Mickey Blackburn
LEXINGTON — James Michael “Mickey” Blackburn, 56, of Vanmar Drive, died Friday (March 1, 2002) at Lexington Memorial Hospital.
Services: 2 p.m. Monday, Davidson Funeral Home, Lexington Chapel, with the Rev. David Shaffer and the Rev. Fred Carlton; burial in Lexington City Cemetery.
Visitation: 6 to 8 tonight at the funeral home.
Samuel L. Collins Jr.
KANNAPOLIS — Samuel Lumpkin Collins Jr., 82, Kannapolis, died Friday (March 1, 2002) at Northeast Medical Center.
Born on May 27, 1919, in Madison County, Ga., he was the son of the late Samuel L. Collins Sr. and Katherine H. Collins.
He was a member of Lakewood Baptist Church where he had served as a deacon, a Sunday school teacher, and an RA leader.
A veteran of World War II, he served in the 80th Infantry Division and saw action in the European Theater with General Patton’s 3rd Army.
Mr. Collins was a salesman with Swinson Food Products and M&T Food Products. He later retired from Cannon Mills. He was a former charter member of the Poston-Perkins VFW Post.
Survivors include: his wife, Mrs. Audrey Woodward Collins; a daughter, Rebecca Collins Larsen, Abingdon, Va: four sons, Steven E. Collins, Kannapolis, Danny A. Collins, Avon, Conn., Timothy S. Collins, Marietta, Ga., Philip A. Collins, Charlotte; and eight grandchildren.
Services: 2:30 p.m. Monday, at Whitley’s Funeral Home Chapel, with the Rev. Robert Howard officiating; burial in Carolina Memorial Park with military graveside rites.
Visitation: 1-2:30 p.m Monday at the funeral home; at other times the family will be at the residence.
Memorials: Oncology Department or Cannon Heart Center, NorthEast Medical Center, 920 Church St. N, Concord, N.C. 28025.
Little Lock Doby
Little Lock Doby, 84, of Salisbury, died Saturday (March 2, 2002)at Rowan Regional Medical Center after five weeks of serious illness.
Born March 20, 1917, in Cabarrus County, he was the son of the late Lock Andrew and Bettie Motley Doby. He attended Rowan County Schools.
Mr. Doby worked for Cannon Mills Plant #7 for 38 years.
He was an active member of Emmanuel Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Ruth Honeycutt Doby, of the home, whom he married December 13, 1941; daughter Jean Doby Bradley, Salisbury; brothers Glenn Doby, Salisbury and Howard H. Doby and Charles Clyde Doby, both of Spencer; and sister Virginia Younts, San Diego, Ca.
Service: 1 p.m. Monday at James C. Lyerly Chapel, conducted by the Rev. Bill Hallman, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church. Burial will be at Rowan Memorial Park.
Visitation: 7 to 8:30 tonight at Lyerly Funeral Home.
Memorials: Emmanuel Baptist Church, 2300 Bringle Ferry Road, Salisbury, NC 28146.
Thomas Lee Jordan
KANNAPOLIS — Thomas Lee Jordan, 68, 1308 Rogers Ave., died Saturday, (March 2, 2002) at NorthEast Medical Center.
Born on May 15, 1933, in Chesterfield County, S.C., he was a son of Mrs. Josie Hancock Jordan and the late D.B. Jordan.
Educated in the Cabarrus County Schools, he was a self-employed carpenter retiring in 1992. Mr. Jordan was a member of Shadybrook Baptist Church, Cannon Memorial Masonic Lodge 626 and was also a Shriner.
Survivors include: his wife of 51 years, Ruth Sigmon Jordan; three daughters, Patricia Goodnight, of Kannapolis; Shirley Beaver, of Liberty and Cindy Barnhardt of Concord; a sister, Frances Nicholson, Kannapolis; and five grandchildren.
Services: 4 p.m. Monday, Whitley’s Funeral Home Chapel, with the Rev. Steve Davis and Dr. Howard Tyas; burial in Carolina Memorial Park with Masonic Graveside rites conducted by Cannon Memorial Lodge.
Visitation: 2:30-4 p.m. Monday, at the funeral home.
Memorials: Kirkwood Presbyterian Church, 900 Klondale Ave., Kannapolis, NC 28081.
Eugene Dewitt Kale
KANNAPOLIS — Eugene Dewitt Kale, 90, 211 W. 21st St., died Saturday (March 2, 2002) at his home. He had been in declining health for several years.
