Mary Speller

AHOSKIE – Mary Alice Raynor “Tuts” Speller, 78, a native of Bertie County, died September 21, 2006 in Colerain.

Mrs. Speller was a member of Rountree Temple of Praise Church, Powellsville and was a retired dietary aid at Bertie Memorial Hospital, Windsor.

Survivors include her children, Edward Gene Speller of Spencer, Okla., Frankie Leon Speller and Melvin Speller, both of Philadelphia, PA, Ellis C. Speller

of Aulander, Sylvia Speller of Colerain, Sharon Speller

of Chesapeake, VA, Deborah Mitchell of Ahoskie, Zina Smith of Chesapeake and Clarence Raynor (of Newport News; sisters, Lula Miller, Frances Holley and Essie Raynor, all of Colerain, Hattie Brown of Portsmouth; 17 grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren.

A funeral was conducted Sunday at Rountree Temple of Praise, Powellsville, by Bishop J.C. Watford. Burial was in the church cemetery. Wilder’s Funeral Home Inc., Aulander, was in charge.

Margaret C. Taylor

COMO – Margaret Crocker Taylor, 83, a native of Antlers, Va., died September 22, 2006, in her home.

Mrs. Taylor was an active member of Buckhorn Baptist Church and served in many capacities including church organist, Sunday school teacher, Junior Choir director, and was a member of the W.M.U.

At the age of 75, Mrs. Taylor retired as a school teacher having taught in numerous schools in surrounding counties.

Survivors include her daughter, Marlene Taylor Stalls of Nags Head; two sons, Richard Henry Taylor, Jr. and Phillip Nathaniel Taylor, both of Como; a sister, Helen Crocker Curle of Como; and three grandchildren

A celebration service was held at the graveside in Buckhorn Baptist Church Cemetery Monday by the Rev. Dr. Jay Brabban.

Memorial donations may be made to Buckhorn Baptist Church, P.O. Box 67, Como, NC, 27818, Como Fire and Rescue, P.O. Box 117, Como, NC, 27818 or to University Health Systems Hospice, P.O. Box 272, Ahoskie, NC, 27910.

Garrett Funeral Home, Ahoskie, was in charge.

Madeline T. Taylor

COLERAIN – Madeline T. Taylor, 78, a native of Martin County, died September 22, 2006, in Three Rivers Health & Rehabilitation Center, Windsor.

Mrs. Taylor was an active member of Riverside Baptist Church, having taught Sunday school for 28 years.

She was a homemaker.

Survivors include her husband, Wallace B. Taylor; a daughter, Mary Carol Chesson of Hendersonville; two sons, Archie Bowen of Windsor and Kenneth Bowen Sr. of Pollocksville; a sister, Christine Taylor of Ahoskie; four grandchildren; and two great- grandchildren.

A celebration of

life service was conducted Monday at Riverside Baptist Church with the Rev. David Baker and Rev. Al Jarrell.

Burial followed in the church cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to Riverside Baptist Church, Highway 45, Merry Hill, NC, 27957.

Garrett Funeral Home, Ahoskie, was in charge.

Spencer D. Davis

MURFREESBORO n Spencer Dean Davis, 67, died Thursday, September 21, 2006 at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Norfolk, Va., from complications following surgery for bladder cancer.

A native of Halifax County, he was retired after 41 &rac12; years as a Machine Tender on No. 6 Paper Machine at International Paper Company in Franklin, Va. He was a very active member of the Murfreesboro United Methodist Church where he was Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees and helped his wife, Brenda, in maintaining the flowerbed around the Millennium Park at the church.

Survivors include his loving wife of 46 years, Brenda Liverman Davis of their home; one daughter, Susan D. Bengel and husband, Chris, of Baltimore, MD; two sons, Steven D. Davis and wife, Rita, of Charlotte and Master Sergeant Stuart D. Davis, Sr. and wife, Annette, of Iwakuni, Japan; five grandchildren, Nicholas Davis, Stuart Davis, Jr., Matthew Davis, Jordan Marie Davis, and Luke Bengel; one brother, Lawrence Davis of Henderson; and one sister, Brenda Davis Collins and husband, Mike, of Littleton.

A memorial service celebrating his life will be held Wednesday, September 27, 2006 at 3 p.m. at Murfreesboro United Methodist Church with the Rev. Arthur Warren and the Rev. Dr. Mike Gast presiding.

The family will be receiving friends at the family home in Murfreesboro and have requested that anyone wishing to share a memorial gift, please do so to the Murfreesboro United Methodist Church Parsonage Maintenance Fund.

Bridgers Funeral Home, Inc., in Conway is in charge of arrangements.

Martha Liverman

AHOSKIE n Martha Eaton Liverman, 68, a native of Tampa, Fla., died September 22, 2006 at Pitt Memorial Hospital, Greenville.

Mrs. Liverman was a retired telephone operator.

