Obits for April 9, 2008

Milton Earl Lane
CONCORD — Milton Earl Lane, 82, Concord, died Friday, April 4, 2008, at Morningside Assisted Living.
Born Feb. 22, 1926, in Marion County, S.C., he was a son of the late Aubrey Earl and Maebeth Capps Lane. He was an electrical systems supervisor with the city of Concord. He was active in his church, First Baptist Church of Concord. When he retired, he was a tour guide for Philip Morris and volunteered at CMC-NorthEast.
He was preceded in death by his wife Louise Drye Lane, on Sept. 24, 1998.
Survivors include daughter Cherita L. Cromer, Concord; brother Bob Lane, South Carolina; sisters Doris Clark and Betty McCain, both of South Carolina; and one grandson.
A funeral service was held Monday, April 7, 2008, at Hartsell Funeral Home, Concord, conducted by the Rev. Tom Anderson. Burial, Oakwood Cemetery, Concord.
Memorials: First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 643, Concord, NC, 28026 or Hospice & Palliative Care of Cabarrus County, 5003 Hospice Lane, Kannapolis, NC, 28081.

Irene B. Barringer
CONCORD — Irene B. Barringer, 85, of Concord, died Friday, April 4, 2008.
Born July 12, 1922, in Cabarrus County, she was a daughter of the late Efrid J. Dewitt and Della Foster Broom. She was owner/operator of Barringer’s Beauty Booth for 50 years. She was a 50-year member of Kerr Memorial Baptist Church, an active Sunday school member, in the Ladies Circle and helped with church bake sales.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Willie E. Barringer.
Survivors include daughters Betty Honeycutt, Concord and Joyce B. Trammell, Kannapolis; sons Jerry D. Barringer, Portsmouth,Va. and William “Bill” Barringer, Concord; sisters Helen B. Kimble, Frances B. Burris and Shirley B. Blalock, all of Concord; brother Claude Broom, Concord; eight grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
A service was held Monday, April 7, 2008, at Wilkinson Funeral Home Chapel, conducted by the Rev. David Hobson and the Rev. Freda Hobson. Burial, Carolina Memorial Park.
Memorials: Hospice and Palliative Care of Cabarrus County, 5003 Hospice Lane, Kannapolis, NC 28083 or Muscular Dystrophy Association, 4530 Park Road, Charlotte, NC 28209.

Paul Harrington Jr.
FRANKLIN, Tenn. — Paul E. Harrington Jr., 73, died March 19, 2008, after a prolonged illness.
A native of Concord, Harrington was a graduate of Mount Pleasant High School and Troy State University, Montgomery, Ala., and received a master’s degree from the University of Tennessee. He served in the U.S. Air Force for almost 25 years. A Vietnam veteran, he received two Distinguished Flying Crosses and 18 Air Medals, all for valor. He retired from the Tennessee Department of Employment Security after 20 years of service.
Survivors include his wife of 52 years, Patricia; children Laura and Paul II; mother Louise Wentz of Concord and Callawassee, S.C.; sisters Vergie Krimminger and Helen Shue of Concord, Judy Starnes of Wellford, S.C., and Linda Griffin of Concord and Callawassee, S.C.
Services will be conducted at a later date by Williamson Memorial Funeral Home, Franklin, Tenn.
Memorials: American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 11454, Alexandria, VA 22312.

Paul Lee Hastings
LEXINGTON — Paul Lee Hastings, 62, of 579 Avril Hunt Road, died Friday, March 28, 2008, at his home.
Born Feb. 19, 1946, in Baltimore, Md., he was a son of the late Philip and Lillian Little Hastings. He retired from Lucent Technologies after many years of service. He was a Vietnam War veteran of the U.S. Air Force. In his youth, he was a paperboy at the Daily Independent in Kannapolis.
Survivors include son Brad Lee Hastings, Mesa, Ariz.; daughter Lynn Michelle Allison, Jonestown, Texas; sister Ettie Ruth Hubbard, Kannapolis; and one granddaughter.
A graveside service was held Wednesday, April 2, 2008, at the National Cemetery in Salisbury, conducted by the Rev. Mike Hubbard. Military graveside rites were conducted by the Rowan County Veterans Honor Guard.
Memorials: American Diabetes Association, Charlotte Office, 222 S. Church St., Ste. 336-M, Charlotte, NC 28202.
Whitley’s Funeral Home is in charge.

Robert S. Alexander
CONCORD — Robert S. Alexander, 90, former resident of Barnhardt Avenue, died Saturday, March 29, 2008, at CMC-NorthEast.
Born Sept. 23, 1917, in Cabarrus County, he was a son of the late Daniel Thomas and Flora Ellen Kee Alexander. He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II. He received two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart for his bravery under fire at Normandy on D-Day.
He was a charter member of Friendship Baptist Church where he sang in the choir and taught Sunday school. He retired from Cannon Mills after 44 years.
He preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Helen Coley Alexander.
Survivors include sons Wayne and Eddie Alexander, both of Concord; six grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
A service was held Tuesday, April 1, 2008, at Wilkinson Funeral Home, conducted by the Rev. Leon Hawks and the Rev. George Townsend. Burial, Carolina Memorial Park, with military graveside rites.
Memorials: The Building Fund of either Cross Pointe Baptist Church, 17 American Ave., Concord, NC 28025 or Friendship Baptist Church, 180 West Ave., Concord, NC 28027.

Elbert Burris Sr.
CONCORD — Elbert Warren “Ebb” “Lefty” Burris Sr., 88, 326 Hillandale St. N.E., died Sunday, March 30, 2008, at CMC-NorthEast.
Born Dec. 19, 1919, in Stanly County, he was a son of the late James Allen and Mabel Hill Burris. He was a World War II veteran of the U.S. Navy. He retired from Concord Police Department and had worked at Belk department store.
He was a member of Forest Hill United Methodist Church, Concord.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Lois Mae Sappenfield Burris, and a grandson.
Survivors include son E. Warren Burris Jr. of Concord; daughters Illene B. Nunn and Ellen B. Cathcart, both of Concord; sisters Margie Bonds, Doris Kirk and Dorothy Murph, all of Concord; brother Earl Burris of Mount Pleasant; three grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
A graveside service was held Tuesday, April 1, 2008, at Oakwood Cemetery, Concord.
Memorials: Make-A-Wish Foundation Central & Western North Carolina, 212 S. Tryon St., Ste. 1080, Charlotte, NC 28281.
Hartsell Funeral Home, Concord, is in charge.

Anna E. Boone
Anna Elizabeth Boone, 96, died Monday, March 31, 2008, at Transitional Health Services of Kannapolis after a period of declining health.
Born Dec. 18, 1911, in Danville, Va., she was a daughter of the late Josh and Elizabeth Mills. She was employed by Cannon Mills Co. Plant 1 Sewing Room for a number of years.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Seyborn H. Boone, and a son, James C. Boone.
Survivors include two grandchildren.
A graveside service was held Thursday, April 3, 2008, at Carolina Memorial Park, conducted by the Rev. Joe Harding.
Memorials: Bethel Wesleyan Church, 4036 Old Concord Salisbury Road, Kannapolis, NC 28083.
Whitley’s Funeral Home is in charge.

