AHOSKIE n Marie Thompson Willoughby, 86, of the 200 block of Willoughby Road, died Thursday, March 9, 2008, in her home.

Mrs. Willoughby was born in Bertie County, a daughter of the late William Henry and Eva Marie Harrell Thompson.  She was a member of Brantley’s Grove Baptist Church and had retired as a sales clerk from Roses Stores.  She was the widow of Archie Lee Willoughby.

Left to cherish her memory is a son, Alton Willoughby and wife, Patricia of Woodland, NC; a grandson, Adam Willoughby and fianc\u00E9e, Christine Bolin of Lexington, KY; a great granddaughter, Elizabeth Willoughby; a sister, Viola Askew of Ahoskie; and a brother, John S. Thompson of Chesapeake, VA.

A graveside celebration of life service was held at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 9, 2008, at Highland Memorial Gardens, with the Rev. Ronald McSwain officiating.  Flowers are welcome or memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, 930B Wellness Drive, Greenville, NC, 27834.

Garrett Funeral Home n Ashley Chapel served the Willoughby family.

Delphine G. Jones

SUFFOLK – Laura Etta Delphine Gatling Jones, 70, died March 7, 2008.

A funeral will be at held at 1 p.m. Tuesday in St. John AME Zion Church, Sunbury. Stallings Funeral Chapel, Gatesville, is in charge.

Irene Evans Quinn

CARY – Irene Evans Quinn, 81, a native of Bertie County, died March 7, 2008. She was the widow of Raymond B. Quinn.

Mrs. Quinn was a member of the Silver Threads, Raleigh Quilt Guild, Raleigh Daylily Club, and Raleigh BYB Group. She was also a Sears retiree.

Survivors include her son, Raymond B. Quinn, Jr. of Fuquay-Varina; a brother, Charles Evans of Garner; two sisters, Doris Harrell and Jane White, both of Windsor.

A funeral service was conducted Sunday at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, Cary, by the

Rev. George Megill and Rev. Johnnie Wright. Burial will take place at Raleigh National Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials to The Center for Volunteer Caregiving, 975 Walnut St., Ste. 311, Cary, NC, 27511 or Westover United Methodist Church, 300 Powell Dr., Raleigh, NC, 27606 are welcome. Condolences may be sent to the family through www.brownwynne.com

Carlise J. Davenport

WASHINGTON, D.C. n Carlise James Davenport, 71, a native of Hertford County, died March 8, 2008 at her residence.

A funeral will be conducted at 2 p.m. Saturday at Pleasant Plains Baptist Church by the Rev. Richardson. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Hertford County Undertakers, Winton, is in charge.

Survivors include four sons, Michael Davenport and Von Charles Davenport, both of Mitchellville, Clifford Davenport of Silver Spring and Charles M. Davenport III of Thurmont; one daughter, Carla Davenport of Clinton; one brother, Samuel James of Silver Spring; two sisters, Lynell Eure of Ahoskie and Lorraine Stith of Durham; and eight grandchildren.

Pastor Jerline Wiggins

LEWISTON n Pastor Jerline Wiggins, died March 10, 2008 at Tar River Inn Nursing Home, Greenville.

A funeral will be conducted Saturday at 11 a.m. at St. Luke Healing Temple, Lewiston by Elder Patrick Walton. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Reynolds Funeral Home, Inc., Ahoskie, is in charge.

Mrs. Wiggins was the founder and pastor of St. Luke Healing Temple, Lewiston. “She was a great Humanitarian with Community Outreach Ministry.”

Survivors include her husband, Joseph Wiggins of Ahoskie; one daughter, Diane Walton of Lewiston; three sisters, Fannie Mae Wiggins, Catherine Watson and Albina Watson, all of Lewiston; two grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

The R-C News-Herald Obituaries for March 11, 2008

Lisa Mariano

ENFIELD n Lisa Mariano, 39, died March 5, 2008 at UNC Hospital, Chapel Hill.

A funeral will be conducted at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Chapel of H.D. Pope Funeral Home. A visitation will be held one hour prior to funeral services from 10-11 a.m. by the Rev. Danny B. Jones. Condolences may be sent to: www.hdpopefuneralhome.com.

Ida Newell

ROANOKE RAPIDS n Ida Newell, 88, died March 7, 2008 at Guardian Care of Roanoke Rapids.

A funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Simmons Grove Baptist Church, Roanoke Rapids, by the Rev. Melvin Davis. A visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday in the chapel of H.D. Pope Funeral Home, Roanoke Rapids. Interment will be in Simmons Grove Baptist Church.

Mary Hassell

COLERAIN — Mary Elizabeth Brown Hassell, 90 died March 6, 2008 at Roanoke Cowan Hospital.

She was the 7th of 9 children born to Archie and Dare Brown, in Jamesville, NC. She was a member of Riverside Baptist Church, past Worthy Matron of the Harrellsville chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star, and was very active in her church and community. Besides her parents she was predeceased by her husband U.S. Hassell.

