Sophronia Barham

RICH SQUARE – Mrs. Sophronia Joyner Barham, age 85, beloved sister, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother died peacefully, on January 12, 2006, surrounded by her family.

Born in Bertie County, NC to the late Percy Washington and Ivy Dunning Joyner, she was predeceased by her husband, Carlton Woodrow Barham and brother, Bertram F. Joyner.

A U.S. Air Force wife, “Sophie” reared her family while accompanying her husband on several worldwide assignments including tours in Guam, Japan and many Air Force installations across the United States.

Upon returning to Roxobel, NC to care for aging parents, she served as an accountant for the Mylcraft Corporation.

Survivors include a son, David Carlton Barham of Kill Devil Hills, NC, two daughters, Linda Barham Parker of Murfreesboro, NC, Carole Anne Whitener and her husband, Henry of Chesapeake, VA.

Surviving are eight grandchildren, Rochelle Harrell, Ivy Mitchell, Carl Parker, Lee Deans, Henry Whitener, Jr., Christopher Barham, Hope Campbell and Kathleen Barham.

Also surviving are ten great-grandchildren and a sister-in-law, Alverta Joyner of Rich Square, NC.

Graveside services were conducted on Sunday, January 15, 2006 at 2 PM at the Roxobel-Kelford Cemetery in Roxobel, NC with the Rev. Dave Rimel officiating.

The family received friends Saturday evening from 7:00-8:30 PM at Sykes Funeral Service in Rich Square.

Her family wishes to thank the staff of Autumn Care in Rich Square for their many kindnesses to her during the final stage of her life’s journey.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation, 322 Eighth Avenue, 6th floor, New York, NY 10001.

Walter Edmonds Sr.

RICH SQUARE n Walter Lee Edmonds Sr., 71, a native of Northampton County, died January 12, 2006 at his residence.

A funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Chapel Hill Baptist Church by the Rev. Ronald Taylor. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Wilder’s Funeral Home, Inc., Aulander, is in charge.

Edmonds was retired from Pope Motor Co. as a mechanic, and a member of Chapel Hill Baptist Church.

Survivors include his sons, Walter Lee Edmonds Jr., Lowell Shoulars, Larry Shoulars, Curtis Smith and Jerome Shoulars, all of Rich Square, Kenny Smith of Murfreesboro, Ralph Smith of Paterson, NJ, and Ricky Shoulars of Mitchville, Md.; daughters, Patricia Harrison, Brenda Joyner and Joanetta Holloman, all of Rich Square, Nellie White of Garysburg, Geneva Edmonds of Murfreesboro, Joyce Eason of Clayton and Brenda Winfrey of Paterson; brothers, Roosevelt Edmonds and James Edmonds, both of Rich Square; a sister, Lucy Jacobs of Rich Square; 25 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

Verleen Horton

AHOSKIE n Verleen Horton, 67, a native of Bertie County, died January 14, 2006 at Roanoke-Chowan Hospital.

A funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. Thursday at Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church by the Rev. Nathaniel Thompson. Interment will be in the Perry family cemetery. Hunter’s Funeral Home, Ahoskie, is in charge.

Mrs. Horton was retired from Georgia Pacific. She was a member of Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church, Colerain.

Survivors include two sons, Hermon Horton Sr. and Calvin E. Horton of Newport News, Va.; six daughters, Mattie McCoy of Rocky Mount, Elizabeth Howington, Rosa Horton and Jo Ann Horton, all of Newport News, Gloria Regina Horton and Fatina Horton, both of Ahoskie; three brothers, Raleigh Perry Jr. of Ahoskie, Ernest Perry and Benjamin Perry, both of Newport News; four sisters, Alberta Lassiter, Grace Speller and Linda Perry, all of Newport News and Mattie Pierce of Rocky Mount; 36 grandchildren; and a host of great-grandchildren.

Daisy Britt

AHOSKIE n Daisy Britt, 80, a native of Hertford County, died January 13, 2006 at Pitt Memorial Hospital, Greenville.

A funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. Wednesday at New Ahoskie Baptist Church by the Rev. Patrick Young. Interment will be in the Britt family cemetery. Hunter’s Funeral Home, Ahoskie, is in charge.

Mrs. Britt was a member of New Ahoskie Baptist Church.

Survivors include one son, Ricky Britt of Ahoskie; two daughters, Terri Caldwell of Fayetteville and Maxine Robinson of Hampton, Va.; one brother, Eric Mitchell of Ahoskie; two sisters, Mary Keene and Florence Anthony, both of Newport News; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

James C. Freeman

EDENTON n James C. Freeman, 45, died January 12, 2006 at UNC Chapel Hill.

A funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Peterson Chapel Baptist Church, Merry Hill. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Gilliam Funeral Home, Windsor, is in charge.

Darrell Putney

ROANOKE RAPIDS n Darrell Putney, 30, died January 13, 2006 at Halifax Regional Medical Center.

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

Maydie Weeks

ROCKY MOUNT n Maydie Weeks, 94, died January 12, 2006.

A funeral was conducted Sunday at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Rocky Mount. Interment was in the Taylor family cemetery, Elm City. H.D. Pope Funeral Home was in charge.

Gladys M. Swain

AHOSKIE n Gladys Marie Swain, 55, died January 12, 2006 at her residence.

A funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Charity Temple Holiness Church, Aulander, by Bishop James Clark. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Wilder’s Funeral Home, Inc., Aulander, is in charge.

She was a member of Charity Temple Holiness Church, Aulander.

Survivors include her sons, Raymond Holloway of New York and Devon Swain of Lewiston; daughters, Sherae Wainwright of Ahoskie, Chevelle Brinkley of Ahoskie and Annie Parker of New York; her stepmother, Lillian Swain; eight grandchildren; and one great-grandchildren.

Donald J. Kenyon

MELFA – Donald John Kenyon, 57, a native of Springfield, Mass., died January 14, 2006 at his residence.

Kenyon was a construction estimator for M.L. Blades Construction in Pocomoke, Md. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He earned two Purple hearts and was a Vietnam veteran.

Survivors include his wife, Joyce M. Kenyon; two daughters, Stephanie Kenyon Wood of Pendleton and Lauren Colona; his parents, Donald R. Kenyon and Dorothy Fortune Kenyon, of Springfield; two brothers, Peter Kenyon of Springfield, and David Kenyon of North Kingstown, R.I.; and two grandchildren.

A funeral services will be conducted at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the chapel of Williams-Onancock Funeral Home by the Rev. Paul Nolz and Mr. Butch Arnold. Interment will be at the Arlington National Cemetery. There will be a visitation at the funeral home from 6 to 7 p.m. prior to the service on Tuesday. Memorial donations may be made to the Foodbank of the Eastern Shore, P.O. Box 518, Onley, VA 23418 or to the charity of one’s choice. Memory tributes may be sent to the family at www.williamsfuneralhomes.com.

Gladys L. Dotson

CHESAPEAKE, Va. – Gladys Greene Lynch Dotson, 79, a native of Chowan County, formerly of Sunbury, and Alexandria, Va., died January 13, 2006, in her home. She was the widow of Charles Lynch and Edsel Earl Dotson.

Mrs. Dotson was a homemaker and a member of St. Marks Episcopal Church in Alexandria for more than 50 years.

Survivors include her daughters, Jo Lynch Skinner of Fairbanks, Alaska, and Carol J. Dotson Franklin of Goldvein, Va.; her son, G. Craig Lynch of Atlanta, Kan.; her sisters, Joyce Modlin of Sunbury and Lois Jordan of Corapeake; her brothers, Dan Greene of Sunbury and Jack Greene of Suffolk; and four grandchildren.

Graveside services were held Monday in Oak Grove Christian Church Cemetery, Sunbury, by the Rev. Garrett Lewis. Miller Funeral Home, Gatesville, was in charge. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to the Oak Grove Cemetery Fund, c/o Annette Modlin, 590 US 158 E., Sunbury, NC 27979.

