The R-C News-Herald obituaries for March 11, 2006
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Herman A. Goffigan Sr.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Herman A. &uot;Bubba&uot; Goffigan Sr., a native of Norfolk, died March 6, 2006.
Goffigan retired from the Norfolk Naval Shipyard and was a member of Grace Episcopal Church, Norfolk, and its choir. He was a U.S. Army veteran.
Survivors include his wife, Beatrice C. Goffigan; three daughters, Sondra Goffigan Dickens of Jackson, Gail Fitzgerald-Knight of Virginia Beach and Kimberly E. Billups of Suffolk; three sons, Herman A. Goffigan Jr. of Suffolk, Michael C. Goffigan of Virginia Beach and Wendell Clark of Newport News; 12 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
A funeral will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday in Grace Episcopal Church, 1400 E. Brambleton Ave., by the Rev. Father Harold J. Cobb. Burial will be in Woodlawn Memorial Gardens, Norfolk. Community Funeral Home, Norfolk, is in charge.
Lenora V. Nichols
SEABOARD n Lenora V. Nichols, 63, a native of Northampton County, died March 9, 2006 at Halifax Memorial Hospital, Roanoke Rapids.
A funeral will be conducted at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Zoar Baptist Church, Pendleton, by the Rev. William Denton Jr. Hertford County Undertakers, Winton, is in charge.
Survivors include her husband, Randolph Nichols Sr. of Seaboard; children, Randolph Nichols Jr. of Murfreesboro and Keyachia Joyner of Seaboard; one sister, Carolina Motley of Windsor; and two grandchildren.
Ruth Pierce
CORAPEAKE n Ruth Daniels Pierce, 87, a native of Gates County, died March 8, 2006 at Nansemond Pointe Convalescent Center, Suffolk, Va. She was the widow of Joseph Vernon Pierce.
A funeral will be conducted at 2 p.m. Saturday at Parker’s United Methodist Church by the Rev. Mike Askew. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Miller Funeral Home, Gatesville, is in charge.
Mrs. Pierce was the former owner of Pierce’s Grocery. She was a member of Parker’s United Methodist Church and its United Methodist Women.
She is survived by her grandson; and five great-grandchildren.
Queen W. Jones
HARRELLSVILLE n Queen W. Jones, 92, a native of Hertford, died March 7, 2006 at Guardian Care Nursing Home.
Survivors include a son, Franklin Harris of Long Island, NY; two daughters, Viola L. Jones of Raleigh and Francine Harris of Brooklyn; a sister, Virginia Gregg of Harrellsville; and two grandchildren.
A funeral will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday at Harrellsville Chapel Baptist Church by the Rev. Robert L. Lewis. Burial will be in Mt. Pleasant Church Cemetery, Harrellsville. Hertford County Undertakers, Winton, is in charge.
Joseph H. White Jr.
NORFOLK, Va. – Joseph H. White Jr., 80, a native of Hertford County, died March 7, 2006. He was the widower of Sadie White.
White retired after nearly 40 years at the Naval Air Station.
Survivors include three daughters, Valencia and Debbie of Norfolk and Sharon of Charlotte; a son, Joseph of Norfolk; seven sisters, Mollie Hurd, Margaret Artis Laura Artis, Jean Cherry, Barbara Jackson, Dorothy Peterson, Constance Richardson; and two brothers, John White and Joe Lee.
The family will receive guests from 6 to 7 p.m. Saturday at Graves Funeral Home, Norfolk. The funeral will be held at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at New Bethany Baptist Church, Harrellsville, by the Rev. William Clark. The procession will leave from Mapole Avenue at 10:30 a.m. Burial will be in Moore Cemetery, Harrellsville.
Lester Thompson
HARRELLSVILLE n Lester Thompson, 92, a native of Bertie County, died March 8, 2006 at his residence.
