Velma H. Francis

AULANDER – Velma Hughes Francis, 88, of the 800 block of St. John- Millennium Road, died October 31, 2007 at Bertie Memorial Hospital.

She was a native Bertie County, NC, a daughter of the late Clayton and Addie Perry Hughes, a member of Oak Grover Baptist Church, a retired presser for Ahoskie Manufacturing Company, and was the widow of Carol Gray Francis.

Left to cherries her memory is her daughter, Sharon Francis Phelps and husband Ronnie, Coinjock, NC; two sisters; Jane Barmer, Aulander, NC; Sue Strogis, West Palm Beach, FL.; one grandson; Marcus Carol Phelps and wife Karen, Chesapeake, VA.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held 2:00 P.M. Saturday November 3, 2007 at Garrett Funeral Home, 205 NC Highway 42 West Ahoskie, NC., with Rev. Bob Skeens officiating. Burial will be in Ahoskie Cemetery.

The family received friends at the Funeral Home from 7-8:30 P.M. Friday. Memorial donations may be made to Oak Grove Baptist Church Building Fund, 1437 Highway 11 South, Aulander, NC. 27805.

Garrett Funeral Home is serving the Francis Family.

Joseph Ausby Sr.

ROANOKE RAPIDS n Joseph Ausby Sr., died October 29, 2007 at Halifax Regional Medical Center.

A memorial service was conducted Friday at the Roanoke Rapids Chapel of H.D. Pope Funeral Home.

Bernetta Faison

ROCKY MOUNT n Bernetta Faison, died October 29, 2007 at Nash General Hospital.

A visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday in the Chapel of H.D. Pope Funeral Home, Rocky Mount.

Harvie L. Walton Sr.

EDENTON – Harvie Lee &uot;Mr. BoBo&uot; Walton Sr., 75, died October 29, 2007.

A funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. Saturday in Blanchard Grove Missionary Baptist Church, Gates County. Rowsom Funeral Home is in charge.

Hazel H. Gleeton

PORTSMOUTH, Va. – Hazel H. Gleeton, 92, a native of Garysburg, died October 28, 2007 in Bell’s Assistant Living Home, Portsmouth. She was the widow of William Gleeton.

Mrs. Gleeton was a member of Third Baptist Church, Portsmouth, where she was a member of the Lydia Club.

Survivors include two daughters, Roberta Phillips and Shirley Brauer; a brother, Jonie Harris; four grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

A funeral will be conducted at 10 a.m. Saturday in Third Baptist Church, Portsmouth, by the Rev. Joe B. Fleming. Burial will be in Lincoln Memorial Cemetery, Suitland, Md. Corprew Funeral Home, Portsmouth, is in charge. The body will be taken to the church at 9 a.m. Saturday. The body will be taken to Marshall Funeral Home in Washington, D.C., where a funeral will be held Monday at 10 a.m. in Israel Baptist Church, 1251 Saratoga Ave., Washington, D.C., by the Rev. Morris Shearin.

Walter W. Yates Jr.

WINTON n Walter William Yates Jr., 51, a native of Suffolk, Va., died October 30, 2007 at Va. Medical Center.

A funeral will be conducted at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Nebo Baptist Church, Murfreesboro, by the Rev. Tommie Futrell. Burial will be in Howell Collins Cemetery, Suffolk. Hertford County Undertakers, Winton, is in charge.

Survivors include his wife, Deborah Yates of Winton; his mother, Velma Yates of Toppings; a son, Trinard Bailey of Maryland; two daughters, Larosa Yates of Sumper, SC, and Trina Bailey of Chesapeake; a stepson, Deshon A. White of Winton; sisters, Isabell Morings of Suffolk and Vanessa Bonner of Windsor, Va.; and three grandchildren.

Bernice L. Eason

AHOSKIE – Bernice L. Eason, 84, died November 2, 2007 at Potomac General Hospital, Woodbridge, VA.

Services are incomplete at this time. Hunter’s Funeral Home, Inc., Ahoskie is in charge. Condolences may be sent to www.huntersfuneralhome.com.

Willie D. Powell

AULANDER n Willie David Powell, died November 1, 2007 at University of NC Hospital, Chapel Hill.

A funeral will be conducted at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Charity Temple Ministries, Aulander, by Bishop James Clark. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Reynolds Funeral Home, Inc., Ahoskie, is in charge.

Survivors include his wife, Millie Powell of Aulander; one son, Tyrone Powell of Aulander; two daughters, Katrina Bell of Kelford and Carla Ingram of Jacksonville; his parent, Beaulah Williams Powell of Windsor; two brothers, John Powell of Mt. Vernon, NY and Fredrick Powell of Hephzibah, Ga.; two sisters, Shelby Goodwine of New York and Jessie Fields of Brooklyn; and three grandchildren.

Emma J. Avent

ROCKY MOUNT n Emma Jean Avent, died October 30, 2007 at Nash General Hospital.

A visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday at the chapel of H.D. Pope Funeral Home, Rocky Mount.

Russell Thompson

WINDSOR n Russell Warner Thompson, a native of Mt. Olive, died October 29, 2007 at Bertie Memorial Hospital.

Survivors include his wife, Fannie Thompson; children, Georgia Lanier of Lewiston, Linda Raynor of Hamilton, Michael Thompson of Lewiston, Sandy Lassiter of Hampton, VA, Trevelyn Cale of Greenville, Wayne Thompson of Lewiston, and Charles Sellars of Goldsboro; an adopted sister, Glennette Thompson of Baltimore, MD; 14 grandchildren;

and seven great-grandchildren.

Thompson retired from Weyerhaeuser Company as a truck driver. He was a member of St. Luke Pentecostal Holiness Church.

A funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. Saturday at St. Luke Healing Temple, Lewiston, by Overseer Luther Cherry. Burial will be in the Cherry family cemetery. Cherry Funeral Home is in charge.