Salisbury Post Online:  Local news, weather, sports and more!
Serving historic Rowan County, North Carolina since 1905.

MOCKSVILLE — The funeral will be Saturday for Oscar Edwards Beaver, 76, Spring Street, who died Wednesday (Nov. 3, 1999) at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, after several months of declining health.

Born Dec. 31, 1922, in Landis, Mr. Beaver was a son of the late Paul Beaver and Millard Campbell and the late Estelle Adams Campbell. He was a retired truck driver and a member of Mocksville First Presbyterian Church. During World War II, he served in Co. E, 409th Infantry, with the U.S. Army.

Survivors include wife Sylvia Cerny Beaver; sons Clifford Beaver, Redmond, Wash., and Paul Beaver, Mocksville; daughter Mrs. Dick (Jill)Kiser, Mocksville; brothers Marshall Beaver, Myrtle Beach, S.C., James Campbell, Lawsonville, Donald Beaver, Mocksville, Gordon and Edwin Beaver, both of Salisbury, and David Beaver, Cooleemee; sister Mary Frances Johnson,Mocksville; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Services: 11 a.m. Saturday, Eaton Funeral Home Chapel, conducted by the Rev. Neil Carter. Burial, Rose Cemetery.

Visitation: 7-8:30 tonight at the funeral home.

Memorials: First Presbyterian Church, Capital Fund, 261 S. Main St., Mocksville, N.C. 27028.

Bessie Eagle Eller

LANDIS — The funeral will be Saturday for Bessie Eagle Eller, 86, 1010 S. Zion St., who died Wednesday (Nov. 3, 1999) at her home.

Born June 20, 1913, in Richfield, Mrs. Eller was a daughter of the late Adolphus and Nancy Morgan Eller. Educated in the Richfield schools, she had retired as a towel hemmer at Cannon Mills, Kannapolis.

She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, where she was active in the Lucy Lippard Circle. She was a former member of the Landis Women’s Club, the Salisbury-Rowan Rose Society and the Kannapolis YMCA senior citizens group.

Survivors include daughters Peggy E. Bocchino and Joan E. Frye, both of China Grove, and Nancy E. Day, Roxboro; sister Marnie E. Ramseur, Kannapolis; five grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

Services: 11 a.m. Saturday, Colonial Chapel, Linn-Honeycutt Funeral Home,Landis, conducted by the Rev. Graham Nahouse. Burial, West Lawn Memorial Park.

Visitation: 10-10:45 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home. At other times the family will be at the home on South Zion Street.

Memorials: Trinity Lutheran Church, 108 W. Rice St., Landis,N.C. 28066; or Salisbury-Rowan Rose Society, c/o Carolyn Alexander, treasurer, 1908 Meadowbrook Road, Salisbury, N.C. 28144.

Ruby Plyler Funderburk

KANNAPOLIS — Ruby Lee Plyler Funderburk, 79, 720 Pleasant Ave., died Thursday (Nov. 4, 1999) at NorthEast Medical Center, Concord, after a period of declining health.

Born April 10, 1920, in Chesterfield County, S.C., Mrs. Funderburk was a daughter of the late Jim and Mary Aldridge Plyler. She had retired in 1980 due to ill health after 40 years with Cannon Mills, Plant 1, sheet department.

A member of Pleasant Avenue Baptist Church, she was a former president of the women’s auxiliaries and a former Sunday school teacher in the churches where her husband served as pastor.

Her husband, the Rev. Odell Funderburk, died Dec. 19, 1988.

Survivors include daughters Mrs. Tony (Renea)Crumbley and Mrs. Mary (Gaynell “Gay”) Keener, both of Charlotte; brother Vernon Plyler, Salisbury; sisters Barbara Hatley and Elizabeth Casey, both of Charlotte, and Vivian Jean Mills, Kannapolis; and two grandchildren.

Services: 11 a.m. Saturday, Whitley’s Funeral Home, conducted by the Rev. John Jones. Burial, Carolina Memorial Park.

Visitation: 7-9 tonight at the funeral home.

Faye Gillespie

CHINA GROVE — The funeral will be Sunday for Faye Fortune Mull Gillespie, 81, 410 Blackwelder St., who died Wednesday (Nov. 3, 1999) at Rowan Regional Medical Center, Salisbury.

Born April 11, 1918, in Rowan County, Mrs. Gillespie was a daughter of the late Thomas and Bessie TroutmanFortune. Educated in the Rowan County schools, she had retired from ChinaGrove Cotton Mill. She was a member of New Haven Baptist Church.

Her first husband, Floyd Mull, died in 1964, and her second husband, James Gillespie, died in 1996.

