Jewelers in Edenton. He was past master of Charity Masonic Lodge in Windsor and was charter member of Windsor Lions Club. A veteran of WWII, serving in the Army Air Core, 8th Air Force. Sgt. Davis served with the famed Flying Tigers as a radio operator and was the operator who first received the message, "The War is Over."

Survivors include his wife, Bina Jackson Davis; three children, Bobbi Fuller, Gail White and Russell Davis Jr.; one brother, Grady Davis of Windsor; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Luther Powell

WINDSOR n Luther Whitmel "Lu Whit" Powell, 87, a native of Windsor, died February 21, 2005 at Bertie Memorial Hospital.

A graveside funeral was conducted Wednesday at Edgewood Cemetery by the Rev. Dennis Conner and the Rev. Jack Byrd. Military rites were observed. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Cashie Baptist Church, 221 S. Queen St., Windsor, NC 27983.

Powell was a co-owner of Powell and Stokes, Inc. He was a member of Cashie Baptist Church, the VFW and former member of many local civic clubs. He was an Army veteran of World War II and served in the 753rd Railroad Battalion in North Africa, Italy and the Philippines.

Survivors include his wife, Piercie "Pete" Stalls Powell of Windsor; two daughters, June P. Barnhart of Tarboro and Whit P. Leffel of Cohasset, MA; and two grandchildren.

Mozelle B. Riddick

CHESAPEAKE, Va. – Mozelle Bond Riddick, 80, a native of Sunbury, died February 18, 2005, at Chesapeake General Hospital. She was the widow of Robert L. Riddick.

Mrs. Riddick and was among one of the first African-American female barbers to be licensed in this area. She was self employed as a barber for 50 years and was co-owner of Jenkins Barber Shop. She was also a licensed barber instructor and for more than 20 years, she taught students the skill of barbering at Jenkins Barber College. She was a member of St. Thomas AME Zion Church in Norfolk, where she served as a steward, president of the No. 2 Usher Board, member of the Willing Workers Ministry and the St. Thomas Day Committee.

Survivors include a daughter, Sharon Holloway of Chesapeake; a brother, James T. Bond of Sunbury; and two grandchildren.

A funeral will be conducted at noon Thursday in St. Thomas AME Zion Church with Dr. Joseph E. Lamb. Interment will be in Roosevelt Memorial Park. Pretlow and Sons Funeral Home, Chesapeake, is in charge.

Allie F. Sessoms

SUFFOLK, Va. – Allie Myrtle Boone Franklin Sessoms, a native of Gates, died February 19, 2005 in Autumn Care Nursing Home. She was the widow of William Thomas Franklin and John Elmo Sessoms.

Survivors include two daughters, Ethel Franklin Brown and Phyllis Franklin Manley; a son, Roland &uot;Rudolph&uot; Franklin; three stepsons, Luther Sessoms, Rudolph Sessoms of Wilmington, Del., and Willie White of Chesapeake; three brothers, Carl V. Boone and Clyde D. Boone, both of Suffolk and Harry J. Boone of Virginia Beach; three sisters, Juanita Young, Verna Alston and Maybell Artis, all of Suffolk; one godsister, Estella Jones; 19 grandchildren; and 18 great-grandchildren.

Sessoms was a faithful member of St. Paul Baptist Church for more than 70 years. She retired from Planters in the Quality Control Department, after 37 years of service.

A homecoming celebration was conducted Wednesday in Saint Paul Baptist Church by Bishop C.V. Russell III. Crocker Funeral Home, Suffolk, was in charge. Interment was in Meadowbrook Memorial Gardens. Contributions may be made to the Suffolk Alzheimer’s Association or Heartland Hospice, 150 Burnett’s Way, Suite 220, Suffolk, VA 23434.

Leslie H. Burnette

ROCKY MOUNT – Leslie Herman &uot;Monk&uot; Burnette, 85, a native of Franklin County, died February 20, 2005. He was the widower of Velma Mosley Burnette.

