Obituaries Nov. 19, 2008

Fred Dennis

CONCORD — Fred William Dennis, 92, Crescent Heights, died Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008, at The Bob and Carolyn Tucker Hospice House. 

Born Feb. 4, 1916, he was the son of the late Joe and Stella Corzine Dennis. He graduated from Davidson College in 1938 and served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He owned Dennis Furniture Co. He was a member of Central UMC and the Concord Rotary Club, where he was a Paul Harris Fellow, and the North Carolina Rotarian of the Year in 2007. 

He was preceded in death by his wife, Sue Batte Dennis.

Survivors include daughters Susan Kennerly, Greensboro, Ginger Miyamoto, Columbia, Md., and Nancy Jo King, Concord; six grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.

A service was held Sunday, Nov. 16, 2008, at Central United Methodist Church, conducted by the Rev. Andy Langford. Burial with military rites, Oakwood Cemetery.

Memorials: Hospice and Palliative Care of Cabarrus County, 5003 Hospice Lane, Kannapolis, NC 28001 or Central United Methodist Church, 30 Union St. N., Concord, NC 28025. 

Wilkinson Funeral Home was in charge.

Mary Eudy

CONCORD — Mary Catherine Furr Cooke Eudy, 79, 6477 Mount Pleasant Road S., died Friday, Nov. 7, 2008.

Born Dec. 19, 1928, she was the daughter of the late Timothy Henry and Ola Mae Drye Furr. She was a self-employed hair stylist. She was a member of St. Martin Lutheran Church and a Meals on Wheels volunteer. 

She was preceded in death by her first husband, George M. Cooke Jr. 

Survivors include husband Mack Reade Eudy; son Steve Cooke, Apex; daughters Marilyn Barringer, Mount Pleasant, and Susan Standish,Charlotte; brothers Henry Lee  and Ray H. Furr, both of Concord; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

A service was held at St. Martin Lutheran Church, conducted by the Rev. Marvin Honeycutt and the Rev. T.C. Plexico. Burial, church cemetery. 

Memorials: Hospice & Palliative Care of Cabarrus County, 5003 Hospice Lane, Kannapolis, NC, 28081 or St. Martin Lutheran Church, 5469 NC Highway 200, Concord, NC, 28025. 

Hartsell Funeral Home is assisting the family.

Vachel Basinger

KANNAPOLIS — Vachel Lee Basinger, 76, died Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008, at his home. 

Born Aug. 16, 1932, he was the son of the late Walter I.  and Bessie Mae Sloop Basinger. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and retired in 1994 from Pillowtex Corp. He was a member of Memorial United Methodist Church.

He is survived by Ann Fesperman Basinger, his wife of 53 years; sons Ricky Basinger, Kannapolis, and Darrell Basinger, Huntersville; brother Gene Basinger, Concord; and six grandchildren.

A service was held Saturday, Nov. 15, 2008,  at Memorial United Methodist Church, conducted by the Rev. Jim Brookshire. Burial, Carolina Memorial Park.

Memorials: Memorial United Methodist Church, 1100 W. C St., Kannapolis, NC 28081 or Hospice & Palliative Care of Cabarrus County, 5003 Hospice Lane, Kannapolis, NC 28081

Whitley’s Funeral Home is assisting the family.

Rudd Farrington 

CHINA GROVE — Rudd James Farrington, 85, China Grove, died Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008, at Britthaven of Charlotte. 

Mr. Farrington was born June 25, 1923, in Ashe County, a son of the late John and Melinda “Cordie” Osborne Farrington. 

Rudd owned and operated Farrington Brothers Lumber Co. with his brother, Donald William Farrington. He was a World War II Army veteran serving with the 389th AAA. He was a member of Immanuel Presbyterian Church in China Grove. 

Survivors include his wife, Juanita Branham Farrington; sons Jim and Mike Farrington, both of China Grove; five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren; and sisters Marie Lambert, Salisbury, and Johnsie Earnhardt, Concord. 

Services were Saturday, Nov. 15, 2008, at Wilkinson Funeral Home with the Rev. Mary Hatley officiating. Graveside Saturday at Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, Laurel Springs (Peak Creek Community) with military rites. 

Memorials: American Diabetes Association, Charlotte Office, 222 Church St., Charlotte, NC 28202. 