Survivors include daughter Linda Mull Townsend, China Grove, with whom she made her home; brothers Frank Fortune, Statesville, and Larry, Bill, Jimmy and Garry Fortune, all of Salisbury; sisters Lillian Hoover, Orangeburg, S.C., and Betty Walton, Salisbury; three grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

Services: 2 p.m. Sunday, Northcrest Chapel, Linn-Honeycutt Funeral Home, China Grove, conducted by the Rev. Delmar Johnson. Burial, 1 p.m., Monday, National Cemetery, Salisbury.

Visitation: 1-1:45 a.m. Sunday at the funeral home. At other times the family will be at the home on Blackwelder Street.

Memorials: Brenner Children’s Hospital, Development Office, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem,N.C. 27157-1021.

Lydia Smith ‘Polly’ Gray

Lydia Smith “Polly” Gray, 90, Carrollton,Ga., formerly of the Redland community of Davie County, died Thursday (Nov. 4, 1999) at Tanner Medical Center, Carrolton, after a period of declining health.

Services: Graveside, 2 p.m. Saturday, Bethlehem United Methodist Church cemetery, Advance.

Visitation: None.

Eaton Funeral Home, Mocksville, is in charge.

Ruth Hampton

WILMINGTON — Ruth Nantz Donaldson Hampton, Wilmington, formerly of Kannapolis, died Friday (Nov. 5, 1999) at the home of daughter Pat Conrad of Wilmington.

Lady’s Funeral Home, Kannapolis, is in charge.

Jennie Ethel Harwood

ALBEMARLE — Jennie Ethel Harwood, 89, 28569 Millingport Road, died Thursday (Nov. 4, 1999) at her home.

Born Feb. 26, 1910, in Stanly County, Miss Harwood was a daughter of the late John Wesley and Eve Alice Hatley Harwood. She had retired as an inspector with Wiscassett Mills after 45 years of service.

She was a member of Salem United Methodist Church and the Church Day Circle and a charter member of the United Methodist Church Women.

She is survived by niece Mrs. Ray (Joan) Bangle, with whom she made her home, and other nieces and nephews.

Services: 4 p.m. Saturday, Salem United Methodist Church, conducted by the Rev. Mark Denton. Burial, church cemetery.

Visitation: 6-8 tonight, Hartsell Funeral Home of Albemarle. At other times, the family will be at the Millingport Road home.

Deanna S. Lingafelt

Deanna S. Lingafelt, 59, Salisbury, died Thursday (Nov. 4, 1999) at her home.

Summersett Funeral Home is in charge.

Theodore R. Norris Jr.

The funeral will be Saturday for Theodore R. Norris Jr., 67, 145 Bethhaven Drive, who died Tuesday (Nov. 2, 1999) at Rowan Regional Medical Center.

Born Jan. 1, 1932, in Rowan County, Mr. Norris was a son of the late Theodore Roosevelt and Ruby Louise Wilks Norris. A graduate of J.C. Price High School, he had retired from Flowers Baking Co. and Collins &Aikman.

A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, he was a member of First Calvary Baptist Church, the Iredell-Rowan Golf Association and McCanless Golf Club.

Survivors include wife Helen Sturdivant Norris; sons Vick Sturdivant, Spencer, Dennis Sturdivant, Salisbury, and Rock Sturdivant, of the home; daughters Linda Gilchrist, Clinton,Md., Carolyn Sturdivant, Kathy Sturdivant and Phyllis Hardin, all of Spencer, and Anita Sturdivant, of the home; sisters Dorothy Woods and Eula Barnett, both of Little Rock, Ark.; 17 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

Services: 1 p.m. Saturday, First Calvary Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. L.E. Brown. Burial, 10 a.m. Monday, National Cemetery,Salisbury. Military rites by Rowan Veterans Council.

Visitation: Noon-1 p.m. Saturday at the church.

Rowan Funeral Service is in charge.

Julian Bennett Smith

ALBEMARLE — Julian Bennett Smith, 77, 3009 Greenwood Park Circle, died Wednesday (Nov. 3, 1999) at Mercy Hospital, Charlotte.

Born March 27, 1922, in Stanly County, Mr. Smith was a son of the late Grover Cleveland and Milie Eugenia Curlee Smith. Educated at Oakboro High School and North Carolina State University, he had retired as a mechanic with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System.

A veteran of the U.S. Marines, he received two Purple Hearts for his service in the Pacific (Saipan and Iwo Jima) during World War II. He was a member of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Mount Pleasant, and the Concord/Cabarrus DAV.

His first wife, Margaret C. Tarlton Smith, preceded him in death.

