Elmer ‘Jiggs’ Allman

KANNAPOLIS — Elmer William “Jiggs” Allman, 74, 331 Allman Farm Road, died Wednesday (Dec. 19, 2001) at his home after six months of declining health and six weeks of serious illness.

Born Sept. 24, 1927, in Kannapolis, Mr. Allman was a son of the late Earl and Julia Wright Allman. A World War II veteran, he retired from the U.S. Army. He was also a retired truck driver.

He married the former Ethel Marie Hunsucker on March 13, 1947. She died Aug. 1, 1976.

Survivors include daughters Paula Simmons and Gloria Hurley, Albemarle; son Bill Allman, Statesville; sisters Ruby Harrington and Catherine Brotherton, both of Mooresville; brothers Richard Allman, Landis, and Harold and Roy Allman, both of Kannapolis; six grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Services: 2 p.m. Friday, Lady’s Funeral Home chapel, conducted by the Rev. Chris Pethel. Burial,St. Enoch Lutheran Church cemetery.

Visitation: 7-9 tonight at the funeral home. At other times, the family will be at the home on Allman Farm Road.

Memorials: Hospice of Cabarrus County, P.O.Box 1235, Concord, NC 28026-1235.

Condolences may be sent online to www.ladysfuneralhome.com/obituaries.htm .

Ricky C. Blackwelder

ROCKWELL — Ricky Cecil Blackwelder, 39, Rockwell, died Wednesday (Dec. 19, 2001) at his home.

Lyerly Funeral Home, Salisbury, is in charge.

Thomas R. Eller Jr.

Thomas R. Eller Jr., 78, Salisbury, died Wednesday (Dec. 19, 2001) at Rowan Regional Medical Center. He had been in declining health since Oct. 31.

Born Aug. 23, 1923, in Rowan County, Mr. Eller was a son of the late Thomas R. and Mary Eller. Educated in Rowan County schools and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, he served in the U.S. Army during World War II and the Korean War.

A retired attorney, he practiced in Brevard and later in Raleigh. He was a Baptist and a member of VFW Post 3006.

Survivors include wife Claudia Collins Eller, whom he married Jan. 24, 1970; son Justin Eller, Fort Myers, Fla.; daughter Margaret Eller, Charlotte; and three grandchildren.

Services: 11 a.m. Friday, Trading Ford Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. Mike Motley. Burial in family plot in the church cemetery.

Visitation: 10-11 a.m. Friday at the church.

Lyerly Funeral Home is in charge.

Memorials: VFW Post 3006, 1200 Brenner Ave., Salisbury,NC 28144.

Dossie Lee Gibson

ALBEMARLE — Dossie Lee Gibson, 87, 913 Moss Springs Road, died Tuesday (Dec. 18, 2001)at Stanly Memorial Hospital.

Services: 11 a.m. Friday, Hartsell Funeral Home chapel. Burial, Mount Carmel Baptist Church cemetery, Mount Gilead.

Visitation: 6-8 tonight at the funeral home. At other times, the family will be at the home of stepson James Coble, 1202 N.E. Connector.

Memorials: East Albemarle Baptist Church, Fellowship Center, 1510 Moss Springs Road, Albemarle,NC 28001.

Delilah B. Griffin

ALBEMARLE — Delilah Bernice Burleson Griffin, 64, 915 Lowder St., died Tuesday (Dec. 18, 2001) at Britthaven of Piedmont.

Services: 4 p.m. Friday, Hartsell Funeral Home chapel. Burial, Silver Springs Baptist Church cemetery, Norwood.

Visitation: 7-9 tonight at the funeral home. At other times, the family will be at the home on Lowder Street.

Billy Eugene Jones

Billy Eugene Jones, 64, Salisbury, died Wednesday (Dec. 19, 2001) in Kannapolis at the home of a son. He had been in declining health.

Born Aug. 25, 1937, in Rowan County, Mr. Jones, a son of the late F.L. and Etta Johnson Jones, was educated in the Rowan County schools.

