Roster Freeman

WINDSOR n Roster Freeman, 75, died February 4 2007 at Guardian Care Home Health Center, Ahoskie.

A funeral will be conducted at 2 p.m. Friday at Sandy Point Missionary Baptist Church, Windsor. A visitation will be held from 7-8 p.m. Friday at Gilliam Funeral Home Chapel, Windsor. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Johnnie McNair

BROOKLYN, NY n Johnnie Herman McNair, died February 3, 2007 at Brookdale Hospital, Brooklyn.

A funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. Saturday at Long Ridge Baptist Church, Plymouth. A wake will be held from 7-8 p.m. Friday at the church. Burial will be in the G.W. McNair Memorial Gardens, Plymouth. Gilliam Funeral Home, Windsor, is in charge.

Survivors include three daughters, Jonette Bostick, Suzette McNair and Charmaine McNair, all of Brooklyn; two stepdaughters, Regina Huggins and Diane White; his mother, Ethel Lee Belcher McNair of Plymouth; three brothers, William, Eddie and Jocephus McNair, nine sisters, Rosey White, Carrie Johnson, Delores Wright, Tina McNair, Yvonne Hammond, Sherlene McNair, Merlene Burnett, Wanda McNair and Vernice Bailey; 12 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Esther Allen

WINDSOR n Esther A. Allen, 90, died February 3, 2007 in Williamston.

A funeral was conducted Wednesday at Saint Francis Missionary Baptist Church, Windsor. Burial was in the Bond family cemetery. Gilliam Funeral Home was in charge.

Clara Long

RICH SQUARE n Clara Long, 84, a native of Northampton County, died February 2, 2007 at Roanoke-Chowan Hospital.

Survivors include two sons, Thomas Long of New Jersey and Clint Long of Potecasi; three daughters, Eunice Stokely of Norfolk, Va., Rosetta Fennell of Aulander and Clara White of Norfolk; one brother, Willie Roger of Chesapeake, Va.; 22 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; and 27 great-great-grandchildren.

A funeral will be conducted at 2 p.m. Saturday at Nebo Baptist Church, Murfreesboro, by the Rev. Roy Faison. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Hertford County Undertakers, Winton, is in charge.

James Meade Jr.

ROCKY MOUNT – James Jerome &uot;Jimmy&uot; Meade, Jr., a native of Northampton County, died February 4, 2007.

Meade during World War II, was a civilian employee at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro. He retired as parts manager from Tom Bailey Motors of Rocky Mount in 1981. Meade was an active member, former Sunday School Teacher and Deacon in the Nashville Baptist Church. He was a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason and past Master of the Morning Star Masonic Lodge in Nashville where he was recognized for more than 50 years of membership and a Master Mason in 2002. He was a member and past Worthy Patron of the Order of the Eastern Star. He served as Nashville coordinator for Meals on Wheels for several years until 2006, due to declining health.

Survivors include his wife, Viola Bennett Meade; daughters, Joan M. Sykes of Rocky Mount, and Carolyn M. Vick of Dortches; sister, Marion M. Houle of Battle Ground, WA; brother, Aubrey L. Meade, Sr. of Lake Royale; grandsons; and a granddaughter.

A funeral service was conducted Wednesday at Nashville Baptist Church, in Nashville with Dr. Norman Mitchell and Rev. Dougald McLaurin. Burial followed at Forest Hill Cemetery, Nashville.Wheeler & Woodlief Funeral Home was in charge.

Joanna C. Thomas

PORTSMOUTH, Va. – Joanna C. Thomas, 67, a native of Severn, died February 3, 2007, in Maryview Medical Center.

Mrs. Thomas was formerly employed with Pines Treatment Center’s environmental service. She was a member of Noble Street Baptist Church, Portsmouth, its Female Usher Board, Sunday school and Wednesday Night Bible Class.

Survivors include her husband, Clyde Thomas; three daughters, Angela Sanders, Valencia Jones and Joyce West; two sons, Clyde A. Thomas and the Rev. Bernard Thomas; her mother, Byrdell Branch; stepmother, Lola B. Lassiter; three sisters, Madeline Dawson, Sandra Tynes and Doneva Jones; four brothers, Joseph Branch, Dr. Curtis Branch, Timothy Branch and Dennis Lassiter; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

A funeral will be conducted at 11 a.m. Thursday in Noble Street Baptist Church, Portsmouth, by the Rev. Henry Jones. Burial will be in Roosevelt Memorial Park, Chesapeake. Fisher Funeral Home, 1520 Effingham St., Portsmouth, is in charge. The family will be at the residence. Condolences may be offered at www.fisherfuneral.com.

Lillian Parker Caris

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Lillian Parker &uot;Billie&uot; Caris, 81, a native of Gates County, died January 29, 2007, in Richmond. She was the widow of Roy Clifton Caris.