Survivors include wife Ruth Burris Smith; daughter Mrs. Gene (Gwen) Gardner, Charlotte; brothers Grover C. Smith Jr., Merritt Island, Fla., and Jack Smith, Bristol, Tenn.; sisters Nell Poplin, Albemarle, and Faye Burris and Virginia Honeycutt, both of Oakboro, and Marie Little, Shallotte; a nephew, Robert Burris, of the home; two granddaughters; and one great-granddaughter.

Services: 2 p.m. Saturday, HartsellFuneral Home’s Lefler Memorial Chapel, conducted by the Rev. Rob Roberts. Burial, Cabarrus Memorial Gardens, Concord. Military rites by the DAV.

Visitation: 7-9 tonight at the funeral home. At other times the family will be at the home on Greenwood Park Circle.

Lola Taylor Spry

COOLEEMEE — Lola Taylor Spry, 95, Cooleemee, died Wednesday (Nov. 3, 1999) at Rowan Regional Medical Center, Salisbury, after a brief illness.

Born Sept. 19, 1904, in Rowan County, Mrs. Spry was a daughter of the late Leroy and Julia Evans Taylor. A member of Cooleemee First Baptist Church, she had worked as an inspector with Erwin Mills.

Her husband, Stacy Franklin Spry, died in 1931.

Survivors include daughters Mrs. Orville (Catherine)Morris, North Augusta, S.C., and Mrs. Robert (Ethel) Brooks, with whom she made her home; three grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Services: 2 p.m. Saturday, Eaton Funeral Home Chapel, Mocksville, conducted by the Rev. Shelby Harbour. Burial,Garden of Hope, Rowan Memorial Park, Salisbury.

Visitation: 7-8:30 tonight at the funeral home.

Memorials: Victory Baptist Church, 160 Midway St., Cooleemee, N.C. 27014; or donor’s choice.

Clayton Poteat Freeze

MOORESVILLE — Clayton Poteat Freeze, 86, formerly of N.C. 152 West, died Thursday (Nov. 4, 1999) at Best of Care Rest Home.

Born Oct. 24, 1913, in Rowan County, Mrs. Freeze was a daughter of the late Minnie Karriker and Thomas Edward Poteat. A graduate of Landis High School, she had retired from Cannon Mills. She was also a self-employed seamstress.

She was a life member of Concordia Lutheran Church, where she had served as chairman of the Action Committee and was a member of the Betty Sloop Circle. She was a former member of the Corriher Home Demonstration Club.

She was preceded in death by husband Marvin Taft Freeze.

Survivors include daughters Shelby Karriker, Mooresville, and Sharon Davis, Albemarle; sisters Ethel Alexander, Kannapolis, and Evelyn Farabee, Mooresville; seven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Services: 2 p.m. Saturday, Concordia Lutheran Church, conducted by the Rev. Wayne Sipe. Burial, church cemetery.

Visitation: 7-8:30 tonight, Linn-Honeycutt Funeral Home, China Grove. The rest of the time, the family will be at the home of daughter Shelby Karriker at 315 Deal Road.

Memorials: Concordia Lutheran Church, 185 Concordia Church Road, China Grove, N.C. 28023.

Carl Allen Wallace

CHINA GROVE — The funeral was scheduled for 2:30 p.m. today for Carl Allen Wallace, 86, 620 N. Main St., who died Wednesday (Nov. 3, 1999) at Rowan Regional Medical Center, Salisbury.

Born Sept. 23, 1913, in Rowan County, Mr. Wallace was a son of the late Annie Casper and John Floyd Wallace. Educated in the Rowan County schools, he had retired from Cannon Mills.

A member of the First United Methodist Church for 65 years, he had served on the junior and senior steward boards, the board of trustees and a number of committees, including evangelism, personnel and pastor/parish relations. He was also recording secretary for the Charge Conference.

He was an active member of the Young at Heart Group. He was a former member of the China Grove Zoning Board and a charter member of the China Grove Historical Society.

Survivors include wife Alice Clawson Wallace; daughter Kay Wallace Bullock, Raleigh; sisters Gertrude Steele, Greensboro, Sadie Grace Brown, Lake Tillery, and Catherine Wagoner, Kannapolis; and one grandchild.

Services: 2:30 p.m. today, First United Methodist Church, conducted by Dr. Henry Inman. Burial, West Lawn Memorial Park.

Visitation: 1:30-2:15 p.m. today at the church. Linn-Honeycutt Funeral Home, China Grove, in charge.

Memorials: First United Methodist Church, 110 W. Church St., China Grove, N.C. 28023.