A Baptist, he retired as a mobile home service representative.

Survivors include wife Shirley Floyd Jones; six children; brother Bob Jones, Amelia, Va.; sisters Mary Davis, Granite Quarry, and Lorraine Harkey, Salisbury; numerous grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren.

Services: Graveside, 3 today, Rowan Memorial Park, conducted by the Rev. Buddy Hoffner.

Visitation: 1:30-2:30 today, Lyerly Funeral Home.

Martha G. LaFevers

The funeral will be Saturday for Martha Kaye Griffin LaFevers, 60, Salisbury, who died Monday (Dec. 17, 2001) at Rowan Regional Medical Center after seven weeks of serious illness.

Born April 11, 1941, in Cabarrus County, Mrs. LaFevers was a daughter of Myrtle McManus Griffin, Kannapolis, and the late Cecil Griffin. She was educated in the Cabarrus County schools and was a graduate of Wake Forest University.

An officer with JKL Ltd., Salisbury, she was an active member of Stallings Memorial Baptist Church and a church hostess.

Survivors, in addition to her mother, include husband of 38 years James “Jim” David LaFevers; son James David LaFevers Jr., Kannapolis; daughters Kelly LaFevers Mathis, Winston-Salem, and Zoe LaFevers Biller, Harrisburg; brothers John L. Griffin, Charlotte, and James “Butch” Griffin, Mooresville; sister Nancy Clay, Concord; and seven grandchildren.

Services: Memorial, 3 p.m. Saturday, Stallings Memorial Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. Robert Heard, interim pastor, and the Rev. Mark Anders, former pastor. The body will be cremated.

Visitation: The family will receive friends at the home from 7-8:30 p.m. Friday and on Saturday after the memorial service at the church.

Lyerly Funeral Home is in charge.

Memorials: Stallings Memorial Baptist Church, 817 S. Main St., Salisbury,NC 28144.

Mildred Medley

CHINA GROVE — Mildred Medley, 83, 57 Central Ave., died Wednesday (Dec. 19, 2001) at her home.

Linn-Honeycutt Funeral Home, China Grove, is in charge.

Betty Winkler Moir

Betty Ruth Winkler Moir, 75, Wake Drive, died Wednesday (Dec. 19, 2001) at her home.

Born April 6, 1926, in Boone, Mrs. Moir was a daughter of the late William Ralph and Effie Vance Winkler. She attended Boone High School, Miami Senior High School, Appalachian State University and Eastern Kentucky University.

Early in life she worked for Pan American Airlines in Miami,Fla., and was later a secretary for the superintendent of the Mount Airy City Schools. She was a member of First Baptist Church and actively supported Catawba College and her husband’s coaching career with Catawba College basketball.

Survivors include husband Sam A. Moir, whom she married Nov. 27, 1946; sons Dr. Ron Moir, Morganton, and Mike Moir, China Grove; brother Bill Winkler, Boone; sisters Marveth Fidler, Boone, Carolyn Congleton, Barbourville, Ky., and Mary Sue Smith, Raleigh; and four grandchildren.

Services: 11 a.m. Friday, Omwake-Dearborn Chapel, Catawba College, conducted by the Rev. Dr. Kenneth Clapp, Catawba College chaplain, and the Rev. Dr. Dale Steele, pastor, First Baptist Church. Salisbury Civitan Club, Catawba coaches and former players and staff will be seated as a group at the chapel. Burial, Rowan Memorial Park.

Visitation: 7-9 tonight, Summersett Funeral Home.

Memorials: Moir Endowed Scholarship, Catawba College, 2300 W. Innes St., Salisbury,NC 28144; or First Baptist Church, 223 N. Fulton St., Salisbury,NC 28144.

Rev. Royace W. Myers

TROUTMAN — The Rev. Royace William Myers, 75, 329 Talley St., died Monday (Dec. 17, 2001) at Forsyth Medical Center, Winston-Salem, after a brief illness. He retired as the pastor of St. John AME Zion Church, Mocksville, in June 1999.

