Mary Pitchford

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Mary Pitchford, 87, a native of Seaboard, died March 9, 2005, at Maryview Medical Center. She was the widow of Isaac Pitchford.

Mrs. Pitchford was a Jehovah's Witness.

Survivors include three daughters, Mae Parker and Shirley Sherrard, both of Portsmouth and Barbara A. Vaughn of Chesapeake; a son, James Kee of Portsmouth; a sister, Audie Boone of Sea-board; three brothers, Joseph Roberts of Garysburg, Collie Roberts of Newark, N.J., and Charles Roberts of Philadelphia, Pa.; a host of grandchildren, great- grandchildren and great- great-grandchildren.

A funeral will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday in Corprew Funeral Home Chapel, Portsmouth, by Brother Harris. Burial will be in Roosevelt Memorial Park, Chesapeake. The family will assemble at the funeral home at 10:45 a.m. Saturday. The family will be at 1045 Washington Drive, Great Bridge Section, Chesapeake. Condolences may be sent to www.corprewfuneralhome.com

Cyrus D. Howell Jr.

AHOSKIE – Cyrus Douglas Howell Jr., 60, a native of Southampton County, Va., died March 13, 2005, in Roanoke-Chowan Hospital.

Howell was a member of First Baptist Church of Ahoskie and was very active in both First Baptist Church and Buckhorn Baptist Church, Como. He was an Air Force veteran of the Vietnam conflict.

Survivors include his wife, Linda F. Howell; daughters, Barbara Basnight of Cofield, Wendy Davenport of Charlotte, Tina Pennington and Donna Farmer, both of Ahoskie; sons, Scott Farmer of Williamston, Donnie Farmer of Charlotte, and Michael Farmer of Greenville; a sister, Lucinda Glover of Raleigh; two brothers, Philip Howell and Sammy Howell, both of Como; numerous grandchildren; and great grandchildren

A celebration of life service will be conducted at 2 p.m. Tuesday in Garrett Funeral Home, Ahoskie, by the Rev. Dr. Jesse J. Croom Jr. Burial will be in Highland Memorial Gardens.

John R. Darden Jr.

ISLE OF WIGHT – John Robert Darden Jr., 91, a native of Isle of Wight, died March 12, 2005, after a brief illness. He was the widower of Jane Warner Darden.

Darden was a retired farmer. He was an honorary member of the Isle of Wight Ruritans, who was best known by the club as &uot;Easy Going.&uot; He was also an honorary member of Darden’s Store Hunt Club. Mr. Darden was a lifetime member of Uzzell United Methodist Church.

Survivors include two daughters, Joanne D. Jones of Smithfield and Jacqueline D. Horsley of Ahoskie; two sons, John R. &uot;Bobby&uot; Darden III and Ronald D. Darden, both of Smithfield; 14 grandchildren; and 24 great- grandchildren.

A celebration of life service will be conducted at 2 p.m. Tuesday in Uzzell United Methodist Church by the Rev. Jerry Sauls and Carl LeMon. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Colonial Funeral Home, Smithfield, is in charge. The family suggests memorials take the form of contributions to Uzzell United Methodist Church, c/o Kay Bracey, 15208 Bowling Green Road, Windsor, VA 23487.

Leslie B. Harden Sr.

CHESAPEAKE, Va. – Leslie B. Harden Sr., 87, a native of Bertie County, died March 12, 2005. He was the widower of Eunice V. Harden.

Harden was a foreman for J.G. Wilson Corporation for more than 40 years.

Survivors include his son, Leslie B. Harden Jr. of Chesapeake; his daughter, Vivian C. Chumley of Elizabeth City; and four grandchildren.

A graveside service will be conducted at 2 p.m. Tuesday in the Hillcrest Cemetery, Colerain. Oman Funeral Home & Crematory, Francis Gay Chapel, 1146 Rodgers St., South Norfolk, is in charge. Friends are invited to sign the register book and send condolences at www.omanfh.com.

Grace Yinson Wheeler

PORTSMOUTH, Va. – Grace Yinson Wheeler, 92, a native of Murfreesboro, died March 10, 2005. She was the widow of Grady Wheeler.

Mrs. Wheeler was also a member of Bethany Baptist Church, Portsmouth, for more than 50 years.

She is survived by her sister, Connie Bolt; three sisters-in-law; and a brother-in-law.

A graveside funeral was conducted Monday in the Town of Conway Cemetery, Conway. Loving Funeral Home, Churchland Chapel, was in charge. Condolences may be made at www.lovingfuneralhome.com .

Ralph R. Nowell

AHOSKIE n Ralph Ronald "Ronnie" Nowell, 61, a native of Halifax County, died March 11, 2005 at his home. He was the widower of his first wife, Sachiko Kudo Nowell.

A graveside funeral was conducted Sunday at Crestwood Cemetery, Weldon. Memorial gifts may be made to University Hospital, Hospice, PO Box 272, Ahoskie, NC 27910. Walker Funeral Home, Windsor, was in charge.

Nowell was an electrical contractor with William Cooke Contractors, a member of Weldon First Baptist Church and a Navy veteran of Vietnam.

