Ruth Cherry

WELDON n Ruth Mary Cherry, 89, died November 11, 2006 at Nash General Hospital, Rocky Mount.

A funeral will be conducted at 11 a.m. Thursday at Twilight Baptist Church, Halifax, by the Rev. Danny B. Jones and the Rev. Dr. Maryanne Sykes. Interment will be in the Anderson family cemetery, Weldon. H.D. Pope Funeral Home is in charge.

Gehopia Bond

WINDSOR n Gehopia Bond, 66, died November 11, 2006 at Downy State Hospital, Brooklyn, N.Y.

A funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. Saturday at Cedar Landing Missionary Baptist Church, Windsor. A visitation will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. Friday at Gilliam Funeral Home Chapel, Windsor. Burial will be in the Bond family cemetery.

Henry Wilkins

FAYETTEVILLE n Henry Wilkins, 67, died November 13, 2006 at Heritage Retirement Center.

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

Della Bowen

WINDSOR n Della Dunlow Bowen, 87, a native of Bertie County, died November 14, 2006 at her son’s home. She was the widow of James Thomas Bowen.

A funeral will be conducted at 11 a.m. Friday at Edgewood Baptist Church by the Rev. Chris Lee. Burial will be in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 7-9 p.m. Thursday at Walker Funeral Home and other times from the home of her son, 115 Braxton Ave., Windsor, NC. Memorial gifts may be made to Edgewood Baptist Church, 348 US 13 North, Windsor, NC 27983.

Mrs. Bowen was a homemaker and a member of Edgewood Baptist Church.

Survivors include one son, Thomas Bowen of Windsor; two sisters, Hazel D. Bowen of Windsor and Lelia D. Matthews of Elizabeth City; two brothers, Hodie Dunlow of Williamston and Jack Dunlow of Ashville; two grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Verna Pierce

WINDSOR n Verna Mae Davis Pierce, 64, a native of Bertie County, died November 13, 2006. She was the widow of Roy Rogers Pierce.

A funeral will be conducted at 2 p.m. Friday at Edgewood Baptist Cemetery by the Rev. Eric Lockhart and the Rev. J.N. Baggett. The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Walker Funeral Home and other times from Mrs. Pierce’s home. Memorial gifts may be made to either the Bertie County Rescue Squad, PO Box 71, Windsor, NC 27983 or to the Windsor Fire Department, PO Box 508, Windsor, NC 27983.

Mrs. Pierce was a member of Siloam Baptist Church and a Home Health Nurse.

Survivors include two daughters, Judy R. Chesson of Williamston and Joyce R. Baggett of Cofield; stepdaughters, Lori Ann and Lavonne Pierce, both of Florida; sons, Bobby, Danny, Robert, Marvin and Andy Ray, all of Windsor; stepson, Charles Pierce of Jacksonville; sisters, Elizabeth Mizelle of Elm Grove, Estelle Durham of Eden, Lettie Pierce of Windsor and Linda Vann of Ahoskie; brothers, Willie Davis of Windsor and Edgar “Buddy” Davis of West Virginia; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Dexter Johnson

ROCKY MOUNT n Dexter Xavier Johnson, 33, died November 13, 2006 at Nash General Hospital.

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

Sarah McMahan

RUTHERFORDTON n Sarah McKinney McMahan, 88, a native of Rutherford County, died November 14, 2006 at her son’s home.

A graveside service will be conducted at 2 p.m. Thursday at Mountain View Baptist Church Cemetery by Dr. Bobby Gantt and the Rev. Terry White. A visitation will be conducted from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Thursday prior to services at McMahan’s Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Rutherford County, P.O. Box 336, Forest City, NC 28043. The family will be at the home of her son and daughter-in-law, Scott and Susan McMahan at 147 Crescent St., Rutherfordton. To sign the guest register book visit www.mcmahanfuneralhome.com.

Survivors include three sons, Keith McMahan of Greenville, SC and Bobby and Scott McMahan, both of Rutherfordton; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Doris P. Deir

SUFFOLK, Va. – Doris M. Parker Deir, 78, a native of Gates County, died November 13, 2006.

Mrs. Deir had retired from Lipton Tea with more than 20 years of service.

Survivors include her husband, Lloyd E. Deir Sr. of Suffolk; a daughter, Lorraine D. Evans of Pulaski, Va.; two sons, Ed Deir of Norfolk and David Deir of Suffolk; 11 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

A funeral will be conducted at 2 p.m. Friday in the Sidney F. Harrell Chapel of Harrell & Hill Funeral Home. Burial will be in Meadowbrook Memorial Gardens. Friends may join the family from 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.