Survivors include twin daughters, Barbra Roy Caris and Brenda Joy Caris of Richmond; a son, Gerald Randolph &uot;Jerry&uot; Caris of Norfolk; three grandchildren; a great-grandson; two brothers, Deward M. &uot;Smut&uot; Parker of Edenton and H. Douglas Parker of Winton; and two sisters, Shirley P. Dekema of La Jolla, Calif., and Peggy P. Hampton of Edenton.

Mrs. Caris graduated from Murfreesboro High School in 1942 and attended Chowan College. She trained as a nurse in South Carolina during World War II and worked for a Norfolk bank prior to marriage. She retired from the finance department for the City of Virginia Beach.

Memorial services will be held at H.D. Oliver Funeral Apartments Inc., Norfolk Chapel, 1501 Colonial Ave., Norfolk, VA 23517 (757) 622-7353 Saturday at 11 a.m. Memorial gifts may be made to Cool Springs Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, 460 US Hwy. 13S, Eure, NC 27935.

Theoria L. Boone

CONYERS, GA n Theoria Lewis Boone, 83, a native of Hertford County, died February 5, 2007 at her residence.

She was a member of Jerusalem Baptist Church in Woodland.

She retired from the Department of Transportation in Washington, DC as a secretary.

Survivors include one daughter, Alyce Macfadden of Washington; three grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

A graveside service will be conducted at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Boone family cemetery. Hunter’s Funeral Home, Inc. n Ahoskie is handling services.

Everette Costen

SUNBURY n Everette Russell Costen, 91, a native of Gates County, died February 6, 2007 at Albemarle Hospital.

Survivors include a daughter, Felicical Baker of McDonough, Ga.; two grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

A funeral will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. John AME Zion, Sunbury, by the Rev. Buck. Burial will follow at Drake Memorial. A viewing will be held from 2 to 8 p.m. Friday at Hertford County Undertakers, Gates Chapel, Sunbury.

Albert Artis

COFIELD n Albert Artis, 66, a native of Hertford County, died February 3, 2007 at Pitt Memorial Hospital, Greenville.

A funeral will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday at New Harrellsville Chapel Baptist Church by the Rev. W. Robert Ashe Sr. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Wilder’s Funeral Home, Inc., Aulander, is in charge.

Artis was a long shoreman with Merchant Marines. He was a member of New Harrellsville Chapel Baptist Church.

Survivors include two daughters, Cheryl Hill of Ellenwood, GA and Patrice Archer of New Jersey; brothers, Oliver Artis and Zeb Artis Jr., both of Norfolk, Va., Robert Artis and John Thomas Artis, both of Ahoskie; sisters, Gloria Ashe of Harrellsville, Nora Mae Artis of Cofield, Otelia Artis Perry of Virginia Beach and Annie Barnes of Newsoms; and three grandchildren.

Shady Smallwood Jr.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. n Shady Smallwood Jr., 54, a native of Bertie County, died February 5, 2007 at Mary Immaculate Hospital.

A funeral will be conducted at 2 p.m. Saturday at Mt. Ararat Baptist Church, Windsor, by the Rev. Richard Mims. Burial will be in the Watson family cemetery. Wilder’s Funeral Home, Inc., Aulander, is in charge.

Smallwood worked as a custodian at the VA Hospital. He was a member of Mt. Ararat Baptist Church. He was also a veteran of the US Army.

Survivors include one daughter, Lakisha Renee Peterson of New Haven, CT; one son, Shaun Travis Smallwood of New Haven; brothers, Daniel Spencer of Glouster, Tommy Wayne Smallwood and Nelson Smallwood, both of Newport News, Roosevelt Smallwood of Ahoskie and Jimmy Smallwood of Hamden; sisters, Marie Spivey, Helen James, Evelyn Obnynnia, all of New Haven; and one grandchild.

Sherry Ballentine

CLERMONT, FL n Sherry Davis Ballentine, 40, a native of Roanoke Rapids, died February 3, 2007.

A funeral was conducted Wednesday at the Family Christian Center, Clermont, by Pastor Rick Van Wagner.

A funeral will be conducted at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Galatia Baptist Church, Seaboard, by the Rev. David Foster.

Interment will be in Jackson Cemetery, Jackson. The family will receive friends one hour prior to service on Saturday. Rather than flowers, the family graciously requests memorial contributions to a fund for the education of her sons, Bryan and Daniel. Florida funeral arrangements were handled by Becker Family Funeral Home and Massey Funeral Home, Jackson, is handling local arrangements. Condolences may be sent to the family at masseyfuneralhm@aol.com.

Mrs. Ballentine was an interior decorator. She was a member of Family Christian Center.

Survivors include her sons, Bryan and Daniel Ballentine; her parents, Horace and Frances Davis of Lakeland; and her sister, Ellen Bunner of St. Petersburg.