Bobby E. Broadway
CONCORD — Bobby Earl Broadway, 70, died Monday, March 31, 2008.
Born Aug. 4, 1937, in Concord, he was a son of Helen Broadway and the late Eugene Broadway. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps. After he was honorably discharged, he drove a tractor-trailer or a dump truck most of his life.
Survivors include son Bobby Earl Broadway Jr.; daughters Lynn Broadway McGavock, Jatanna Broadway Almond and Wendy Broadway Lineberry; brother Chuck Broadway; sisters Betsy Graham and Nancy Jordan; nine grandchildren; and two great-grandsons.
A memorial service was held Friday, April 4, 2008, at McGill Baptist Church, Concord.
Memorials: Hospice & Palliative Care of Cabarrus County, 5003 Hospice Lane, Kannapolis, NC 28081.

James G. Brooks
CONCORD — James Gordon Brooks, 89, of Midland, died Wednesday, April 2, 2008, at CMC-NorthEast.
Born Aug. 4, 1918, he was raised in Lamar County, Ala., a son of the late Cias Baker and Dora Faye Helms Brooks. He graduated in 1941 from the Alabama School for the Deaf, where he was valedictorian.
He was retired from Fieldcrest Cannon’s cutting department. He was a member of McGill Baptist Church, Concord, where he taught the deaf Sunday school class and was deacon. During World War II, he moved to Kentucky to work at Reynolds Container Co. as an inspector for artillery casings.
In 1939, Mr. Brooks was selected for the Deaf All-American football team.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Georgia Lee Orr Keys Brooks, who died March 14, 2001, and a grandson.
Survivors include sons Charles Ray Brooks, Troy, and Julian Baker Brooks, Myrtle Beach, S.C.; daughters Peggy Elaine Brooks, Charlotte, and Helen Brooks Stallings, Concord; brother Cias Baker Brooks Jr. of Midland; sister Edna Brown Deaton of Maiden; stepdaughter, Ruth Keys Yates of Banner Elk; eight grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
A service was held Saturday, April 5, 2008, at McGill Baptist Church, conducted by Dr. Rev. Steve Ayers and the Rev. Robert Moore. Burial, Carolina Memorial Park.
Memorials: Coltrane Life Center, 321 Corban Ave. S.E., Concord, NC 28025; Piedmont Adult Living Services, 1201 South Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28203; Baptist State Convention for the Deaf, P.O. Box 1107, Cary, NC 27512; or Hospice & Palliative Care of Cabarrus County, 5003 Hospice Lane, Kannapolis, NC 28083.
Hartsell Funeral Home is in charge.

Michael J. Barnett
Michael James Barnett, 53, of Old Freeze Road, Kannapolis, died Thursday, April 3, 2008, at his home.
Born Feb. 7, 1955, in Mecklenburg County, he was a son of the late James and Frankie Rhynehart Barnett. He was a graduate of UNC-Charlotte, where he earned a degree in mechanical engineering. Barnett owned a manufacturing representative company. He was a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He was also a member of First United Methodist Church in China Grove.
Survivors include his wife, Kim Freeze Barnett; and daughters Ashley Barnett of Wilmington and Brenna Barnett of the home.
A service was conducted Sunday, April 6, 2008, at Lady’s Funeral Home Chapel, conducted by the Rev. Jeff Coppley and the Rev. Duane Melton.

Mary L. Coone
CONCORD — Mary Louise Suther Coone, 90, of Concord, died Friday, April 4, 2008, at the Hospice House.
Born in Iredell County on Feb. 5, 1918, she was a daughter of the late Leroy Benjamin and Edna Estelle Allen Suther.
She was preceded in death by her husband Luther Eugene Coone, and son Wayne Eugene Coone.
Survivors include sister Janice Lynn Eury; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
A service was held Monday, April 7, 2008, at Wilkinson Funeral Home Chapel, conducted by the Rev. Terry Suther. Burial, Carolina Memorial Park.
Memorials: Hospice and Palliative Care of Cabarrus County, 5003 Hospice Lane, Kannapolis, NC 28081.

Dean Grantham
CONCORD — Dean Anthony Grantham, 47, of Union Street South, died Saturday, March 29, 2008, at Doctors Hospital in Augusta, Ga., from complications from a fire at his home.
Born Jan. 24, 1961, in Portsmith, England, he had previously worked for Cabarrus Plastics.
He is survived by wife Shari West Grantham; son Bradley Grantham, of the home; daughter Guinevere Grantham, of the home; step-daughter Sarah Folger of California; stepson Edward Folger of Maine; and sister Carrie Morby of England.
A memorial service was held Monday, March 31, 2008, at Wilkinson Funeral Home, conducted by Dr. Glenn Myers.
Memorials: Epworth United Methodist Church, 1060 Burrage Rd., Concord, NC 28025.

Helen R. Jackson
CONCORD — Helen Rudene Brewer Jackson, 72, 713 Central Drive, died Tuesday, April 1, 2008, at CMC-NorthEast after being in declining health for one year.
Born April 11, 1935, in Cabarrus County, she was a daughter of the late John Brewer and Cora Young Brewer Harris.
Survivors include sons John Glenn Jackson Jr. of Concord and Antonio Jackson Sr. of Tampa, Fla.; stepson, Norman Jackson of Kannapolis; daughters Cynthia Long of Kannapolis and Teresa Jackson Walker and Shanunte’ Walker, both of Concord; brother Billy Joe Brewer of Concord; stepbrothers, James Sumlin and Eddie Sumlin; stepsisters Pearl Whithers, Willie Mae Grier, Mildred Johnson and Mattie Johnson; eight grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
A service was held Saturday, April 5, 2008, at Gilmore Chapel AME Zion Church, with the Rev. Kenneth D. Lee officiating. Burial, Carolina Memorial Cemetery.
Clark Funeral Home Inc. is in charge.

Lillian C. Wise
Lillian Craver Wise, 84, 2116 Centergrove Road, Kannapolis, died Sunday, April 6, 2008, at her residence.
Born April 28, 1923, in Cabarrus County, she was a daughter of the late Manson Addison and Rose Poole Craver. She was a homemaker. She was a member of the former Faith Evangelical Methodist Church, where she taught Sunday school.
Survivors include her husband of 66 years, Walter E. Wise Sr.; daughter Patricia “Patsy” W. Herman of China Grove; sons Robert Lee Wise, Kannapolis, and Walter “Eddie” E. Wise Jr., Rockwell; sisters Ruby Irvin, Cherryville, Frances Radike, Mexico, and Margie Olive, Wilmington; brother Bobby Craver, Kannapolis; five grandchildren; and five great grandchildren.
A service was held Tuesday, April 8, 2008, at Lady’s Funeral Home, conducted by the Rev. Alan Woodie and the Rev. Howard Torrence. Burial, Carolina Memorial Park.