Mary Lee Jordan

SUFFOLK, Va. – Mary Lee Jordan, a native of Gates, died November 12, 2006, at Sentara Obici Hospital in Suffolk.

Survivors include her husband, James R. Jordan of Suffolk; son, Jackie Lee Jones; two daughters, Sara Ann (Jones) and Jon Rueschhoff and Evelyn Jean (Jones) Goudreau of Wichita, Kan.; four grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

There will be no services.

Viola Gatling Parker

Viola Parker died peacefully in her home on Tuesday, November 14, 2006 at 2:00 a.m. Viola was born on February 22, 1917 in Mapleton, North Carolina. She was 80 years old. Viola was a faithful Christian and was a long time member of Parker’s Grove Baptist Church where she attended until her health would not allow her to. She was married to the late Wilmer Parker and to this union they had nine children. She leaves to cherish her memory Betty Lou Cousins (Hank), Luther James Parker (Sadie), Geraldine Manley (Bernard), Lessie Mae Parker, Wendell Parker (Brunet) and Jerrod Parker (Joyce). She raised two grandchildren as her own, Vineta Watson (Leverne) and Ronald Majette (Demetra). She also raised a nephew Stafford Gatling (Von). She also leaves a daughter-in-law, Gloria Parker (the late AW).

Viola has 17 grandchildren and 20 and 1 to be born great-grandchild. One brother, Eley Gatling and one sister, Delia Vaughan of Mapleton, NC. Also Viola had a very dedicated and loving healthcare provider, Marrian Jordan of Mapleton, NC. While Viola may not be here in body, the legacy of her family lives on.

The funeral arrangements will be held at Parker’s Grove Baptist Church in Mapleton, NC on November 18, 2006 at 12:00 noon. Burial will follow in the Gatling Cemetery. Hertford County Undertakers are in charge.

Carl Jordan

SEVERN n Carl Jordan, died November 14, 2006 at Autumn Health Care, Rich Square.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete. Hood Funeral Home, Conway, is in charge.

Mamie T. Pugh

NEW HAVEN, CT n Mamie Thompson Pugh, 83, a native of Bertie County, died November 13, 2006 at her residence.

A funeral will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday at Wilder’s Funeral Home Chapel, Aulander. Burial will be in the Thompson family cemetery, Lewiston.

Survivors include her children, Ella Blue, Famous Clark, Elder Starkey Pugh, Winslow Pugh, Jersey Joe Pugh, James A. Pugh, Sebenia Allen and Genia M. Pugh, all of Connecticut, Ruth C. Norwood of Chicago, IL and Richard Pugh of Colerain.

James Lewter

AULANDER n James Thomas Lewter, 54, a native of Hertford County, died November 13, 2006 at his residence.

A funeral will be conducted at 11 a.m. Sunday at Wilder’s Funeral Home Chapel, Aulander. A visitation will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home.

Lewter was a self-employed barber. He was a member of Zion Grove Baptist Church.

Survivors include two sisters, Doris Nixon of Knightdale and Alice Poole of Durham; and two brothers, Henderson Gregory Lewter of Clinton, Md., and William “Billy” Lewter of Hampton, Va.

Irmon Smallwood

ROXOBEL n Irmon Teen “Tina” Smallwood, 53, a native of Bertie County, died November 11, 2006 at her residence.

A funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. Saturday at New Bethlehem Holiness Church, Windsor, by Elder Delton Bush. Burial will be in Hillcrest Cemetery, Windsor. Wilder’s Funeral Home Inc., Aulander, is in charge.

Miss Smallwood was a teacher’s assistant with CADA Headstart. She was a member of New Hope Pentecostal Church, Lewiston.

Survivors include her parents, Lillie and Eddie Thompson of Lewiston; her husband, Augustus “Mickey” Smallwood Jr. of Roxobel; daughters, Lashonda Smallwood and Laquanda Smallwood, both of Roxobel; sons, Augustus Smallwood III and Jermaine Smallwood, both of Roxobel; sisters, Edna Spann of Creswell, Maggie Murphy of Lewiston, Alice Williams of Windsor, Jacqueline Pugh and Annie Thompson, both of Lewiston; brothers, Eddie Thompson of Woodland, David Thompson and Michael Thompson, both of Connecticut and Alvin Thompson of Lewiston; and 10 grandchildren.