Joe Dickey Cowan Joe Dickey Cowan,
73, 116 Hemlock Drive, died Sunday (Oct. 3, 1999) at N.C. Baptist Hospital, Winston-Salem,
after one year of declining health and three weeks of serious illness.
Born May 30, 1926, in Rowan County, Mr. Cowan was
a son of the late Cora Fisher and Ed Cowan. A graduate of J.C. Price High School, he had
retired from Bendix Industries and J.C. Penney. A member of Henderson Grove Baptist
Church, he sang in the choir and was a member of the trustee board. He was a veteran of
the U.S. Air Force.
His wife, Grethen Dixon Cowan, died Nov. 28, 1988.
Survivors include sons Michael Cowan, Salisbury,
Joseph Dickey Cowan Jr., Washington, D.C., and Richard Anthony Cowan, Oxon Hill, Md.;
sister Linnie Hunter, Salisbury; 18 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Services:1 p.m. Saturday, Henderson Grove Baptist
Church, conducted by the Rev. J.L. Stowe. Burial, church cemetery, with military rites by
Salisbury Rowan Veterans Council.
Visitation: Noon Saturday, Henderson Grove Baptist
Church.
Lillian James Bentley
KANNAPOLIS - Lillian Christine James Bentley, 83,
Big Elm Nursing Center, died Wednesday (Oct. 6, 1999) at the center after five years of
declining health and two weeks of serious illness.
Born May 1, 1916, in Alexander County, Mrs.
Bentley was a daughter of the late Mary Linnie Dowell and Thomas Larkin James. She had
retired from the set department at Cannon Mills.
Her husband, Charlie Willard Bentley, preceded her
in death.
Survivors include sons Fred R. and Ted Bentley,
both of Kannapolis; sisters Mollie Cannon, Willie Virginia Little and Mary Lou Hawkins,
all of Kannapolis, and Edna Bumgarner, Landis; six grandchildren; nine
great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
Services:4 p.m. Friday, Cornerstone Baptist
Church, conducted by the Rev. Steve Sexton. Burial, Carolina Memorial Park, Kannapolis.
Visitation:2:30-3:30 p.m. Friday, Whitley’s
Funeral Home.
Memorials:Alzheimer’s Support Group, c/o Life
Center Inc., 731 Union St. South, Concord, N.C. 28025.
Vicky Diane Buchanan
Vicky Diane Buchanan, 43, of Salisbury, died
Tuesday (Oct. 5, 1999) at Rowan Regional Medical Center, Salisbury, after one year of
declining health and three weeks of serious illness.
Born April 16, 1956, in Rowan County, she was the
daughter of Marry Ann McMinn and Clarence Adam Buchanan, both of Salisbury. A 1974
graduate of West Rowan High School, she was employed by the Hefner VA Medical Center,
Salisbury, and Blue Bay Restaurant, Cleveland.
A Baptist, she was past president of the
Kennedy-Hall American Legion Post 106 Ladies Auxiliary. She had been a member of Beta
Sigma Phi sorority for 15 years.
Survivors, in addition to her parents, include
sons Adam Keith Rogers and Donald Lee Rogers, both of Salisbury; brother Billy Ray
Buchanan; and sisters Kathryn Buchanan Smith, Wendy Buchanan Webb and Judy Buchanan
Sellers, all of Salisbury.
Services:Graveside, 3 p.m. Friday, Rowan Memorial
Park, conducted by the Rev. Rick Hildebrand.
Visitation:2-2:45 p.m. Friday, Lyerly Funeral
Home. At other times the family will be at the residence of her parents.
Carlton Paul Chapman
KANNAPOLIS - Carlton Paul Chapman, 51, 905 Oval
St., died Wednesday (Oct. 6, 1999).
Born July 21, 1948, in Cabarrus County, Mr.
Chapman was a son of Beryl Roberts Chapman, Kannapolis, and the late Jessie Paul Chapman.
Retired due to disability from Cannon Mills’ street maintenance department, he was a
member of Trinity United Methodist Church.
A 1967 graduate of A.L. Brown High School, Mr.
Chapman was a U.S. Navy veteran of the Vietnam War. He was a past member of Poston Perkins
VFW Post 8989.