Survivors include a daughter, Sylvia Davidson Lamm of Rocky Mount; a son, Billy Liverman of Powellsville; and three grandchildren.

A funeral was conducted Monday at Massey Funeral Home, Aulander. Burial was in Ahoskie.

John L. Parker

GATESVILLE -John Lee &uot;Johnnie&uot; Parker, 61, a native of Gates County and formerly of Gatesville, died September 21, 2006.

Parker was a graduate of Texas Christian University with a degree in business management, he was formerly associated with the Marriott Corp. as a food coordinator. Survivors include two sons, Robert Parker of Georgia and Charlie Parker of California; his stepfather, Bill Copeland of Sunbury; and two grandson.

A memorial service was conducted Saturday in the chapel of Miller Funeral Home, Gatesville. Inurnment was in the Gatesville Cemetery.

Leon Perry

COLERAIN – Leon &uot;Weasel&uot; Perry, 78, died September 22, 2006.

A funeral will be conducted at 11 a.m. Tuesday in Mill Branch Baptist Church, Aulander. Wilder’s Funeral Home is in charge.

Ruth (Kennedy) Myers

NEWPORT, RI — Ruth (Kennedy) Myers, (95), of Village House 70 Harrison Avenue, Newport, formerly of 40 Division Street, Newport, RI, and Murfreesboro, NC, died peacefully September 23, 2006, at home.

She was the wife of the late Jacob Christian Myers.

Born in Raleigh, NC, on March 26, 1911, she was the daughter of the late Oscar Clement and Mary (Dowell) Kennedy.

Mrs. Myers was a graduate of Salem Academy in Winston-Salem, NC and Meredith College in Raleigh, NC.

She was a devoted Navy wife, her favorite station being Panama City, FL.

From 1946-1966 they lived in Alexandria, VA where she sold real estate and was active in historic preservation.

Ruth and her late husband Captain Jacob C. Myers Ret., moved to Newport in 1968.

They were active members of Trinity Church in Newport and she sang in the

choir and was a part of the bicentennial commission.

They wintered in Newport and summered in Murfreesboro, North Carolina.

In 1971 Ruth founded Christmas in Newport.

Her goal was to glorify the season in non-commercial and charitable ways in a month long celebration.

The community collaboration to use only clear bulbs in the electric candles in Newport’s windows was sparked by her childhood me-mories of real candles illuminating the windows of Mora-vian homes in her native North Carolina.

In 1976 Ruth was honored as the &uot;Women of The Year&uot; by the Women’s Division of the Newport Chamber of Com-merce.

She was an active part of the National Trust for Historical Preservation, Cham-ber of Commerce, Newport Preservation Society of New-port County, Oldport Association, the Art Associa-tion, Newport Historical So-ciety, Historic Hill Association, the DAR, the Naval Wives Club, the Murfreesboro Histori-cal Association in Murfrees-boro, NC, and the Old Town Civic Association in Alexandria, VA. She was a director of Operation Clapboard and of the Rhode Island Indepen-dence Commemorative at Newport.

She was honorary member of the Newport County Convention Visitors Bureau as an ambassador of Newport.

Together, Ruth and her husband Jack restored 25 historic homes.

Capt. & Mrs. Myers resided at The Cowper-Thompson House, 405 North Street, and the &uot;Gingerbread House&uot; at the corner of Broad and Fifth streets in Murfreesboro. Her residence in Murfreesboro spanned a period of 18 years from 1979 to 1997.

Ruth is survived by a son Christian W. Myers of Barrington, RI, five grandchildren Christian W. Myers III and spouse Janet of Portsmouth, RI, Meredith M. LeBlanc and spouse Michael of Newport, RI, Lisa M. Ring and spouse Robert of Middletown, RI, Christopher M. Myers and spouse Diane of Portsmouth, and Jason P. Myers of Bristol, RI, five great grandchildren Erin E. Myers of Portsmouth, RI, Ian T. Coyne of Middletown, RI, Jonathan C. Myers of Portsmouth, RI, Julia L. Myers of Portsmouth, RI, and Olivia A. Myers of Portsmouth, RI, two nieces Adianna Gabin of Pacifica, CA and Patsy Butler of Clear Lake, CA, and granddogs Abbey, Bailey, and Nicki.

Her funeral will be held on Wednesday, September 27, 2006, at 1:30 p.m., in Trinity Church, Queen Anne Square, Newport.

As a tribute from the Gabin and Butler families in California, Trinity’s bell will be rung in her honor. Burial will be in Trinity Cemetery in Ports-mouth.

Calling hours will be held on Tuesday, September 26, 2006, from 4-8 p.m. in the Hambly Funeral Home, &uot;Brick House&uot;, 30 Red Cross Avenue, Newport.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Christmas in Newport, P.O. Box 716, Newport, RI, 02840, or to Trinity Church, Queen Anne Square, Newport, RI, 02840. Information and directions available at www.memorialfuneralhome.com