Left to cherish her memory are two sons; Butch Hassell and wife Sandra, Ahoskie, NC., Frank Hassell and wife Jane, Wilmington, NC., a sister; Margie Griffin, Williamston, NC., two granddaughters; Beth Hassell, Ahoskie, NC., and Rebecca Hassell, Gaines-ville, FL., and numerous nieces and nephews.

A celebration of Life memorial service was held at 2:00 PM, Sunday, March 9, 2008 at Riverside Baptist Church NC Highway 45, Merry Hill, NC.

The family received friends at the Hassell home, and flowers were welcome or donations to University Health Systems Hospice Care, P.O. Box 272, Ahoskie, NC. 27910

Garrett Funeral Home Ashley Chapel 205 NC High-way 42 West, Ahoskie, NC, served the Hassell family.

Irene Bryant

POTECASI – Irene Brantley Bryant, 94, a native of Bertie County, died March 9, 2008 at

Rich Square Health Center. She was the widow of Jessie Herbert Bryant.

Mrs. Bryant worked at Mylcraft for twenty-seven years retiring at the age of seventy-five.

Survivors include three daughters, Mary Katherine “Kathy” White of Windsor, Brenda B. West of Rocky Mount and Diane B. James of Greensboro; five grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

A funeral will be conducted at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the chapel of Sykes Funeral Service, Rich Square, the the Rev. Curtis Pixler. Interment will be in the Cedar Lawn Cemetery in Rich Square. The family will receive friends at Sykes Funeral Service in Rich Square on Tuesday evening from 7-8:30 P.M.

Minnie Louise Parker Creech

Minnie Louise Parker Creech, 89, died Sunday, March 9, 2008.

“Mama Lou” was an active community leader and volunteer, who was the wife of the late Victor Herman Creech, Jr.

She was the daughter of the late Minnie Louise Williamson Parker and Charles Walter Parker of Ahoskie, NC.

A celebration of her life will be held at Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church in Tarboro, NC at 3:00 pm Wednesday, March 12, 2008.

She was an elder of Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church, Moderator of New Hope Presbytery, President of

Presbyterian Women of Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church, North Carolina, and the Synod.

She received Honorary Member of New Hope Presbytery and Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church.

Her active involvements in the church lead her to service and leadership both locally and statewide.

She served as both State President and District President of

NC Federation of Women’s Club.

She was a member of the Board of the National Federation of Women’s Clubs.

She was a charter member of the Tarboro Women’s Club.

While serving as President in 1980-81, she was instrumental in raising funds for the renovations of the historic Blount- Bridges House and served as President of the Blount-Bridgers Foundation.

In 1976 she served as Chairman of the Edgecombe County Bicentennial Commission.

Her work with the Commission was the foundation of her interest in the NC Symphony.

She was the founder and first President of the Edgecombe County Chapter of the North Carolina Symphony.

This resulted in annual concerts in Tarboro, including special concerts for the county’s schoolchildren.

The Town of Tarboro honored her for her life long contributions to this community by proclaiming December 3, 2004 as “Minnie Lou Creech Day.”

She also served as the Co-Chair of the NC State Symphony Ball.

She served on the NC Arts Society Board, Elizabeth II Commission,

and was a President of the Tarboro Arts Commission.

She was the first female Vice-President of the State Young Democratic Party,

and also served as President of Edgecombe County Democratic Party.

Her passionate interest in education lead her to become a member of the Alumni Board of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she graduated in 1939.

She is survived by children, Minnie Lou C. Long and husband, Jim of Kaneohe, Hawaii; Victor H. Creech, III and wife, Kathryn of Greenwich, Conn; Linda C. Jenkins and

husband, Charles of Tarboro; Charles Parker Creech of Raleigh; and Aldene “Dee” Creech Osborne and husband John of New Vernon, New Jersey. She is also survived by

10 grandchildren:

Peter J. Long, III and Vicki L. Landenburger and husband, Glen of Hawaii; C. Randall Jenkins and wife, Amy of Greensboro; Elizabeth J. Sessoms and husband, Greg of Tarboro; Kathryn Parker Creech and Margaret Louise Creech of Greenwich, Conn.; Elizabeth L. Bowman and husband Frank of Wake Forest;

John G. Matthewson of Charleston, SC; Paige and Drew Osborne of New Vernon, NJ.

She is also survived by 6 great grandchildren, JT and Josh Landenburger; Andrew and Mary Liza Sessoms; and Parker and Kennedy Bowman.

Her only brother Charles Walter Parker, Jr and his wife, Sophie live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The family will receive friends Tuesday, March 11, 2008 from 7 p.m. n 9 p.m. at Carlisle Funeral Home in Tarboro, and at others time at the home of Linda and Charles Jenkins, 701 Salem Lane, Tarboro.

Burial will be at Greenwood Cemetery.

Flowers are welcome or memorials may be made to the VH Creech Fund at Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church, 303 E. St. James Street, Tarboro, NC 27886.

On-line condolences may be sent to Carlisle Funeral Home at www.carlislefuneralhome.com