Survivors, in addition to his mother, include son
Paul Lee Chapman, Concord; and sisters Mrs. Bill (Joan) Abernathy and Mrs. Greg (Leslie)
Dayvault, both of Kannapolis.
Services:2:30 p.m. Saturday, Whitley’s
Funeral Home Chapel, Kannapolis, conducted by the Rev. Wendy Shenk-Evans and Sarah Weaver.
Burial, Carolina Memorial Park, Kannapolis.
Visitation: 1-2:30 p.m. Saturday, at the funeral
home.
Memorials:Trinity United Methodist Church, c/o
Heating and Air Fund, 416 E. First St., Kannapolis, N.C. 28083.
James E. Smith
CHARLOTTE - James E. Smith, 78, 9211 Barcroft
Lane, died Monday (Oct. 4, 1999) at his home.
Born in Rowan County, Mr. Smith had retired from
Frito-Lay. He was a World War II veteran of the U.S. Army.
Survivors include daughter Janice Smith,
Charlotte; and brother Clarence L. Smith, Salisbury.
Services:1 p.m. Saturday, Church of Christ, 4530
Beatties Ford Road, Charlotte, conducted by the Elder R.S. Ferguson. Burial, 11 a.m.
Tuesday, National Cemetery, Salisbury.
Visitation:7-8 p.m. Friday, Beasley Funeral Home.
Gladys Johnson Barbee
ALBEMARLE — Gladys Johnson Barbee, 93, 26264
McSwain Road, died Tuesday (Oct. 5, 1999) at Britthaven of Piedmont.
Born Dec. 14, 1905, in Albemarle, Mrs. Barbee was
a daughter of the late James Lee and Julie Ann Hill Johnson. She had retired as a spinner
at Tuscarora Cotton Mill. She was a member of Canton Baptist Church.
Her husband, Charlie Lee Barbee, died in 1994. A
son, Lee Barbee, also preceded her in death.
Survivors include daughters Edna Louise Howell and
Betty Ruth Lambert, both of Albemarle; three grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and
one great-great-grandchild.
Services: 11 a.m. Friday, Canton Baptist Church,
conducted by the Rev.Les Schofield. The body will be placed in the church prior to the
service. Burial, church cemetery.
Visitation: 6-8 tonight, Hartsell Funeral Home. At
other times the family will be at the home of daughter Betty Ruth Lambert, 26259 McSwain
Road.
Memorials: Canton Baptist Church, Building Fund,
24615 Endy Road, Albemarle,N.C. 28001.
Paul S. Gibson
MOORESVILLE — Paul S. Gibson, 87, 339 W.
Lowrance Ave., died Tuesday (Oct. 5, 1999) at Huntersville Oaks Nursing Home,
Huntersville.
Born April 4, 1912, in Cleveland County, Mr.
Gibson was a son of the late Clarence and Candace Gibson. He had retired as a loom fixer
at Mooresville Mills.
His wife, Lalla McCraw Gibson, died in 1987.
Survivors include sons Don Gibson, Mooresville,
Carl Gibson, San Diego, Calif., and Jimmy Gibson, Thomasville; 10 grandchildren; 14
great-grandchildren; and eight great-great-grandchildren.
Services: Graveside, 2 p.m. Friday, Glenwood
Memorial Park, conducted by the Rev. David Christy.
Visitation: 7-8 tonight, Neill Funeral Home.
Deborah Neely McManus
Deborah Lane Neely McManus, 404 Lincolnton Road,
died Wednesday (Oct. 6, 1999) at Rowan Regional Medical Center after six months declining
health and two weeks of serious illness.
Rowan Funeral Services is in charge.
Rose Saleeby
Funeral services for Rose Baddour Saleeby, 87, ,
who enjoyed a longtime partnership with her husband, the late Eli Saleeby, as a generous
community and family benefactor, will be conducted Saturday at 11 a.m. at Summersett
Funeral Chapel. Entombment will follow at Rowan Memorial Park.
Mrs. Saleeby died Wednesday (Oct. 6, 1999) at
10:05 a.m. at Rowan Regional Medical Center.