Wilkinson Funeral Home of Concord in charge. 

Doris Pharr

CONCORD — Doris Lee White Pharr, 74, 504 Honduras St., died Monday, Nov, 10, 2008, at her residence. 

Born Dec. 7, 1935, she was the daughter of the late Clifford L. and Luvenia L. White.

She was preceded in death by husband Charles William Pharr Sr.

Survivors include sons Charles W. Pharr and Kenneth Pharr, of the home, and Raford Pharr, California; daughters Jeweldine Steele, Kay Frances P. Hill, and Franise Pharr, all of Concord, and Geraldine Carr, Charlotte; Jebirel Abdw-Raheem and Twann Pharr, Charlotte; six sisters and three brothers; four grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.

A service was held Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008, at Pleasant Grove AME Zion Church in Harrisburg, conducted by the Rev. James Milton II.  Burial, church cemetery.

Brenda Walker

CONCORD — Brenda Lee Walker, 62, 102 Cory Ave. S.W., died Friday, Nov. 7, 2008, at CMC-NorthEast. 

She was the daughter of the late Willie James and Maggie Lee Townsend. She was a member of New Life Baptist Church. 

She was preceded in death by her husband, Franklin Walker. 

Survivors include daughter Felecia Wilson, of the home; sons Curtis Lee Anderson Jr., Kannapolis, Roosevelt Walker Jr., Salisbury, and Willie James Anderson, Tabor City; brothers James Edward Townsend, Florida, and Ernest Bostick, Concord.

A service was held Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008, at New Life Baptist Church. 

Kelsey Funeral Home is assisting the family. 

Doris Love

MIDLAND — Doris Elaine Love, 43, died Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008, at Presbyterian Hospital, Matthews. 

Born Dec. 9, 1964, she was the daughter of Emma Washington Cunningham.

Survivors include husband Sedrick Love, Locust; father Bobby Ray Mobley, Kannapolis; mother and stepfather, Emma Lee and Frank Cunningham, Midland; daughters Kimberly and Cedricka Love, both of Concord; brothers Terry Washington, Concord, and Bobby Ray Mobley Jr., Kannapolis; sister Pernita Hampton, Concord; grandmother Marjorie Moser and stepgrandfather Frank Moser, Midland; and four grandchildren. 

Services were Monday, Nov. 17, 2008, at Hartsell Funeral Home, conducted by Doug Fincher.

Joel Fowler Jr.

CONCORD — Joel Vester Fowler Jr., 80, 515 Lake Concord Road, formerly of Landis, died Saturday, Nov. 8, 2008, at Carolinas Medical Center-NorthEast.

Mr. Fowler was born Jan. 22, 1928, in Cabarrus County to the late Joel “Beck” Vester Fowler Sr., and Matilda Hilton Fowler.

Mr. Fowler served in the Navy during World War II. He was a minister and member of Truth Temple Church in Kannapolis.

Surviving are his wife, Janet Faw Fowler; daughters Sharan Wilson, Concord and Michele Thompson, Kannapolis; sister Faye Stewart, Landis; brothers Frank and Wayne Fowler, both of Landis, Larry Fowler, Salisbury; four grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Services were Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008, at Hartsell Funeral Home, with the Rev. Gary Posey officiating. Burial, Carolina Memorial Park,  Kannapolis, with military rites by Cabarrus County Veterans Honor Guard.

Memorials: National Kidney Foundation, 5950 Fairview Road, Charlotte, NC 28210.

Stephen Duffy Jr.

KANNAPOLIS — Stephen Patrick Duffy Jr., 23, 1319 Mount Vernon Ave., died Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008.

Born Oct. 6, 1985, he was the son of Stephen Patrick Duffy Sr. and Teresa Dean Gant Duffy, both of Huntersville. He was self-employed as a roofer, carpenter and painter. He was a member of Parkwood Baptist Church. 

In addition to his parents, survivors include sister Renee Collins, Concord; paternal grandparents Leroy and Weece Duffy, Charlotte; and maternal grandparents Dewey and Christine Gant, Asheville. 

A service was held Monday, Nov. 17, 2008, at Parkwood Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. Darrell Coble. Burial, Carolina Memorial Park. 