Angela M. Lanier
CONCORD — Angela Marie Hammett Lanier, 42, 226 Laverne Drive S.W., died Tuesday, April 1, 2008, at the home.
Born May 3, 1965, in Leonardtown, Md., she was a paralegal and a member of St. James Catholic Church, Concord.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Hugh Allen Lanier.
Survivors include son Hugh Allen Lanier Jr. of Concord; stepdaughter Marta Tiffany Lanier of Travelers Rest, S.C.; father Louis Bernard Hammett and step-mother, Mary, of Sunderland, Md.; mother Constance Jennings and stepfather, Ray, of Concord; brother Michael Hammett of California, Md.; sister Kristi Jennings Jordan of Concord; grandmother Caroline White of Jacksonville, Fla.; half-brothers Christopher Wynn Hammett of Hollywood, Md., and John Hinton of Huntingtown, Md.; half-sisters Tammy Lynn Owen of Hollywood, Md., and Tamara J. Boice of Richmond, Va.; stepsisters Denise Smith and Annette Jennings, both of North Augusta, S.C.; and stepbrother David Lee Jennings of Martinez, Ga.
A service was held Saturday, April 5, 2008, at Hartsell Funeral Home Chapel, Concord, conducted by the Rev. Edward Gray.
Memorials: St. James Catholic Church, 25 Elm St., Concord, NC 28025.

Paul W. Ritchie
SALISBURY — Paul Wilson Ritchie, 91, died Thursday, April 3, 2008, at Liberty Commons Nursing Center.
Born Aug. 17, 1916, in Cabarrus County, he was a son of the late William and Sallie Mae Walker Ritchie. He graduated from Farm Life School. He worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 37 years and retired as postmaster in Landis. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, serving in World War II.
He was a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church where he was president of the council, served on numerous committees, was former president of N.C. Lutheran Men and was Salisbury Lions Club Lion of the Year.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Ruth Ketner Ritchie, on Oct. 9, 1997.
Survivors include son Stephen Ritchie of Gastonia; daughter Paula R. Kadel of Lower Gywnedd, Penn.; and two grandchildren.
A service was held Saturday, April 5, 2008, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, conducted by the Rev. William Ketchie. Burial, Organ Lutheran Church Cemetery.
Memorials: St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 205 St. Paul’s Church Road, Salisbury, NC 28146.
Lyerly Funeral Home, Salisbury, was in charge.

‘Jim’ Farthing
CONCORD — James “Jim” L. Farthing, 65, died Tuesday, April 1, 2008, at his home.
Born April 15, 1942, in Wake County, he was a son of the late Charles Claude and Mary Hopkins Farthing. He served four years in the U.S. Air Force. He was a service representative for Ricoh Co. He was a member of Boger United Church of Christ, where he sang in the choir.
He graduated from Central Piedmont Community College with an electronic engineering degree and served on the advisory council at CPCC.
Survivors include wife Diane Corzine Farthing; son David M. Farthing, Conover; brother Charles C. Farthing III of Nashville, Tenn.; and two grandchildren.
A service was held Thursday, April 3, 2008, at Boger UCC, conducted by the Rev. Dr. J. Donald McManus.
Memorials: Boger UCC, 7313 Gold Hill Road, Concord, NC 28025.
Wilkinson Funeral Home was in charge.

Ila O. Hawkins
Ila Ophelia Dayvault Hawkins, 97, formerly of Mabel Avenue, Kannapolis, died Sunday, March 30, 2008, at Avante of Concord.
Born May 23, 1910, in Rowan County, she was a daughter of the late John F. and Essie Lee Dancy Dayvault. She retired from Cannon Mills after 44 years of service. She was an active member of of St. John’s United Church of Christ.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard L. Hawkins.
A celebration of life was held Wednesday, April 2, 2008, at St. John’s United Church of Christ. Burial, Carolina Memorial Park.
Memorials: St. John’s United Church of Christ 901 N. main St Kannapolis, NC 28081.
Whitley’s Funeral Home is in charge.

Julia Crouch
CONCORD — Julia Talbert Crouch, 88, formerly of Glendale Avenue, died Sunday, March 30, 2008, at Britthaven of Charlotte.
Born Jan. 6, 1920, in Cabarrus County, she was a daughter of the late Marion F. and Addie Young Talbert. She was a homemaker and an active member of McGill Baptist Church.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Boyd P. Crouch, in 1988.
Survivors include son Boyd “Pat” Crouch Jr., Davidson; two grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
A memorial service was held Wednesday, April 2, 2008, at McGill Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. Dr. Steve Ayers.
Memorials: McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road Concord, NC 28027.
Wilkinson Funeral Home was in charge.

Ruby Krimminger
Ruby Lowder Krimminger, 83, a resident of Liberty Commons in Salisbury and formerly of Kannapolis, died Friday, April 4, 2008, at Rowan Regional Medical Center, Salisbury.
Born June 2, 1924, in Stanly County, she was a daughter of the late Nelson and Lela Efird Lowder. She retired several years ago from the No. 1 weave room of Cannon Mills Plant 1. She was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Kannapolis.
Her husband, William “Bill” Krimminger, died Sept. 20, 2004.
Survivors include daughter Wanda Mills, of China Grove; son William D. Krimminger, Kannapolis; stepdaughter Karen Sides, Matthews; sister Mildred Nash, Kannapolis; seven grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
A service was held Monday, April 7, 2008, at Lady’s Funeral Home, conducted by Dr. Joe Crawford. Burial, Tuesday, April 8, Carolina Memorial Park.
Memorials: Gideons International, PO Box 52, Kannapolis, NC 28082.

Jeanette McCommons
Jeanette Sills McCommons, 93, of Carolina Avenue, Kannapolis, died Saturday, April 5, 2008, at Avante at Concord.
Born Nov. 2, 1914, in Gaston County, she was a daughter of the late Perry F. and Ocia Falls Sills. She retired from the weave room of Cannon Mills. She was a charter member of Royal Oaks Presbyterian Church.
She was preceded in death by her husband, William S. “Bill” McCommons, and a grandson.
Survivors include a son, William S. McCommons, Kannapolis; daughter Elizabeth M. Meadows, Kannapolis; sisters Mary Davis, Charlotte, and Ruby Brown, North Myrtle Beach, S.C.; a grandson; and a great-grandson.
A service was held Tuesday, April 8, 2008, at Lady’s Funeral Home, conducted by the Rev. Richard Rhoades. Burial, Carolina Memorial Park.

Earl C. Pickett
CONCORD — Earl Clayton Pickett, 73, died Monday, March 31, 2008, at the home.
Born May 5, 1934, in Alabama, he was the son of the late Jesse and Margie Holsenback Pickett. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army. He had been employed by IBM as a manager.
He was preceded in death by his son, Jesse Earl Pickett.
Survivors include his wife, Karyn Nicolson Silvus Pickett; daughters Lisa Mathis, Centreville, Ala., Tresia Benfield, Cornelius, Melanie Terry, Easley, S.C., and Laurie Lowder, Monroe; sisters Betty Bice and Patricia McClain, both of Birmingham, Ala.; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
A memorial service was held Thursday, April 3, 2008, at Hartsell Funeral Home, Concord.
Memorials: American Cancer Society, 6000 Fairview Drive, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28210 or to the charity of one’s choice.