Born on Aug. 7, 1911, in Catawba County, he was a son of the late Dewitt Kale and Hallie Joyner Kale.
Mr. Kale retired in the 1970s from Cannon Mills Plant #1, where he worked for 40 years and was manager of timekeeping in the engineering department.
A member of Trinity United Methodist Church, he had previously served on the administrative board, secretary of the Methodist Mens’ Prayer Group, and a member of the W. J. Bullock Sunday School class.
A resident of the area since 1939, he was a graduate of Charlotte Business College.
Survivors include: his wife, Mary Louise Huskey Kale; a brother, Neil Kale, Statesville, a sister, Beatrice Knight, Catawba; and nephews and nieces.
Services: 3 p.m. today at Whitley’s Funeral Home Chapel, with the Revs. Don Shuman, Bewey Shaver, and David Myers; burial at Carolina Memorial Park.
Visitation: 2 to 3 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Memorials: Trinity United Methodist Church, 416 E. First St., Kannapolis, NC 28083.
Nancy ‘Inez’ Lefler
Nancy “Inez” Coggin Lefler, 88, of the Lutheran Home at Trinity Oaks, died Thursday (Feb. 28, 2002) at the Lutheran Home at Trinity Oaks after a brief illness.
Born Sept. 9, 1913, she was the daughter of the late Tom and Blanch Morgan Coggin. She was educated in the Stanly County Schools.
She had earlier worked for Sears and was later employed as a college house mother for Pfeiffer University and Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Fla.
She was a member of New Bethel Lutheran Church in Richfield.
Her husband, John Payne Lefler, preceded her in death.
The body will be cremated.
Lyerly Funeral Home is serving the Lefler family.
Irene G. Link
KANNAPOLIS — Irene Gregory Link, 86, formerly of 1825 Deal Road, Mooresville, died Saturday (March 2, 2002) at Big Elm Nursing Center.
Whitley’s Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements which are incomplete.
Frances Lee Moore
LITTLE RIVER, SC — Frances Lee Moore, 59, of Little River, SC, died Friday (March 1, 2002) at Loris Community Hospital.
Born Nov. 15, 1942, in Kannapolis, she was the daughter of LaTrelle Fitzpatrick Smith of Kannapolis and the late W.C. Fowler. She was a 1960 graduate of A.L. Brown High School.
She was a Baptist by faith and a homemaker.
She was preceded in death by her husband Thomas “A.O.” Moore.
In addition to her mother, she is survived by sons Pat Moore, Little River, SC and Greg Moore, North Myrtle Beach, SC; daughter, Mona Smith, North Myrtle Beach; brother Jimmy Hester, Rockwell; sister Jenny Dee Smith, Little River, SC; and four grandchildren.
Service: 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at Whitley’s Funeral Home Chapel, conducted by the Rev. Charlie Littlejohn. Burial will be at the VA National Cemetery.
Visitation: 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at Whitley’s Funeral Home.
Memorials: Shadybrook Baptist Church, 1009 Oakwood Ave., Kannapolis, NC 28081 or the American Cancer Society, 500 E. Morehead Street, Charlotte, NC 28202.
Gonnie Morris
Gonnie Matthew Morris, 79, of Salisbury, died Saturday (March 2, 2002), at Genesis Eldercare of Salisbury.
Summersett Funeral home is handling arrangements, which are incomplete.
Giles A. Myers
COOLEEMEE — Giles Anderson Myers, 79, of Center Street died Friday (March 1,2002) at the Veterans Medical Center in Asheville.
He was born in Iredell County, a son of the late Sam and Bethina Campbell Myers.
Mrs. Myers was a member of Cooleemee United Methodist Church, and was employed as a dispatcher for Overnight Trucking Co. He was also a member of VFW Post 1119.
He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Amy Crawford Myers. Other survivors include: a son, John A. Myers, Gloucester, Va.; a sister, Orabell Bowens, of Cooleemee.
Services: 7 p.m. Tuesday, memorial services at Cooleemee United Methodist Church, the Rev. Perry Bradshaw officiating. A private interment will be held at a later date.
Visitation: Family will receive friends at the church one hour prior to the service.
Memorials: Cooleemee United Methodist Church, 34 Main St. Cooleemee, N.C. 27014.
Davie Funeral Service is serving the family.
Harry E. Pickler
NEW LONDON — Harry E. Pickler, 26376 John Road, Olmsted Township, Ohio, formerly of New London, died Friday (March 1, 2002) at the Renaissance.
Services: 2 p.m. Tuesday at Kendalls Baptist Church. Burial will be at the church.