At the medical center for about a week for tests
and observation, she was planning to return to her home at 1633 Statesville Blvd. and
sitting on the side of her bed talking with nurses when she suffered an unexpected stroke.
Death was immediate.
Throughout more than 50 years in Salisbury, she
and her husband, Eli Saleeby, who died on Nov. 30, 1998, had become well-known as
exceedingly friendly and generous people, both in small and large ways. They consistently
pressed fruits and vegetables on visitors when they left their home.
And they made a continuing impact with sizeable
contributions to many local institutions throughout the years. Those contributions
culminated in recent years with four major gifts valued at about $1.5 million each to
Catawba College; Rowan Regional Medical Center; the Baddour Center, a residential facility
for mentally handicapped adults, which they and her family established in Senatobia,
Miss.; and for an East Rowan YMCA which currently under construction near Nazareth
Children’s Home.
Born June 14, 1912, in Lebanon, Tenn., she was the
daughter of the late Maroon and Satoot Baddour.
Following her graduation from high school, she
spent a year in Mexico before returning to work in the family’s large mercantile
business in Hughes, Ark., and at one time, she and her two sisters operated a store for
ladies ready-to-wear.
She has lived in Salisbury since 1952 when she
married Elias Alexander “Eli” Saleeby. She as a member of First Presbyterian
Church.
Survivors are one sister, Dr. Marie Baddour
Albertson, of West Memphis, Ark., and a large number of nieces and nephews.
Services: 11 a.m. Saturday, at Summersett’s
Funeral Home Chapel by Dr. Robert M. Lewis, pastor of First Presbyterian church; body will
lie in state in the chapel an hour before the service. Entombment, in the mausoleum at
Rowan Memorial Park.
Visitation: Thefamily will remain at the park
following the service to receive friends.
Memorials: First Presbyterian Church, 308 W.
Fisher St., Salisbury, N.C., 28144; Baddour Center, P.O. Box 69, Highway 61 South,
Senatobia, Miss., 38668; or East Rowan YMCA, P.O. Box 640, Rockwell, 28138.
Grady C. Ribelin
CLEVELAND — Grady C. Ribelin, 83, Cleveland,
died Wednesday (Oct. 6, 1999) at Autumn Care of Salisbury.
Born Sept. 6, 1916, in Rowan County, Mr. Ribelin
was a son of the late Delinda Augusta Wilhelm and Jesse Albert Ribelin. He was educated in
the Rowan County schools and at Rockwell High School.
Mr. Ribelin worked as a welder at the Wilmington
Shipyard in 1942. He later worked in construction and for Spencer Shops. He retired in
1979 from Brevard County, Fla., as a heavy equipment operator.
A member of Cleveland First Baptist Church, he was
active in the Charlie Beam Sunday School Class. He was a former member of Dunns Mountain
Baptist Church, where he was a deacon, a member of the building and grounds committee and
overseer of the building of the sanctuary.
Mr. Ribelin was a member of the Granite Quarry
Civitan Club.
His wife, Mary Ettis Wyatt Ribelin, died July 20,
1997.
Survivors include son Curtis G. Ribelin,
Cleveland; brother Thurman Ribelin, Cleveland; sisters Irene Almond, New London, Moline
Eller, Salisbury, and Zela Hill, Thomasville; and one grandson.
Services: 2 p.m. Friday, Cleveland First Baptist
Church, conducted by the Rev. Glenn Dancy III, pastor. Entombment, Rowan Memorial Park
Mausoleum. Granite Quarry Civitans will be seated as a group. The body will be taken to
the church at 1:30 p.m.
Visitation: 7-9 p.m. tonight, Powles Funeral Home,
Rockwell. At other times the family will be at the home of son Curtis G. Ribelin.
Memorials:Cleveland First Baptist Church, P.O. Box
325, Cleveland, N.C. 27013 or to Rowan Regional Home Health and Hospice 825-A W. Henderson
St., Salisbury, N.C. 28144,
Robert A. Thompson Jr.
Robert “Robby”Albert Thompson Jr., 44,
Salisbury, died Wednesday (Oct. 6, 1999) at his residence.
Lyerly Funeral Home is in charge.
Jerry Lee ‘Shake’
Today's 