Evelyn A. Moon
CONCORD — Evelyn Anderson Moon died Thursday, March 27, 2008, at CMC-NorthEast after a lengthy illness.
Born July 28, 1923, in Mecklenburg County, she was a daughter of the late Samuel Dewey and Cora Houston Anderson. She was educated in the Concord City Schools, graduating from Logan High School. She was employed by the New York Transit authority for more than 20 years as a railroad clerk. After retiring in 1989, she returned to North Carolina.
She was a member of First Congregational United Church of Christ where she was a Deaconess, a member of the Missionary Circle 1 and the Senior Choir.
She was preceded in death by her husband, John Wesley Moon Jr.
Survivors include sons Samuel D. Moon and John W. Moon III, both of Georgia; daughters Marya Evelyn Chrisp, Laurelton, N.Y., and Annette H. Moon, Charlotte; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
A service was held Wednesday, April 2, 2008, at First Congregational United Church of Christ, conducted by the Rev. Edward Holloway.
Kelsey Funeral Home is in charge.

Mildred D. Reid
Mildred Douglas Reid, 88, 4933 Atlanta St., Kannapolis, died Wednesday, April 2, 2008, at Brian Center, Concord.
Born Nov. 22, 1919, she was a daughter of the late Pete and Martha Winecoff Douglas.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Clato Reid.
Survivors include brother, John D. Douglas of Kannapolis; and five stepchildren.
A service was held Saturday, April 5, 2008, at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, with the Rev. John N. Leazer officiating. Burial, church cemetery.
Clark Funeral Home is in charge.

Harry B. Overcash
Harry Brown Overcash, 88, 2955 Sides Road, Kannapolis, died Thursday, April 3, 2008, at his home.
Born March 22, 1920, in Rowan County, he was son of the late Robert Clyde and Lula Deal Overcash, and the stepson of the late Robert Hooks. Educated in Rowan County schools, he served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was a member of Mount Mitchell United Methodist Church and retired from Jackson Park Supply.
He was preceded in death by daughters Donna Jean and Deana Lorene Overcash.
Survivors include his wife Myrtle Patterson Overcash, whom he married Jan. 20, 1946; stepmother Eva Hooks Cook, Rockwell; sons Clyde “Sonny” Overcash and Donald Overcash, both of Kannapolis; daughters Barbara Hurlocker, Linda Branch and Susan Adams, all of Kannapolis; sisters Katherine Sechler, Helen Broadway, Jettie Connell and Thelma Milstead; 11 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.
A service was held Sunday, April 6, 2008, at Linn-Honeycutt Funeral Home, China Grove, conducted by the Rev. Gene Edwards, pastor, Genesis Baptist Church. Burial, Mount Mitchell United Methodist Church cemetery.
Memorials: Mount Mitchell United Methodist Church 6001 Old Salisbury/Concord Road Kannapolis, NC 28081 or Hospice and Palliative Care of Cabarrus County 5003 Hospice Lane Kannapolis, NC 28081.

Betty K. Wilkinson
CONCORD — Betty Kelley Rice Wilkinson, 79, of The Gardens of Taylor Glen, died Thursday, April 3, at Taylor Glen.
Born Feb. 12, 1929, in Cabarrus County, she was a daughter of the late Bertie Miller and J.D. Kelley. She grew up in Harrisburg and graduated from Harrisburg High School, later attending Appalachian State Teachers College. She was a member of First Presbyterian Church and the Hoe and Hope Garden Club.
She was preceded in death by her first husband, Dr. Robert “Bob” Rice.
Mrs. Wilkinson is survived by her second husband, James H. “Jim” Wilkinson Jr.; stepdaughters Susan R. Chandler of Freeport, Maine, Rosemary R. Hutchins of Clemmons, Margaret Rice of Winston-Salem, and Allison W. Delevan of Norfolk, Va; step-sons Robert S. Rice Jr. of Charlotte and J. Heilig Wilkinson III of Concord; and brothers Earl C. Kelley of N. Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Glenn P. Kelley of Concord.
A service was held Sunday, April 6, 2008, at First Presbyterian Church, conducted by the Rev. Todd Hobbie and the Rev. Ken Craig.
Memorials: First Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 789, Concord, NC 28026.
Wilkinson Funeral Home is in charge.

Robert Harris
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Robert Harris, formerly of Concord, died Sunday, March 30, 2008, in Brooklyn, N.Y.
He was the son of the late Claude and Mary Harris of Concord. He was a graduate of Logan High School.
Survivors include his wife, a daughter and a grandson, sisters Eskerie Locke of Concord, Patricia Alsbrook of Kannapolis and Viola Bonpart of Bronx, N.Y., and a brother, Thomas of Atlantic City, N.J.
A service was held Saturday, April 5, at St. John’s FBH in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Courtesy of Kelsey Funeral Home.

Mammie Williams
CHINA GROVE — Mammie Sue Mance Williams, 65, 503 Chapel St., died Sunday, March 30, 2008, at CMC-NorthEast.
Born Feb. 6, 1943, in Rowan County, she was a daughter of Robert Johnson and the late Mable Berry, and was adopted by Lewis and Ethel Setzer Mance. She attended Aggrey Memorial High School, China Grove, and retired from Linn Corriher. She was a member of Oak Grove Baptist Church, where she was a member of the Rising Star Gospel Choir.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Roy Edward Williams, in 2005, and a daughter, Kimberly Willliams in 2007.
Survivors are sons Vincient Williams, Columbia, S.C., Charles Mance, Kannapolis, Christopher Williams, Jonesboro, Ga., and Michael Williams, Raeford; daughters Sharon Mance, Kannapolis and Ann “Shortcake” Jordan, China Grove; 26 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.
A service was held Saturday, April 5, 2008, at Oak Grove Baptist Church, China Grove, conducted by the Rev. James I. Smith. Burial, Monday, April 7, U.S. National Cemetery.
Hairston Funeral Home Inc. is in charge.

