Michael M. Knight

CORAPEAKE n Michael Michell Knight, 50, a native of Gates County, died March 10, 2006 at Roanoke-Chowan Hospital, Ahoskie.

A funeral will be conducted at 12 noon Wednesday at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, Gates, by the Rev. James K. Brown. Burial will be in the church cemetery. A visitation will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Stallings Funeral Home Chapel, Gatesville. The family will be at the home of the deceased.

Survivors include his wife, Lois Harrell Knight of the home; one son, Tyrone Harrell of Orlando, Fla.; his father and mother, Wardell Knight and Ethelene Jordan Knight of Gates; two sisters, Carolyn Gordon of Hampton, Va., and Earlene Hayes of Roduco; two brothers, Lloyd Knight of Eure and William Harvey of Gatesville; and two grandchildren.

Charlie Griggs

BRONX, NY n Charlie Leon Griggs, 48, died in Bronx Veteran Hospital, Bronx.

H.D. Pope Funeral Home, Rocky Mount, is in charge.

Aaron C. Smith

ROCKY MOUNT n Aaron Cleo “A.C.” Smith, 66, died March 10, 2006 at his residence.

A graveside service will be conducted at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Gardens of Gethsemane, Rocky Mount. A visitation will be conducted from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at H.D. Pope Funeral Home, Rocky Mount. Condolences may be sent to www.hdpopefuneralhome.com.

Ruth H. Williams

GATES – Ruth Harrison Williams, 87, a native of Bertie County, died March 11, 2006, in Down East Health and Rehab in Gatesville. She was the widow of Garland M. Williford and Curtis Lee Williams.

Mrs. Williams was a retired electronics operator with Birdsong Peanuts in Suffolk, she also many years ago worked at the Gatesville Theater and later the Theater Grill. She was a member of Reynoldson Baptist Church.

Survivors include daughters, Linda Wiggins Connolly of Gatesville and Phyllis Williams Liverman of Aulander; two sons, Finley Lee Williford of Newport News, Va., and David A. Williford of Chesapeake; nine grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.

A funeral will be conducted at 2 p.m. Tuesday in Reynoldson Baptist Church by the Rev. John Wilkinson and the Rev. Billy Presley. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Miller Funeral Home, Gatesville, is in charge.

Gracie Lee S. Uren

CHESAPEAKE, Va. n Gracie Lee S. Uren, a native of Roanoke Rapids, died March 9, 2006.

Mrs. Uren

retired from Contract Administration, NNSY in 1993, and then had a short, part time career with Wal-Mart, while also volunteering at Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center.

Survivors include a daughter, Gwendolyn Hoffler Whitley of Corapeake; her mother, Ruby E. Spencer; a brother, Willard &uot;Bill&uot; Spencer of Portsmouth; three stepgrandchildren and one stepgreat-grandson

Loving Funeral Home, Portsmouth, was in charge of cremation. No arrangements have been made for a memorial service at this time. Online condolences may be made at www.lovingfuneralhome.com.

Callie H. Harry

SUFFOLK, Va. – John C. Harry Jr., a native of Hobbsville, died March 11, 2006, at Obici Hospital. She was the widow of John C. Harry Jr.

Mrs. Harry graduated from the Lakeview Hospital School of Nursing in 1932 and worked in nursing for a number of years. She later worked for the late Dr. Charles W. Steele. She was a member of Oxford United Methodist Church.

Survivors include two sisters, Maryvonne Brinkley and Mattie Mae Womble, both of Suffolk; three children, John C. Harry III of Suffolk, Elizabeth Harry Tarkington of Franklin and C. Thomas Harry of Suffolk; 14 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren. A funeral will be conducted at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the R.W. Baker & Co. Funeral Home & Crematory by the Rev. Michael Halley. Burial will be in Holly Lawn Cemetery. A reception will follow the service at the home of Mr. and Mrs. John C. Harry III, 1101 Lake Point Lane, Suffolk. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Blair Harry Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Gail Pruden of BB&T Bank in Suffolk. Condolences may be registered at www.rwbakerfh.com.

Darlene D. Jester

ELIZABETH CITY – Darlene Darnell Jester, 60, a Norfolk, Va., died March 9, 2006, at her residence.

Mrs. Jester was a member of the South Mills Church of Christ and former assistant director of Carolina Living Retirement Home.

Survivors include her husband, Denver A. Jester Sr.; daughters, Kendal J. Owens of Hobbsville, and Sharon J. Russell of Elizabeth City; son, Denver A. Jester Jr. of Elizabeth City; sister, Terrie Smith of Chesapeake; brothers, Charles E. Darnell Jr. of Tallahassee, Fla., and David Darnell of Virginia Beach; and four grandchildren.