Survivors include his wife, Jane Parks Nowell of Ahoskie; a daughter, Stephanie N. Spencer of Greenville; a son, Michael Nowell of Ahoskie; two stepdaughters, Amy Lee Daugherty of Americus, Ga., and Dana Lee White of Windsor; brother, Gary Nowell of Kinston; four sisters, Gail Knight of Roanoke Rapids, and Mildred Blau, Jane Faett and Connie Bayrer, all of Virginia; and two grandsons.

Louise S. Baker

WILLIAMSTON n Louise Sortino Baker, 87, a native of Georgia, died March 11, 2004 in Plymouth.

A graveside funeral was conducted Sunday in Hillcrest Cemetery, Colerain, by the Rev. Preston Jernigan. Walker Funeral Home, Windsor, was in charge.

Mrs. Baker was a former homemaker and a member of Hebron Baptist Church.

Survivors include two daughters, Lena E. Northcott of Colerain and Antoinette S. Cobb of Ahoskie; two sons, John Sortino of New Bern and Salvatore Sortino of Aulander; 10 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Lacie M. Jenkins

AHOSKIE n Mrs. Lacie Morris Jenkins, died March 9, 2005 at Guardian Care Nursing Home, Ahoskie.

A funeral will be conducted at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Reynolds Funeral Home Chapel, Ahoskie, by the Rev. Jerome Knight. Burial will be in Roosevelt Memorial Park, Chesapeake, Va.

Survivors include granddaughter; two great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren.

Mary Peters

ROANOKE RAPIDS n Mary Peters, died March 13, 2005 at his residence.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete. H.D. Pope Funeral Home, Roanoke Rapids, is in charge.

Viva Pollard

ROXOBEL n Mrs. Viva W. Baker Pollard, age 68, died at the Roanoke-Chowan Hospital in Ahoskie on Saturday, March 12, 2005. Mrs. Pollard was a native of Emporia, VA.

She was married to Donald Ray Baker, Sr. from 1953 to 1982. She was married to Theodore "Ted" Pollard from 1983 to 2004. Mrs. Pollard worked for the Newport News Shipyard in Newport News, VA for some eighteen years. She and Ted moved to Roxobel in 1992 following retirement. Preceding her in death are her two husbands and her mother, Clara Elizabeth Rawls and her father, Frank King White.

Survivors include her daughter, Connie Sue Mitchum and her husband Joseph of Tyler, TX; two sons, Donald Ray Baker, Jr. and his wife, Helen of Roxobel, NC and David Roy Baker and his wife, Jean of Gloucester, VA; her stepdaughter, Lori Marie Trievel and her husband, Tom of Norfolk, VA; and her stepson, Richard Allen Pollard and his wife, Joann M. of Fort St. Lucie, FL; two sisters, Annie Mae Castagna and Virginia Lee Jilcott, both of Tarboro, NC; two brothers, James White and his wife, May of Stem, NC and Charles White and his wife, Charlotte of Roxobel, NC.

Also surviving are the sister and brother of the late Donald Ray Baker, Sr., Ann J. Baker of Tarboro, NC and Vernon L. Baker and his wife, Charlene of Richmond, VA. Surviving also is a nephew that was raised by Mrs. Pollard, Gary W. White and his wife, Brenda of Gretna, VA along with nineteen grandchildren and twenty-five great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be conducted on Thursday, March 17, 2005 at 2 p.m. at the Oak Grove Baptist Church in Aulander, NC, with the Rev. Bob Skeens officiating. The burial will follow in the Roxobel-Kelford Cemetery in Roxobel, NC.

The family will receive friends at Sykes Funeral Service in Rich Square, NC, on Wednesday evening from 7-8:30 p.m.

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, PO Box 102454, Atlanta, GA 30368-2454 or Oak Grove Baptist Church, PO Box 247, Aulander, NC 27805.

Cyrus D. Howell, Jr.

AHOSKIE n Cyrus Douglas Howell, Jr., 60, died March 13, 2005, at Roanoke-Chowan Hospital. He was the son of Cyrus Douglas Howell and Catherine Brett Howell.

He is survived by his wife of 21 years, Linda Farmer Howell and seven children, Scott Farmer of Williamston, Barbara Basnight of Petty Shores, Donnie Farmer, Jr. of Charlotte, Mike Farmer of Greenville, Wendy Davenport of Charlotte, Tina Pennington of Ahoskie and Donna Farmer of Ahoskie. He was also the father of the late David Farmer and Jackie Farmer. He had twenty-four grandchildren; and seventeen great-grandchildren.

In addition, he is survived by a sister, Lucinda Glover of Raleigh; and two brothers, Philip Howell and Sammy Howell, both of Como. He has two nieces and five nephews.

Doug was a graduate of Murfreesboro High School, a member of the United States Air Force and proudly served in Vietnam. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Ahoskie where he lovingly served on the staff in his latter years.

To describe his legacy is to say that any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad. He generously shared his life and love with those whose paths he crossed.

A Celebration of life service will be conducted today, March 15, 2005, at Garrett Funeral Home, Ahoskie, with the Rev. Dr. Jesse J. Croom, officiating. Burial will follow in Highland Memorial Gardens.

Garrett Funeral Home, Ahoskie, is serving the Howell family.