Morris wins big

By Joanie Morris
Kannapolis Citizen
On that Friday morning, Dr. Debra Morris was going about her day just as she did any day.
She answered calls, spoke with students, interviewed potential teachers, accepted meetings and patrolled the halls.
There was one big difference between this particular Friday and any other Friday.
Morris had just been named the 2008 Wachovia Principal of the Year by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.
Morris was chosen from among eight regional finalists and honored during a luncheon in Raleigh.
On her desk now sits an etched-glass award on a pedestal. The award was one of many she received for being named Principal of the Year.
While giving her acceptance speech last Thursday afternoon, Morris said she spoke about a student who said something really nice to her.
She was interviewing A.L. Brown Senior Jonathan Efird for a scholarship recommendation letter. When she asked him what he would like to do for a living, he gave a response she could have never imagined.
“I want a job like you,” he told her.
“Oh, you want to be a principal,” Morris said she told him.
“No, I just want a job I love,” was Efird’s response. “Everybody know’s you love your job.”
Morris said she never realized the students knew that she loves what she does.
“It made me feel good to know the students know I love my job,” she said.
“I am (excited) because this award is really nice,” she said. As a finalist, she was selected as winner of the award following interviews and on-site visits by a statewide selection committee comprised of the previous year’s Principal of the Year, the current teacher of the year, a member of the Principals’ Executive Program, a Wachovia representative, and a non-voting member of the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.
“It was based on a team that came out to our school and loved what they saw.”
The group spent the whole day at the school, talking with students, staff, parents and teachers about the programs, as well as getting a first-hand look at what goes on at A.L. Brown.
“That’s why it’s so special,” Morris said.
She said she’ll remind her staff at the next staff meeting that this isn’t just her award.
“That’s their award,” she said. “You’re only as good as the teachers you surround yourself with.
“I’m surrounded by the best,” she said. “I can’t go wrong. They are right there with me every day. They are hard workers. …
“It is us, not me,” she added.
She said there will be a few changes at the school because of the award, but only for the better.
“I’m planning on still being at the school,” she said. “It will make me want to work harder. I want to live up to that title.”
In addition, she already has requests from other people anxious to see what’s going on inside the doors of A.L. Brown High School.
Teachers and staff at A.L. Brown were excited after hearing the news that Morris had won the award.
Assistant Principal Greg Joyner said the school received a call about the award at around 2:45 p.m. on Thursday afternoon.
“It couldn’t have been given to a more deserving person,” said Joyner. He said the award was no surprise to those who work with Morris daily. “We knew this was going to happen. She is truly married to her job.”
Morris hired Joyner when she started at the school three years ago and said she is the best mentor a person could ask for.
“She has truly been a role model for us as an administrative team,” Joyner said. In addition, “she loves the kids.”
He said the improvement in the school is evident, and most is due to Morris.
As principal, Morris has established a school dress code, a Freshman Academy to help rising freshmen acclimate to high school, NovaNet (an after-school computer class), a book study with football players in the community and after-school tutoring.
“She’s just implementing change,” Joyner said. In addition, she works hard “to give that unsuccessful student another chance to be successful.”
Teacher Terry Berryman echoed Joyner’s comments.
“She’s fun to be around,” Berryman said. “She loves the children.”
School Resource Officer Andrew Deal has been at A.L. Brown almost five years. He said Morris is a great principal to work with.
“We thought she was very deserving of (the award),” Deal said. “She works hard — often too hard.”
Deal said the school wasn’t too surprised when the announcement came that Morris had won.
From the police officer’s perspective, Deal said, Morris is an excellent principal.
“She’s very fair,” he said. “But she’s strict. She likes her students to be treated with respect and she demands her students treat others with respect.”
Deal said Morris considers different points of view when dealing with problems — the police department, the school and the student.
“She is the School Resource Officer’s ideal principal to work with,” Deal said. “I’m fortunate to work with her.”
N.C. Board of Education Chairman Howard Lee said in a press release that Morris has an “obvious commitment and enthusiasm to ensure that all of her students succeed both academically and personally. “I applaud her and her staff’s dedication to the success of A.L. Brown High and the students they serve,” Lee said in the release. He added that he is looking forward to working with Morris when she becomes an adviser to the State Board of Education.
Morris received her bachelor of arts degree in English with a minor in political science from Appalachian State University; a master’s in English from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte; a master’s in school administration and a doctorate from the UNCC.
She is a member of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the N.C. Association of School Administrators, the N.C. Principals’ and Assistant Principals’ Association, the Greater Cabarrus Reading Association and Phi Delta Kappa.
Morris has been named the National Association of Secondary School Principals’ and Met Life’s Principal of the Year for North Carolina for 2007, Kannapolis City Schools’ Principal of the Year for 2007, a regional and state winner in the adult poetry division of the North Carolina Reading Association 2007, and was one of 10 educators selected to represent the United States as a delegate to study civics education in Saratov, Russia, by the Partners in Education Program in 2000.
As recipient of the award, she will receive an additional $3,000 for her school and $3,000 for personal use. She also will serve a one-year term as adviser to the State Board of Education.
The Wachovia N.C. Principal of the Year program is sponsored in partnership with the Department of Public Instruction, the Principals’ Executive Program and Wachovia Corp. This is its 24th year.
•
Contact Joanie Morris at 704-932-3336 or jmorris@ kannapoliscitizen.com.

Wonders hold SPC rival Spiders hitless

By Bill Kiser
Kannapolis Citizen
A.L. Brown head coach Empsy Thompson isn’t ready to say that Mother Nature isn’t a baseball fan.
But the recent spate of wet weather hasn’t done the Wonders much good, as a lack of quality practice time has hampered Thompson’s young team entering the final month of the South Piedmont Conference season.
“We just haven’t had a whole lot of practice time,” Thompson said. “It seems like any day we’re not playing, it’s raining. There’s only so much you can do in a gym as far as baseball’s concerned.
“It’s kinda tough to get things done when we’ve had as much rain as we’ve had.”
Despite the wet conditions, Brown had a busy week, losing two out of three games played last week.
The Wonders, which were 6-8 overall and 4-5 in the SPC entering Tuesday’s game at Anson County, opened with a 5-2 victory over cross-town league rival Concord on April 1 but dropped their next two by big margins — 10-3 to South Rowan in a non-conference game April 2 and 16-5 to Sun Valley at home on April 4.
Brown plays twice this week, taking on SPC foe Marvin Ridge at Kannapolis Veterans Field on Friday. Game time is 7 p.m.
Against the Spiders, Brown pitchers Jacob Wright and Dylan May combined for a no-hitter, striking out 12.
Despite that, Concord led early, taking advantage of five batters hit by pitches and the Wonders’ inability to take advantage of scoring opportunities, leaving the bases loaded twice.
It took a three-run, walk-off home run by Wright in the bottom of the seventh inning to break a 2-2 tie and give Brown the league win.
“It was pretty dramatic,” Thompson said. “They had an opportunity to win the game without getting a hit, which is pretty hard to do.”
It was less so in the Wonders’ next two games.
Against the Raiders, in which Thompson rested most of his starters, Brown’s pitchers put 11 runners on base by a combination of walks or hit batters, while its offense was held to just five hits.
Two days later against the Spartans, the Wonders’ defense committed seven errors and gave up nine runs in the fifth inning. Wright was Brown’s lone bright spot, slamming a pair of home runs.
“We did not play well, and they did a great job,” Thompson said of Sun Valley. “They played as good as a team as anyone we’ve played this year. They made the routine plays and didn’t strike out. I was very impressed with them.”