Memorials: Humane Society of Concord and Greater Cabarrus County, P.O. Box 3104, Concord, NC, 28025. 

Hartsell Funeral Home is assisting the family.

Billy Michael

LINCOLNTON — Billy Lee Michael Sr., 69, 1756 Woolie Road, died Friday, Nov. 14, 2008. 

Born in Lincoln County, he was the son of the late John William and Eunice Mae Ingle Michael. He worked for the Lincoln County Maintenance Department. 

Survivors include wife Judy Houser Michael; son Billy Lee Michael Jr., Lincolnton; daughter Lori Michael Sronce, Lincolnton; sister Jeanette Houser, Concord;  stepchildren Sharon Barbee, Wanda Houser and Melvin Houser, all of Concord; three grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and six step-grandchildren. 

A service was held Monday, Nov. 17, 2008, at Union Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. Gary Saunders. Burial, Union Baptist Church Cemetery.  

Memorials: Union Baptist Church, 2801 McCorkle Road, Lincolnton, NC 28092.

Warlick Funeral Home is serving the family.

Rufus Patterson

ROCKWELL — Rufus Simpson Patterson, 87, Rockwell, died Monday, Nov. 10, 2008, at Genesis Eldercare, Salisbury.  

Born Dec. 12, 1920, in Rowan County, he was the son of the late Robert and Daisy Fisher Patterson. He was a graduate of Rockwell High School.  

A veteran of the U.S. Army Air Corps, serving during World War II, he was a member of Keller Memorial Masonic Lodge and Lyerly Evangelical Church, both in Rockwell. He was a board member of Nazareth Children’s Home for a number of years. He was a supervisor for Cannon Mills Co., from which he retired.  

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Edith Kincaid Patterson; sons David Patterson, Rockwell, and Paul Patterson, Landis; brother Bob Patterson, Greenville, S.C.; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Services were Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008, at Lyerly Evangelical Church, Rockwell, with the Rev. Junior Gaither. Burial, church cemetery.  

Memorials: Nazareth Children’s Home, P.O. Box 1438, Rockwell, NC 28138.

Lyerly Funeral Home is serving the family.

Jacob Wilson

KANNAPOLIS — Jacob Wilson, 65, Charlotte, formerly of Kannapolis, died Friday, Nov. 7, 2008, at Presbyterian Hospital.  

He was the son of the late Jacob and Alberta Richardson Wilson. He worked for Fieldcrest Cannon.

Survivors include wife Celia Wilson; daughters Angela Wilson, Candice Campbell and Pamela Reid, all of Kannapolis; sons Kerry Wilson and Cecil Jackson, both of Charlotte, and Robin Scott, Conyers, Ga.; sisters Louise Laney, Long Branch, N.J., Patricia Wilson-Ross, Brandon, Miss., and Brenda K. Ritter, Queens, N.Y.; brother Ralph L. Wilson, Kannapolis; and 12 grandchildren.

A service was held Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008, at Victory Christian Center in Charlotte conducted by pastor Robyn Gool. Burial, Crown Memorial Park, Pineville. 

Kannapolis Mortuary is assisting the family. 

Arrie Butler

KANNAPOLIS — Arrie Lucille Bost Butler, 88, 2910 N. Main St., died Sunday, Nov. 9, 2008, at her residence. 

Born Sept. 6, 1920, she was the daughter of the late Roy  and Dollie White Bost. She was a member of First Baptist Church and the Eastern Star. 

Survivors include daughters Lorna Butler, Kannapolis, and Joan Butler, Elizabeth, N.J.; son Michael Rose; sisters Alberta Whitfield and Nellie Russell, both of Kannapolis, and Rachel Cagle, Albemarle; four grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren. 

A service was held Friday, Nov. 14, 2008, at First Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. Henry McNeill. Burial, National Cemetery in Salisbury. 

Clark Funeral Home is assisting the family.

Thomas Neill Jr.

SPENCER — Thomas Carlton Neill Jr., 82, 200 N. Yadkin Ave., died Friday, Nov. 14, 2008, at his home after a year of declining health.