Survivors include his son, Kenneth Herman Burnette; a sister, Mary Helen Burnette of Rocky Mount; brothers, Clifford Ray Burnette of Raleigh and Maurice Earl Burnette of Murfreesboro; and two grandchildren.

Burnette served in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. On January 20, 1943, his plane was shot down in the Pacific where he and crew members drifted at sea, later being captured by the Japanese. He was held as a prisoner of war in Japan until the end of the war. He received the American Theater Service Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Service Medal with One Bronze Service Star, the Good Conduct Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the Air Medal AR 600-45 and the Purple Heart.

He retired from the City of Rocky Mount as Superintendent of Public Grounds.

Burnette was a member of West Haven Presbyterian Church.

Funeral services were conducted Wednesday at West Haven Presbyterian Church by the Rev. Connie Button. Burial was in Pineview Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to West Haven Presbyterian Church, 1001 West Haven Blvd. Rocky Mount, NC 27803. Condolences may be sent to: condolence@wheelerwoodlief.com

Wheeler and Woodlief Funeral Home, Rocky Mount, was in charge.

Tony E. Fleetwood

NEW YORK, N.Y. n Tony Elton Fleetwood, 55, a native of Hertford County, died February 9, 2005 at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.

A memorial service will be conducted at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church Murfreesboro by the Rev. Johnny Cofield. Burial will be in Carver's Park Cemetery. Hertford County Undertakers, Winton, is in charge.

Survivors include his father, Elton "Jake" Fleetwood of Murfreesboro; a daughter, Amecia V. Brown of Woodland; sisters and brothers, Eulalah Fleetwood and Cecil Fleetwood Sr., both of Murfreesboro, Phillip Randolph Fleetwood and Curtis Vaughan, both of Aberdeen, Md., and Sandra Fleetwood-Dixon of Clinton, Md.; and one grandchild.

Reginald V. May

ROCKY MOUNT n Reginald Valdez May, 47, died February 20, 2005 in Pinetops.

A funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. Friday at North End Baptist Church by the Rev. Richard Joyner. A visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday with the family receiving friends from 6 to 7 p.m. in the chapel of H.D. Pope Funeral Home, Rocky Mount.

Ola L. Parker

HAMPTON, Va. n Ola Mae Lassiter Parker, 86, a native of Northampton County, died February 21, 2005 at Sentara Careplex Hospital, Hampton. She was the widow of James Robert Parker.

A graveside service will be conducted at 2 p.m. Thursday at Milwaukee Cemetery by the Rev. John Butson. In case of inclement weather, services will be held at Bridgers Funeral Home, Inc., in Conway. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the funeral home and have requested that anyone wishing to share a memorial gift, please do so to Conway United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 326, Conway, NC 27820.

Mrs. Parker was a member of Conway United Methodist Church.

Survivors include a daughter, Carolyn P. Johnson of Hampton; two sisters, Audrey Woodard of Hampton and Retha Draper of Suffolk; three brothers, Albert Lassiter of Suffolk, Edward Lassiter of Hampton and Earl Lassiter of Williamsburg; two grandchildren; and four great-grandsons.

Mary Lillie Basnight

CHESAPEAKE, Va. – Mary Lillie Basnight, 86, a native of Windsor, died February 18, 2005, in Chesapeake General Hospital.

She was a member of Shiloh Baptist Church, where she was a member of the choir, Sunday school and official boards.

Survivors include her husband, Simon Basnight; four sons, James Young of Chesapeake, Robert Young of St. Louis, William Jones of Chesapeake and Melvin Basnight of Hampton; two brothers, Prince Smallwood of Norfolk and James Smallwood of Warminster, Pa.; and three sisters, Deloris Bond, Janie Watkins and Marjorie Santiago, all of Philadelphia.

A funeral will be conducted at noon Saturday in Shiloh Baptist Church. Interment will be in Roosevelt Memorial Park. Viewing will be Friday from 2 to 7 p.m. at Pretlow and Sons Funeral Home, Chesapeake.

Fred A. Downs

COFIELD -Fred A. Downs, 68, died February 21, 2005.

Arrangements are incomplete at Miller Funeral Home, Gatesville.