I’s add pair of pitchers

By Bill Kiser
Kannapolis Citizen
The Kannapolis Intimidators picked up two more pitchers from the Chicago White Sox’s minor league spring training camp last week.
However, when the two will be able to make any contribution to the team is still a question.
As the Intimidators were preparing for their season opener in Greensville (S.C.), White Sox officials announced April 3 that pitchers Juan Moreno and Willy Mota had been added to the roster, with both immediately going on the seven-day disabled list.
Moreno will be a familiar face to many of the Intimidators’ current players – he spent last season in Great Falls (Mont.) on the White Sox’s rookie-level Pioneer League team, along with 13 others now on Kannapolis’ roster.
There, Moreno went 6-4 in 16 starts with a 2.39 ERA, and 77 strikeouts and just 11 walks in 901⁄3 innings. He led the league and the White Sox’s minor league organization in ERA, and was tied for first in the league in strikeouts and second in innings pitched.
Those numbers were good enough to have the 21-year-old Dominican Republic native named the league’s pitcher of the year and earn him a spot on the Pioneer League’s end-of-season All-Star Team.
In 2006, his first year playing in the minors, Moreno went 7-5 with a 4.60 ERA in 13 starts with Bristol (Tenn.) of the rookie-level Appalachian League. He was tied for second in the league in wins and third in innings pitched (721⁄3), and led the team in strikeouts with 65.
Mota, 22, was acquired along with current Intimidators pitcher Miguel Socolovich by the White Sox in late January in a trade with Boston for David Aardsma.
A free-agent signee by the Red Sox in 2002, Mota spent his first three years in the minors as an outfielder, making it as far as Boston’s Double A Southern League team in Greenville. However, he saw very little action there.
Last year, Mota began working as a pitcher in the Red Sox’s organization, going 5-3 in 17 appearances at Lowell (Mass.), Boston’s short-season A team in the New York-Penn League. There, he had a 2.65 ERA with one save and 22 strikesouts in 272⁄3 innings.

Around the SALLY League
(BULLET) Asheville pitcher Cory Riordan hurled the first complete-game shutout in the minor leagues last week as the Tourists beat Lexington (Ky.) 2-0 on April 4.
The 21-year-old righthander, a sixth-round pick in the 2007 Draft, struck out six and walked one in his South Atlantic League debut.
“It feels good to go out and put up a win like that,” Riordan told the Asheville Citizen-Times. “I was able to establish my fastball early and started changing it up after that.”
(BULLET) Augusta (Ga.) turned the minor leagues’ first triple play of the season last week in the third inning of the GreenJackets’ 3-2 loss to Greensboro on April 4.
With runners at the corners and no outs in the top of the third, first baseman Thomas Neal snared a line drive by Emilio Ontiveros for the first out, then dove on first base to put out Jameson Smith.
Neal then ran across the field and flipped the ball to Augusta third baseman to put out Adam Howard, who had run towards home plate on Ontiveros’ liner.

Northwest can’t keep lead vs. ER

By Bill Kiser
Kannapolis Citizen
Northwest Cabarrus head coach Joe Hubbard knows he has the pieces for a pretty good baseball team, and his players know it, too.
But Hubbard said its just a matter of getting all those pieces playing together and playing smart ball over the second half of the season if the Trojans want to have a chance at winning the NPC title.
Northwest Cabarrus, which was 9-4 overall and 5-3 in the NPC entering the week, saw its three-game winning streak snapped in a 5-4 loss to league leader East Rowan on April 1. A scheduled game against Lake Norman on April 4 was postponed because of wet field conditions.
Against East, the Trojans jumped out to a 4-0 lead after four innings behind the arm of right-hander Ryan Overcash, who struck out 11 before coming out in the fifth inning, and Grayson Thompson’s three-run homer in the third inning.
But the Mustangs fought back, taking advantage of five Northwest errors and scoring the game-tying and game-winning runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to remain undefeated in conference play.
“We had been doing things very well, but we kinda blew apart,” Hubbard said of the loss. “We pitched it well enough to win and hit it well enough to win, but we just didn’t play defense.
“With a team like East Rowan, any time you give them opportunities, they’re going to take advantage of them. We make an error here and make an error there — and we wind up losing the game. That was a game we probably should’ve won if we’d played defense, but they did what they had to do — put the ball in play, kept battling and took advantage of our mistakes.”
The Trojans didn’t get a chance to work out any bugs on the practice field last week because of the weather, which left most fields in the area a soggy mess.
“It was just one of those weeks,” Hubbard said. “Every time it did clear up a little bit, it was still nasty.”
“One day we tried to practice, and it started raining on us. We stayed out there as it misted on us, and finally it started raining. So we went to the batting cage and hit a little bit, then called it a day.”
Things won’t be much better this week — Northwest has three games on its schedule: against Lake Norman on Monday (the game from last week), at South Rowan on Tuesday and versus West Rowan on Friday.
“Hopefully we’ve learned from our mistakes,” Hubbard said.

So what exactly is a sway bar?

By Cathy Elliott
Contributing NASCAR columnist
In a popular restaurant in my area recently, I was enjoying an order of fried pickles when I overheard a couple of guys conducting an animated conversation about something called a sway bar.
This raised several issues. First, when I hear the word “NASCAR” whiz past my head in any type of public setting, my ears prick up in much the same way as my dog Clancy’s do when the carpet shampooer shows up at the kitchen door. So technically I guess you could say I wasn’t really overhearing this exchange. It was more a case of active eavesdropping.
Second, yes, we do deep fry our pickles in the South, slap them in a basket with a cup of dipping sauce and call it an appetizer. Sometimes they even achieve vegetable status.
Third, although a lot of folks seem to have some pretty definite opinions on sway bars these days, and don’t mind sharing those opinions with you loudly and at great length, they seem unclear on the actual specifics of the subject.
I discovered this the old-fashioned way — I asked. I can always tell when someone isn’t quite up to speed on the pesky details of whatever it is he’s talking about, because when a pointed question is posed, like in this case — “What exactly IS a sway bar, anyway?” — the answer invariably goes something like this — “Oh, it’s just technical stuff.”
This response, generally delivered in a mumble with downcast eyes and ranking just slightly higher than my personal favorite, “Don’t worry your pretty head about it,” on the SOD (Scale of Dismissal), has been forwarded to dozens of international reading-between-the-lines experts. All of them have returned identical translations. “Well, it’s just technical stuff,” really means, “I don’t have the slightest idea.”
We all know how frustrating, and sometimes downright infuriating, it can be to attempt a conversation with someone who hasn’t a clue what you’re talking about. Sway bars have been at the forefront of racing news recently, for reasons which have been outlined clearly and concisely by our many great NASCAR beat writers and therefore don’t bear further explanation here.
Still, I am exasperated. How can I engage in any sort of educated exchange on the topic of sway bars when I wouldn’t recognize a sway bar if I passed one on the street? It’s like trying to write a review of a movie that you haven’t seen, based solely on what you’ve heard other people say and your general opinion of the starring actors.
So, with curiosity gripped firmly in one hand and “Engine Building for Dummies” held tightly in the other, I embarked on an epic quest like those which have intrigued adventurers, explorers and mythological figures with unpronounceable names since time began — to actually try and figure out what the heck all the fuss is about. What is a sway bar, and why is it so important that many hours of racing-related TV and radio programming have been devoted to it?
Let’s get some of the obvious, and obviously silly, things out of the way. “Sway bar” doesn’t refer to one of Mowgli’s tropical cronies in “The Jungle Book.” It isn’t an aerial circus prop, so you’ll never hear anyone singing, “He flies through the air with the greatest of ease, the daring young man on the flying … sway bar.”
It isn’t a famous gourmet food shop in Manhattan (that would be Zabar’s), nor is it some cute local hangout up the street with a great Happy Hour special on fried pickles.
According to our increasingly good Internet information source Wikipedia, the definition of a sway bar is “an automobile suspension device. It connects opposite (left/right) wheels together through short lever arms linked by a torsion spring. A sway bar increases the suspension’s roll stiffness—its resistance to roll in turns, independent of its spring rate in the vertical direction.”
Huh? Is that even English?
There are a whole bunch of additional words in this lengthy definition that make about the same amount of sense to me; namely, none. All I’ve been able to figure out is that a sway bar is a gadget designed to keep a car from “rolling,” or pulling too much to the outside, while traveling through a sharp turn.
Roll is bad. It can actually make your car flip completely over in certain conditions. The sway bar helps to distribute weight evenly. There’s a lot of technological mumbo jumbo involved, but boiled down to its bare bones, it balances you and keeps you stabilized. If you’re driving a race car through a turn and you can maneuver with a minimum amount of lateral movement, and keep going straight ahead rather than side-to-side, it can help get you out in front of the other guys.