Visitation: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday at Hartsell Funeral Home, Albemarle.
Memorials: Kendalls Baptist Church Building Fund, 32157 Kendalls Church Road, New London, NC 28127.
Dorothy Rebhan
Dorothy Winecoff Rebhan, 81, of Salisbury, died Thursday (Feb. 28, 2002) at Rowan Regional Medical Center after being in declining health for several years.
Born Aug. 12, 1920, in Rowan County, she was the daughter of the late John Robert and Mary Deal Winecoff. She was a graduate of Woodleaf Schools, and received a degree in Elementary Education from Lenoir Rhyne College in 1942.
Mrs. Rebhan taught in Davie, Rowan, Cabarrus and Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools, completing 34 years of teaching at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School in Kannapolis.
She received numerous teaching honors and was nominated in 1973 for national recognition as an Outstanding Elementary Teacher of America.
She was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church and the Eva Peeler Sunday School class. She served as an officer in the Golden Opportunity Club.
Her husband, Joseph Rebhan, preceded her in death on Sept. 23, 1988.
Survivors include daughter, Dottie Rebhan of the home.
Service: A graveside service will be held at 1 p.m. Monday at Rowan Memorial Park, conducted by the Rev. John B. Tucker, associate minister of St. John’s Lutheran Church, the Rev. L. Darrell Norris, minister of Union Lutheran Church, and the Rev. Thomas P. Clements.
Visitation: The family will receive friends following the graveside service and be at the residence other times.
Memorials: St. Jude’s Childrens Research Hospital, PO Box 318, Memphis, TN 29105; St. John’s Lutheran Church, 200 W. Innes St., Salisbury, NC 28144; or the Humane Society of Rowan County, Inc., 112 W. Innes St., Salisbury, NC 28144.
Fred Council Rufty
Fred Council Rufty, 80, of Salisbury, died Friday (March 1, 2002) at Rowan Regional Medical Center after several years of declining health.
Born Sept. 21, 1921, in Salisbury, he was the son of the late Oliver Oscho and Mary Lemly Rufty. He was a graduate of Salisbury High School Class of 1938.
With his family, he operated OO Rufty General Store and was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church.
Mr. Rufty was a veteran of the United States Army during World War II, landing on Omaha Beach on D-Day. He served in the Normandy, Northern France and Rhineland campaigns. He received three Battle Stars, the Presidential Unit Citation, the Meritorious Unit Award and the French Medal Croix-de-Guierre with Palm. He was a member of the 316th munitions company.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Ruth Schenck Rufty on Sept. 11, 2001.
He is survived by his brother Charles William Rufty, Salisbury; sisters Virginia Dare Rufty Deal, China Grove, and Ruth Rufty Patterson, Salisbury; and a number of nieces and nephews.
Services: 11 a.m. Tuesday at St. John’s Lutheran Church, conducted by the Rev. Carl Sachtleben and the Rev. Jennifer Ginn, pastors of St. John’s Lutheran Church.
Visitation: 7 to 8:30 p.m. Monday at Summersett Funeral Home.
Memorials: St. John’s Lutheran Church, 200 W. Innes St., Salisbury, NC 28144.
Dr. C. Foy Sherman
GRANITE QUARRY — Dr. C. Foy Sherman, 79, Granite Quarry, died Thursday (Feb. 28, 2002) at his residence.
Born July 17, 1922, in Polk County, he was the son of the late Jesse E. and Molly Jackson Sherman. He was educated in the Hendersonville Schools. He received his bachelors degree from High Point College and his doctors degree from the UNC School of Dentistry.
He practiced in Granite Quarry from 1957 to 1989.
A member of Shiloh United Methodist Church, he was a former Sunday School Superintendent, former member of the church council and active in all phases of church work.
He was past president of the Granite Quarry Civitans, a member of the American and North Carolina Dental Associations.
Dr. Sherman was preceded in death by his wife, Helen Justice Sherman, on Oct. 5, 1993.
Survivors include sons Mike Sherman of Salisbury and the Rev. Byron Sherman, Whigham, Ga.; seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Service: 11 a.m. Tuesday at the National Cemetery, Railroad Street, conducted by the Rev. Bill Hoyle, pastor of Shiloh United Methodist Church. The body will be cremated.
Visitation: 7 to 8:30 p.m. Monday at Powles Funeral Home.
Memorials: American Diabetes Association, 434 Fayetteville St., #2 Hanover Square Mall Ste. 1600, Raleigh, NC 28601.
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