He was born April 24, 1926, to the late Thomas C. Neill Sr. and Mary Frazier Neill. Mr. Neill was a 1944 graduate of Spencer High School and a World War II U.S. Navy veteran of the Iwo Jima and Okinawa campaigns. He worked at Taylor Mfg. Co. in Salisbury, the town of Spencer and retired from Power Curbers Inc.  

Mr. Neill served as a special deputy for the Rowan  County Sheriff’s Office and as a town alderman, volunteer firefighter and auxiliary police officer for the town of Spencer. He was a former deacon and choir member of First Baptist Church, Spencer, and was a member of Spencer Masonic Lodge 543, Spencer Moose Lodge and the Scottish Rite Temple of Greensboro.

Mr. Neill was preceded in death by his wife, Peggy Boger Neill, on Feb. 21, 2002.

Survivors include companion Vi Payne, Spencer; children Thomas C. Neill III, Lexington, Julie N. Barchfeld, Louisville, Ky., Cindy E. Neill; one grandchild; and brother Dob McCarn, Kannapolis. 

Services were Monday, Nov. 17, 2008, at First Baptist Church of Spencer with the Rev. Franklin Myers officiating. Burial with Masonic rites at Rowan Memorial Park.  

Memorials: Hospice and Palliative Care Center, 512 Klumac Rd., Suite 3, Salisbury NC 28144.

Summersett Funeral Home is serving the Neill family.

Effie Childers

CONCORD — Effie Mae Adams Childers, 95, 5316 Almeda Place, died Monday, Nov. 10, 2008, at Olde Knox Commons at the Village of Mecklenburg. 

Born March 18, 1913, she was the daughter of the late George and Sarah Adams. She was a homemaker and attended Landis Baptist Church. 

She was preceded in death by her husband, Wakefield Childers, and two sons. 

Survivors include daughters Claudine McClamrock, Kannapolis, and Maxine Arrowood, Concord; son Frankie Childers, Salisbury; 15 grandchildren; and numerous great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. 

A service was held Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008, at Whitley’s Funeral Home, conducted by the Rev. Harold Parker and the Rev. Eddie Graham. Burial, West Lawn Memorial Park in China Grove.

George Bostian

MOORE COUNTY — George William Bostian, 65, of Moore County, died Nov. 15, 2008.

Mr. Bostian was born on Oct. 4, 1943, in Salisbury to Margaret Wain Bostian Weant, Granite Quarry, and the late William R. Bostian Jr. He graduated from East Rowan High School in 1961.

He was in the U.S. Air Force 1962-1966. He  attended Central Piedmont Community College and UNCC.

He taught at Queens University, Charlotte. Before retiring in 1998, he was a self-employed trainer/consultant and technical writer/editor.

He was a member of Seigle Avenue Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, then Christ Episcopal Church, Albemarle.

Survived include his wife of 26 years, Katherine M. “Katie” Dunlap.

Services were Monday, Nov. 17, 2008, at Christ Episcopal Church, Albemarle.

Memorials: Donate blood to American Red Cross or donate to Stained Glass Window fund, Christ Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 657, Albemarle, NC 28001.

Phillips Funeral Home is assisting the family.

Beatrice Blount

SALISBURY — Beatrice Henderson Blount, 86, 1735 Long Ferry Road, died Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008, at Rowan Regional Medical Center.

Mrs. Blount was born Dec. 18, 1921, in Salisbury, a daughter of the late Leon and Lula Buford Henderson. Educated in the Salisbury city schools, she was a graduate of Price High School. She received a bachelor of science degree from Livingstone College and a master’s of education degree in natural science from UNC-Greensboro.

Mrs. Blount taught for 30 years in the Salisbury school system as a science teacher at Lincoln Elementary School and as a nature specialist at the Supplementary Education Center, now known as Horizons Unlimited.

Mrs. Blount was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church. She was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Rowan-Salisbury Parks & Recreation Board, Bird Watchers Association of Rowan County, Retired Teachers Association and was a former member of the Board of Directors of Hospice.

A son, Reginald Drain, preceded her in death.

Survivors include daughter, Bonnie D. Robinson, Gibsonia, Pa.; four grandchildren; four great-grandsons; two great-granddaughters.

A funeral Mass was celebrated Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, conducted by the Rev. Noe Torres and the Rev. Thomas Clement. Burial, Oakwood Cemetery.

Mitchell & Fair Funeral Service was in charge.