Services: 1:30 p.m. Friday, Little Joe’s Presbyterian Church. Burial, Veterans Plot at Belmont Cemetery.

Visitation: 1-1:30 p.m. Friday at the church. At other times, the family will be at the home on Talley Street.

Rutledge and Bigham Mortuary, Statesville, is in charge.

William ‘Dickie’ Phifer

William “Dickie” Phifer, 56, 74 West 92nd St., Manhattan, N.Y., recently died at St. Luke’s Hospital in New York City.

Born Jan. 23, 1945, in Salisbury, Mr. Phifer, a son of the late Allen and Elizabeth Hayes Phifer, attended R.A. Clement High School, Cleveland. He was a retired construction worker.

Survivors include sons Eddie Allen Phifer, Salisbury, and Scan “Hines”Phifer, Manhattan, N.Y.; daughter Tammy Phifer Tyson, Charlotte; brother Willie Hayes, Salisbury; sisters Dianne Phifer Pruitt and Dori Turner Manning, both of Salisbury; and nine grandchildren.

Funeral services were held Dec. 13 at Lance Funeral Home Inc., in New York City.

Albert L. ‘Poppy’ Renn

The funeral will be Saturday for Albert L. “Poppy” Renn, 73, Salisbury, who died Wednesday (Dec. 19, 2001) at his home.

Born April 21, 1928, in Helfenstein, Pa., Mr. Renn, a son of the late Joel and Laura Eister Renn, was a graduate of Shamokin, Pa., High School.

He retired in 1985 from Bethlehem Steel Co., Bethlehem, Pa., after 35 years. A member of Milford Hills United Methodist Church, he was in the Golden Rule Sunday School Class and a member of the United Methodist Men, the Milford Hills United Methodist Church Choir and the board of trustees. He was also a member of Salisbury Optimist Club.

Survivors include wife Kathleen Renn, whom he married July 19, 1958; sons Paul L. Renn, Salisbury, and Albert R. Renn, Allentown,Pa.; daughters Michelle R. Johnson, Nazareth,Pa., and Laura Ann Renn, Elverson,Pa.; brother Isaac Renn, Tonawanda, N.Y.; sisters Florence Summers,Elizabethtown,Pa., and Mildred Lanker, Herndon, Pa.; and five grandchildren.

Services: 11 a.m. Saturday, Milford Hill United Methodist Church, conducted by the Rev. Neill Shaw. The body will be placed in the church at 10:30. Burial,Rowan Memorial Park.

Visitation: 7-8:30 p.m. Friday, Summersett Funeral Home.

Memorials:Milford Hills United Methodist Church, Beam Fund, 1630 Statesville Blvd., Salisbury, NC 28144.

Donna Helms Starnes

Donna Odessa Helms Starnes, 78, 613 Vermont Ave., Apt. B, Nashville, Tenn., died Wednesday (Dec. 19, 2001) at St. Thomas Hospital, Nashville, Tenn. She was a native of Stanly County.

Services: 2 p.m. Sunday, Hartsell Funeral Home chapel, Albemarle. Burial, Salem United Methodist Church cemetery, Albemarle.

Visitation:7-9 p.m. Saturday at the funeral. At other times, the family will be the home of granddaughter Cathy Gentry, 48971 Lion’s Club Road, Misenheimer.

R.L. Young

LEXINGTON — Robert Lemuel “R.L.” Young, 81, Lake Drive, Welcome community, died Wednesday (Dec. 18, 2001) at Silas Creek Manor, Winston-Salem.

Services: 2 p.m. Friday, First Baptist Church, Welcome. Burial, church cemetery.

Visitation: 6-8 tonight at Davidson Funeral Home. At other times, the family will be at the home on Lake Drive.

Memorials: First Baptist Church, Building Fund, 404 Welcome-Arcadia Road, Lexington, NC 27295.