John C. Sykes

ROCKY MOUNT – John Collins Sykes, 91, a native of Enfield, died December 4, 2005.

Sykes was the former general manager of Farmer’s Warehouse of Roanoke Rapids.

Survivors include his wife, Mary Maddry Parks of Leggett; two sons, John Collins Sykes Jr. of Rocky Mount and U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Parks Sykes of Sandwich, Mass.; four sisters, Mrs. George A. Gossett and Mrs. David H. Todd, both of Rocky Mount, Mrs. Thomas R. Koonce of Raleigh and Mrs. Horace M. Baines Sr. of Gatesville; three grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

A memorial service was conducted Wednesday at Wheeler and Woodlief Funeral Home, 1130 N. Winstead Ave., Rocky Mount. A private burial was at Elmwood Cemetery in Enfield. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to: Friends of Hospice, 2460 Curtis Ellis Drive, Rocky Mount, NC 27804. Condolences may be sent to: condolence@wheelerwoodlief.com.

Ida D. Wesson

ROCKY MOUNT n Ida Delay Wesson, 63, died December 3, 2005.

A funeral will be conducted at 3 p.m. Saturday at Light Of Peace Missionary Baptist Church, Rocky Mount, by the Rev. Lonnie Braswell. A visitation will be held from 5 until 7 p.m. Friday at H.D. Pope Funeral Home.

Bernice C. Jones

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. n Bernice Candy Jones, 38, a native of New York, died December 3, 2005 at Riverside Hospital, Newport News.

A funeral will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church Kelford by the Rev. Eugene Harris. Burial will be in the Jenkins family cemetery, Lewiston. Wilder’s Funeral Home, Inc., Aulander, is in charge.

She was a member of First Baptist Church of Kelford.

Survivors include her mother, Sidney Jones of Lewiston; a son, David Earl Powell Jr. of Newport News; two daughters, Shonte Powell of Lewiston and Tasheema Powell of Lewiston; sisters, Barbara Warren of Bronx, NY, Cynthia Delancey of Queens, Eva Cuttino of Lewiston, Paula Jones of Bronx, and Retta Williams of Fayetteville; and her brothers, Paul Jones of South Carolina and Dwight Jones of Bronx.

Patricia Cowan

HALIFAX n Patricia Ann Cowan, 53, died December 4, 2005 at Halifax Regional Medical Center, Roanoke Rapids.

A funeral will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church, Enfield, by the Rev. Alvin B. Harmon. Interment will be in Crestview Memorial Cemetery, Roanoke Rapids. H.D. Pope Funeral Home is in charge.

Annie H. Vernon

EVANS, Ga. – Annie Odom Hudgins Vernon, 85, a native of Hobbsville, died December 4, 2005.

A funeral was conducted Wednesday at First Presbyterian Church the Rev. George Robertson. Burial was in Westover Memorial Park, Augusta.

Survivors include six children: two sons, Homer Millard Vernon Jr. and Dr. Michael O. Vernon; four daughters, Rebecca Vernon Blanchard, Ginger Vernon Longcrier, Molly Vernon Clifton and Marya Vernon Elrod of Franklin, Tenn.; two brothers, Warner Hudgins of Eure and Francis M. Hudgins of Loris, SC;

a sister, Julia Brown Hudgins Vogeley of Yorktown; 17 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

Mrs. Vernon graduated from Louisburg College with an associates degree in business and worked in Newport News. She was a member of First Presbyterian Church and the West Lake Women’s Golf Association and Green Meadows Golf Association. Platt’s Funeral Home, Evans, Ga., was in charge. Memorials may be made to The St. Joseph’s Hospice Program, 2260 Wrightsboro Road, Augusta, GA 30904.

Stephen W. Sharp

PITTSBORO – Stephen Wardell Sharp, 45, formerly of Ahoskie, died

November 14, 2005.

A memorial service will be conducted at Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church on Saturday, December 10, 2005 at 7 p.m.  Pleasant Hill Church is located at 7019 Pleasant Hill Church Road, off Highway 902, just outside of Pittsboro.

Sharp worked for the USDA, Soil and Conservation Service from 1979-1981.  He then enlisted with the United States Marine Corps and Reserve from 1981-1991.

In May, 1989 he received his Agriculture Engineering degree from A&T State University in Greensboro, where he pledged with his brothers of Alpha Phi Omega.  From 1990-1996 he held several positions with the North Carolina Department of Transportation utilizing his engineering skills.  He was the Streets Supervisor for the Town of Chapel Hill from 1996-1999, and then for a short time as Streets Superintendent for the City of Durham.  The past few years he worked for the State of North Carolina Emergency Management as Site and Construction Engineer for the Division of Temporary Housing helping hurricane victims.

Survivors include a daughter, Stephanie Sharp of Lexington; former wife, Velma Sharp; brothers Quintin and Donald, both of Ahoskie, Eric of Alexandria, VA, and Ronald Sharp, also of Ahoskie; a sister, Tamira Ortiz of Chesapeake, VA; mother, Frances Sharp of Ahoskie;  and his grandmother, Jeanette Moore. Griffin Funeral Service and Cremation of Pittsboro is in charge.