Local acts get ready for the stage on Saturday

By Joanne Gonnerman
Kannapolis Citizen
Did you hear there’s a new sound in town? And a new comedy act to boot? The world of stage performance is alive and well in Kannapolis and Cabarrus County.
First of all, a new, eight-member saxophone ensemble debuted four months ago as part of the Piedmont Prime Time Community Band (PPTCB).
The members, all volunteer musicians with the PPTCB, directed by Jon Hutchinson, established the group to have an opportunity to play and perform together.
“We are a diverse group of people from different backgrounds coming together to perform music,” said Ed Harper, 23, tenor saxophone player. “We started practicing together as an ensemble about five months ago. The Christmas concert was our first public performance. We’ll have another chance to play for the public on Saturday, April 12, at the Old Courthouse Theatre in Concord.”
The ensemble will perform a range of music from Big Band tunes to classical music, and popular tunes like “The Pink Panther” and “Moon River.”
Members of the saxophone ensemble include Mary Ellen Williams and Kenny Hurst on baritone sax; Andrew Kropp, Ron Turbyfill, Marilyn Barringer and Andrew Reckard on alto sax; and Sean Simmons and Ed Harper on tenor sax.
“We are eight people who just love to play,” said Turbyfill, a former band and chorus teacher. “Being in the band takes you back to a place and time when we were all younger. It’s like being in the 11th grade again.”
“These people are wonderful players,” added Turbyfill. “The youngest member of the ensemble is Andrew Reckard, a sophomore in high school, who just a while back was just learning to play. We tease him about jumping in deep water as we play some pretty difficult music. He’s not a beginner anymore.”
The sax ensemble will be at The Old Courthouse Theatre as part of the fundraising event called “An Evening of Tremendous Treasures.” The event includes live and silent auctions, performances by Old Courthouse Theatre actors, refreshments and guided tours of the facility. Shows for the 2008-2009 season will also be announced and Kannapolis’ own William L. “Whit” Whitley, a funeral home director and civic leader, will host the event providing entertainment as “The Novelty Nutty-Buddy.”
And what exactly is “The Novelty Nutty-Buddy?”
“I do a little stand-up monologue, a little music, and a little story-telling,” said Whitley, “but I can’t say anything else because I don’t want to spill the beans. I’m taking comedy in a new direction.”
Drawing from great comedians such as Jonathon Winters, Lilly Tomlin, Carol Burnette and Vicky Lawrence, Whitley has developed his character called the Novelty Nutty-Buddy. Whitley has also created his first professional DVD, “A Mesmerizing Affair” which won first place honors in the music video category in the International Indie Short Film Competition in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., in 2007.
“I was thrilled,” said Whitley, as he shared his DVD. “I’m 52 years old and this is like a second childhood. I’m doing something good for myself.”
Whitley said his family has been very supportive of his decision to start a second career in stand-up comedy.
“My girls, that’s my wife, Karan and four daughters, have been very encouraging. They say, ‘Go for it.’ ”
Whitley writes original material for his monologues, saying that will be his trademark.
“I use storytelling, characterization, voice accents, facial expressions and props to connect to my audience. I am definitely animated,” he said.
Whitley has entertained area citizens for years as an actor in several Piedmont Players productions in Salisbury, and has entertained civic clubs and churches with his comedy. Between 1982 and 1997, Whitley was an oratorical coach with the Kannapolis Noon Optimist Club assisting seventh- and eighth- grade students.
“I’ve watched kids get up and speak in front of audiences with confidence,” Whitley said. “I believe some of those kids feel like they got a new lease on life.”
Inspiration for Whitley’s “The Novelty Nutty-Buddy” comes from varied reading material, songbooks, even dictionary words. But Whitley does not draw upon his profession for material.
“I have too much respect and dignity for the profession,” said Whitley. “There is no parody in my act on the funeral business. I read a lot and I study a lot and I won’t ever use the funeral business for material. …
“I’m pretty resourceful,” said Whitley. “And when I make a mistake, I just go on. I don’t let a mistake be a mistake. I like to start out going places no one knows where I’m going.”

Contact Joanne Gonnerman at 704-932-3336 or jgonnerman @kannapoliscitizen.com.

No joining fee in April

The year 1908 was when the Cannon Memorial YMCA opened for business, and 100 years later they are still serving the community with the same mission — to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body.
Over the years, the YMCA has evolved to meet the demands of the community it serves and the Kannapolis YMCA has more to offer than ever before. From fitness to family, there is something for everyone at the YMCA.
The Kannapolis YMCA features licensed childcare with nurturing, caring staff, an indoor pool that offers various group fitness and swimming opportunities and a quality facility with equipment for any level of exercise. But it’s not the walls and equipment inside the walls that makes this facility unique. It’s the people.
For 100 years, the staff at the YMCA has infused passion and heart into all of its programs. Members and guests are greeted with a smiling face and a new friend. A growing community has no greater advocate than the YMCA.
During the month of April, the YMCA is dropping the joining fee when you sign up for a Branch Plus membership. With Branch Plus, members have access to all three Cannon Memorial YMCA locations (Kannapolis, Concord and Harrisburg). For rates and membership, stop by the YMCA or visit www.cannon ymca.org.
The YMCA Moment will appear in the Kannapolis Citizen occasionally throughout this year, as the YMCA celebrates 100 years.

How a kindergartner taught me to read

By Alyssa Halipilias
Kannapolis Middle School

As a little girl in school, I began to read,
My teachers told me it was something I would need.
I was a good student and wanted to do my best,
But reading books was not my life-long quest.

I knew that reading was so very important,
To me it seemed dull and even quite boring,
Until one day when a teacher read me a book
About a funny kindergarten girl and I swallowed the hook.

Her name was Junie — Junie B. Jones,
She made me laugh with her crazy antics.
She sucked me into her funny world,
Off to the library and to the bookstores I hurled.

I couldn’t get enough of this mischievous girl.
When I got a new book I would sit in my room
Curled up in my bed reading with delight,
Anxious to see how Junie would get out of her latest plight.
At the time I couldn’t see what had happened to me.