A funeral will be conducted at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at New Harrellsville Chapel Church, Harrellsville, by the Rev. Robert L. Lewis. Burial will be in Mt. Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery. Due to recent illness of the wife, the family will receive friends at the viewing from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday at Reynolds Funeral Home Chapel, Ahoskie.
Thompson was a member of Mt. Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Frances Thompson; two sons, John Edward Thompson of Harrellsville and Robert Thompson of Winton; four daughters, Mary Thompson Porter of Harrellsville, Bessie Byrd of Powellsville, Flossie Smallwood of Windsor and Annie Mae Holley of Ellicott City, Md.; two brothers, John David Thompson of Suffolk, Va., and Eddie Thompson of Lewiston; one sister, Sally Thompson of Oak City; 16 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
Margaret W. Godwin
AHOSKIE n Margaret Williams Godwin, 90, a native of Bertie County, died March 9, 2006, in her home. She was the widow of Stanley W. Godwin.
Mrs. Godwin was a member of Brantley’s Grove Baptist Church.
She and her late husband, Stanley W. Godwin, founded and operated Godwin’s Country Meats until their retirement.
Survivors include a daughter, Geraldine G. Jones of Ahoskie; two sons, Stanley Sherwood Godwin and Wallace Dale Godwin, both of Ahoskie; a sister, Shirley Sybil Rawls of Murfreesboro; a brother, Omax Williams of Chesapeake, VA; eight grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren.
A funeral service will be conducted at 11 a.m. on Saturday at Garrett Funeral Home, Ahoskie, by the Rev. J. N. Baggett and Rev. Jimmy Ward. Burial will follow in Ahoskie Cemetery.
Lellie Vann W. Brown
COLERAIN n Lellie Vann White Brown, 92, of 113 Quebec Road, Colerain, NC, died March 8, 2006.
Mrs. Brown was the widow of George Herbert Brown.
She was a dedicated mother, homemaker, and an active member of Mars Hill Baptist Church.
She was President of the Women’s Missionary Society, leader of the Intermediate Girls Auxiliary, treasurer of the church, coordinator of the 1987 church directory and taught Sunday School class.
Survivors include one daughter, Peggy Brown Ruffin and husband, Herbert H. Ruffin of Great Bridge, Chesapeake, VA; three grandchildren, Andrea R. Crooks and husband, Jeff Crooks of Virginia Beach, VA, Amy R. Forbis and husband, Pat Forbis of Southern Shores, NC, Herbert C. Ruffin and wife, Kelli Ruffin of Hampstead, NC; and five great grandchildren, Brandon, Lauren, Megan, Matthew and Tommy.
A graveside service will be conducted by the Rev. Burke Holland at Highland Memorial Gardens, Ahoskie, NC, on Saturday, March 11, 2006, at 3:00 p.m.
The family will receive friends at Garrett Funeral Home, Ahoskie, from 1:30 p.m. until 2:30 p.m. Saturday, prior to services.
Memorial donations may be made to Mars Hill Baptist Church, 1325 Meadow Road, Colerain, NC, 27924.
William Grant Sr.
SEVERN n William Mathew Grant Sr., 81, a native of Northampton County, died March 8, 2006 at McGuire Veteran Facility, Richmond, Va.
A funeral will be conducted at 2 p.m. Sunday at First Baptist Church, Severn, by Pastor Elisha Barnes. Interment will follow in Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery, Boykins. Faison’s Funeral Home, Inc., Seaboard, is in charge.
Survivors include 12 children, William Jr. of Murfreesboro, Walter of Baltimore, Md., Willie of Pendleton, Warren of Roanoke Rapids, Michael of Atlanta, Ga., Melvin of Woodland, Keith of Severn, Doris Branch of Pendleton, Frances P. Gibson of Severn, Rachel Turner of Greenville, Urita Crocker of Baltimore and Sharon Gibson of Severn; two sisters, Leola Worrell and Thelma Blunt, both of Severn; one brother, Isiah Grant Jr. of Portsmouth; 39 grandchildren; 60 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.