Willie Lee Jenkins Sr.

CHESAPEAKE, Va. – Willie Lee Jenkins Sr., 73, a native of Ahoskie, died January 10, 2006.

Jenkins was a retired butcher and U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War. He attended New Life Apostolic Church.

Survivors include wife, Vernell Jenkins; two daughters, Kathleen Marrow of Norfolk and Jeanette Scott of Chesapeake; four sons, Willie Jenkins Jr. of Suffolk, Jerry Jenkins of Portsmouth, Glen Jenkins of Virginia Beach and Phillip Hyman of Norfolk; two sisters, Mary Lee Jenkins of Norfolk and Ethelena Welch of New York; and one brother, Thomas Jenkins of New York.

A funeral was conducted Monday at New Life Apostolic Church, 730 Fink Lane, Chesapeake, by the Rev. Keith D. Newsome. Interment was at Roosevelt Memorial Park, Chesapeake. Metropolitan Funeral Service, Berkley Chapel was in charge. Condolences may be offered to the family at www.metropolitanfuneralservice.com.

Mary V. Smith

RALEIGH n Mary Virginia Smith, died January 12, 2006. She was the widow of Charles Lee Smith Jr.

Mrs. Smith received a 2001 Gertrude S. Carraway Award of Merit from Preservation NC, the Anthemion Award from the Mordecai Society (CAP) and the Halifax Resolves Award for her work in Murfreesboro. Her creation of the Endowment Fund for Historic Murfreesboro in 1986 provided many preservation opportunities which otherwise would not have been possible. Mrs. Smith was Chairman of the Historic Murfreesboro Commission for 21 years.

Survivors include her daughters, Lindsay S. Newsom and Charlotte S. Purrington; her son, Charles Lee Smith, III; her sister, Olive C. Johnson of Aberdeen; and seven grandchildren.

A funeral service celebrating her life was conducted Monday at the First Baptist Church, , Raleigh. Burial was in Oakwood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Virginia Camp Smith Scholarship at Sweet Briar College, Sweet Briar, VA 24595 or to the Murfreesboro Historical Association, PO Box 3, Murfreesboro, NC 27855 or to the First Baptist Church Endowment Fund, 99 N. Salisbury St., Raleigh NC 27603.

Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, Saint Mary’s St., was in charge.

Odus Mansfield

HERTFORD n Odus “Buddy” Mansfield, 79, a native of Perquimans County, died January 13, 2006 in Albemarle Hospital.

A funeral was conducted Sunday at Swindell Funeral Chapel by the Rev. Jimmy Pollard. Burial was in Cedar Wood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the National Kidney Foundation of NC, P.O. Box 2383, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 or Relay for Life, 1621 Belvidere Road, Belvidere, NC 27919.

Mansfield was a farmer and a member of Great Hope Baptist Church and VFW Post #8148. He was an Army veteran of World War II.

Survivors include his wife, Edith Lane Mansfield; three daughters, Margaret M. Pender and Brenda M. Newbern, both of Hertford and Frances M. Hammer of Belvidere; a son, Jerry Mansfield of Hertford; two sisters, Rachel M. Mulik of Newport News, Va., and Willie Mae Shannon of Jacksonville, Fla.; three brothers, Othus C. Mansfield of La Plata, Md., C.T. Mansfield of Tyner and John F. Mansfield of Hertford; five grandchildren; and a great-grandchild.

Polly Whitfield

GATES — Polly Whitfield, 68, a native of Gates County, died January 14, 2006 at her residence.

A funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. Friday at First Baptist Church Gates. Interment will be in the Taylor family cemetery. Hunter’s Funeral Home, Ahoskie, is in charge.

Mrs. Whitfield was a member of Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church, Brooklyn, NY, and she retired from Careful Leather as a seamstress.

Survivors include a daughter, Sharon Whitfield of Gates; two sisters, Jean Harvey and Merline Simpson, both of Gates; and one grandchild.