A graveside funeral was conducted Saturday at Memory Gardens Cemetery by Ron Stuart. Memorial contributions may be directed to Albemarle Hospice, P.O. Box 189, Elizabeth City, NC 27909. Twiford’s Funeral Home, 405 East Church St., was in charge.

You may sign the online guest register at www.twifordfh.com. (252)335-4395.

Raleigh Blowe, Jr.

MURFREESBORO n Raleigh (Junior) Herbert Blowe, Jr., 71, died Sunday, March 12, 2006 in his home in Murfreesboro. He had been preceded in death by his wife, Melba Hedspeth Blowe.

A native of Hertford County, he was an area farmer and was a member of Mt. Tabor Baptist Church.

Survivors include one son, William Richard Blowe of Eure; two daughters, Deborah B. Edwards and her husband, Tom of Murfreesboro and Rhonda Runfola and her husband, Bob of Wake Forest; four grandchildren, Bret and Autumn Edwards of Murfreesboro and Ashley and Blake Runfola of Wake Forest; and one sister, Betty Ellis of Jackson.

Graveside services will be held Friday at 3:00 p.m. in the Town of Conway Cemetery with the Rev. Billy Sellers presiding.

The family will be receiving friends at Bridgers Funeral Home, Inc., in Conway, Thursday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and at other times in the home of Tom and Deborah Edwards.

The family has requested that anyone wishing to share a memorial gift, please do so to the Murfreesboro Public Library, 213 East Main St., Murfreesboro, NC 27855.

Elsie L. Newsome

COLERAIN n Elsie L. Newsome, 75, of Bud Taylor Road, died Sunday, March 12, 2006, in Annie Penn Hospital, Reidsville, NC.

Miss Newsome was born in Bertie County, a daughter of the late Moses Arthur and Allie Sessoms Newsome. She was a member of Mars Hill Baptist Church and was retired from Freeman Metal Company as a casket interior liner.

Left to cherish the memory of Miss Elsie are two nieces, Peggy Lovings of Reidsville, NC, Jean Bracy of Colerain; a great niece, Amanda — of Reidsville; and a great nephews, Jay Rakestraw of Reidsville and Joshua Bracy of Colerain.

A graveside service will be conducted at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, March 15, 2006, at Highland Memorial Gardens, with Pastor Jim Cox and the Rev. Holland officiating. The family will assemble at the cemetery at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday prior to services. Memorial donations may be made to Mars Hill Baptist Church, 1325 Meadow Road, Colerain, NC 27924.

Garrett Funeral Home, Ahoskie, is serving the Newsome family.

Tyrone Thomas

AHOSKIE n Tyrone Thomas, 57, a native of Elizabeth, N.J., died March 10, 2006 at his residence.

Thomas was a member Elm Grove Missionary Baptist Church, Aulander.

He was a formally employed with Perdue Farms as a machine operator.

Survivors include his wife, Patricia Thomas of the home;

three sons, Tyrone Thomas, Jr. of Clinton, MD, Tyrese Davis of Elizabeth and Paul Twyne of Temple Hills, MD;

two daughters, Tysha K. Mitchell of Newark, NJ and Cheryl Twyne of Ahoskie;

his mother, Naomi Thomas of Elizabeth;

five brothers, John

Thomas, Keith Thomas and Cornell Graham all of Elizabeth, Reginald Graham of Lynden, NJ and Austin Jones of Ft. Lauderdale, FL;

three sisters, Valeria D. Thomas, Julia Thomas and Linda Graham, all of Elizabeth; and eight grandchildren.

A funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Elm Grove Missionary Baptist Church.

Burial will be in the church cemetery, Aulander.

Hunter’s Funeral Home, Inc., Ahoskie, is in charge.

James Harris

AHOSKIE – James Harris, 87, a native of Bertie County, died March 11, 2006 at his residence.

Harris was a formally employed with HT Jones Lumber Company, as a saw mill operator.

Survivors include two sons, Jule Bazemore of Raleigh and John T. Smallwood of Lewiston; daughter, Gladys Bazemore of Ahoskie; one sister, Martha Sessoms of Ahoskie; and one grandson.

A funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. Thursday at Canaan Missionary Baptist Church by Rev. Franklin D. Williams.

Burial will be in Mt. Olive Baptist Church Cemetery, Lewiston.

Hunter’s Funeral Home, Inc.,

Ahoskie, is in charge.