Reading had engulfed me in a world of fantasy.
A place where I could laugh,
A character I could like
An appreciation for reading — a new experience for me.

So Junie B. Jones, you taught me to read,
With accuracy, enjoyment and at just the right speed.
And now in the corner of my bookshelf still stands
A section that’s devoted to you.

I’m older now, and my books have changed,
But your little section will not be rearranged.
Each time when I see it, I’ll always remember
You taught me to read and it made my life better.

Alyssa Halipilias is an eighth-grader at Kannapolis Middle School and a member of the Greater Cabarrus Reading Association.
Send your original works to jmorris@ kannapoliscitizen.com.

Police Chief Ira T. Chapman’s era

By Norris Dearmon
For the Kannapolis Citizen
On Feb. 24, 1928, Deputy Ira T. Chapman was sworn in as chief of police for Kannapolis. As a deputy, he had served under Chief Boger since 1924, during the period known as the Roaring ’20s.
Liquor was in much demand. When that happens, men always try to accommodate the demand in order to make a lot of money. Illegal distilleries were in operation everywhere, including Cabarrus County. Whenever the nation went dry, naturally, the illegal trade became more widespread.
The newspapers were full of stories about the trade. Headlines included:
• May 13, 1925: “Probation Officer Moore and Sheriff Chapman discovered Distillery” (Chapman was actually Chief by then, but the Concord reporters usually referred to all Kannapolis policemen as deputies.)
• June 6, 1926: “Policeman J.A. Hinson and I.T. Chapman capture a liquor car”
• April 3, 1928: “Deputy Sheriffs I.T. Chapman and Love Nussman find whisky”
• Sept. 19, 1929: “Chief Chapman, Officers Walter Tesh and Love Nussman, raid Jim Huntley’s Bootleg Den in Dark Town Section of Centerview”
• April 5, 1930: “J.L. Moore is named as one of the Federal Agents in Liquor raids in Cabarrus County”
• April 7, 1930: “Deputy Marshall Gorman, Prohibition Agent J.L. Moore and Chief of Police Ira T. Chapman arrest two more bootleggers”
Robert L. “Bob” Ketchie once told me a story about him, in his early years as deputy, and other deputies who were staking out a bootlegger’s house one night. They were lying in the grass and weeds on the ground behind the house. The lady of the house doused them with a dishpan full of water and garbage thrown off the back porch. It was dark and she did not see them. They eventually made the raid after brushing themselves off.
Officers busted many more stills and dens and made other liquor-related arrests. In Kannapolis, if a person who worked for Cannon Mills was arrested, he or she would be terminated upon returning to work. Mr. Cannon paid the salaries of the policemen and would not employ anyone who broke the law or came to work drunk.
No doubt this kept the crime rate down, and fewer police were needed. Of course, liquor-related arrests were not the only arrests made. Accidents, rapes, murders, stabbings and many other crimes were included in their reports.
Chief Chapman was written up in a national magazine for solving a murder that was committed on Chestnut Street.
In March 1939, Floyd Holhouser was driving his sister, Lillie Holhouser, and his young sister-in-law, Elsie Misenheimer, to visit a friend. They stopped at a house on Chestnut Street, next to a Texaco service station on the corner of A Street and Chestnut Street, to let his sister go into the house for something. She told Floyd to keep Elsie company.
As Lillie left, he turned to Elsie and said, “When my sister says a minute, that could mean half the night.” Elsie noticed a rapidly moving figure approaching the open door of the car. She yelled, “Floyd! Look out!”
A figure blocked the open doorway and hurled himself into the car. He rammed his fist into Floyd’s side and said, “Get going buddy! Fast!”
Elsie jumped from the back seat screaming. In an instant, Floyd threw his 170-pound body sideways, hurling the stranger out of the car with Holhouser after him. Suddenly flashes of light jumped from the gun as two bursts of sound boomed. Holhouser fell to the ground. The shooter fled.
Within 10 minutes, Chief Chapman and other deputies arrived on the scene. Soon an ambulance arrived and took Holhouser to the hospital. The two young women gave Chapman as many details as they could. The chief called Lee McCarn and Robert Ketchie, who were trying to keep the crowd away from the car. He told the deputies to get some men out of the crowd and search the nearby neighborhood. Unfortunately, nothing was found.
Soon, the chief had all the town deputies arresting vagrants and loiterers everywhere to keep them from leaving town.
Within the hour, Dr. W.R. Floyd called and said Holhouser was dead. He had two wounds. One was in the mouth and the other in the temple, which was lodged in the skull.
“Was he powder-burned?” asked Chapman.
“No,” replied the doctor.
The chief thought that was unusual since he had scuffled with his killer. He said, “He must have been a sharp-shooter.”
McCarn told Chapman about two similar, recent incidents involving an ex-convict, and it could be the same killer.
The next morning, the two women were able to give Chief Chapman a better description of the killer. They said they thought he had red hair and was wearing a wide-brimmed grey hat. Two other girls, who had also seen the shooting, gave a similar story. There was not much to go on.
Robert Ketchie, locally famous for his memory, thought for a moment and said to Chapman, “There was some trouble down at the town park once. A fight. Do you think it means anything?”
“It could,” said Chapman. “If Holhouser was in a fight, there might be some lingering grudge.”
Late that afternoon, Lee McCarn made two arrests at the freight yards. A stocky, red-haired man was carrying a .44 automatic, which had been recently fired. He gave his name as Perry Hendricks, from Atlanta, Ga.
“I’ve been target practicing,” he said. “You don’t think I bumped that guy do you? I just got into town at 10 p.m. last night.”
Chapman walked over to Hendricks.
“Had breakfast?”
“No sir,” he replied. “I haven’t been out of the hobo camp.”
“Seen the papers?” Chapman then asked.
Hendricks shook his head.
“Haven’t seen nothing,” he said.
“Then how did you know a man had been killed?” Chapman asked.
“Some of the guys told me,” he replied. He was held, pending the location of some of the men whose names he had given.
Another development came in early evening. Macon Furr, a respected local citizen, called the chief. He gave an account of what he had seen the night before. While driving down First Street, a man had darted out in front of him, and he had almost hit him. He got a good look at him when his headlight beams flashed on him.
“He was really chunky and sort of red-hair, I think,” Furr told Chapman. “The funny thing was that he was carrying a hat all crunched up.”
Furr took Chapman to the intersection where he had seen the man. It was the same corner where the blood hounds had lost his scent when they had tried to track down the killer earlier.
“That’s the fellow,” said Chapman. “At least we have a witness who had a good look at him.”
After more diligent detective work by the chief and his deputies, the killer was brought to trial, convicted and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
The real name of the killer is not given for privacy reasons. The name given when he was arrested proved to be incorrect.
I often think we never give our police enough credit for all they do. I get a laugh out of the line Chief Paul Brown once told me when we were having a Red Cross Blood Drive and the officers were not showing up.
“They would rather face a bullet than a needle,” he said.
They do have a timid side of their life. Say thanks to one the next time you see him or her.
•
Dearmon is a local historian and member of the Kannapolis History Associates. He volunteers in the Hinson History Room at the Kannapolis Library.

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