Jan D. Chamblee

GREENVILLE – Jan D. Chamblee, 54, died March 30, 2007.

The family received friends Monday from 7n9 p.m. at Wilkerson Funeral Home.

Chamblee was a native of Hertford County.

He attended Chowan College and Atlantic Christian College.

He was head of the floral department at Sunshine Garden Center in 1994 and 1995 and creative director at Holidecor from 1996 until 2004.

He was also a talented clothing designer, having designed for Tiffany’s Bridals and Formals, Claire’s Collection, and attire for numerous Miss North Carolina and Miss America contestants.

He is survived by brother, Melvin Chamblee of Ahoskie; and sisters, Sandra Chamblee of Pinetown and Nancie Hunnicutt of Aulander.

Curtis Mitchell Sr.

LEWISTON n Curtis “Curt” Mitchell Sr., 69, a native of Bertie County, died March 30, 2007 at Roanoke-Chowan Hospital, Ahoskie.

Mitchell was employed with Parker Metal Company, Baltimore, MD; and a member of Weeping Mary Baptist Church, Lewiston.

Survivors include his son, Curtis Mitchell Jr. of Baltimore; daughters, Sandra Lee Greene and Marinda Lee, both of Lewiston and Jane Elois Jones of Windsor; brother, Willie H. Mitchell Jr. of Lewiston; a sister, Verna Bazemore of Lewiston; there grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

A funeral was conducted Wednesday at Weeping Mary Baptist Church by the Rev. Johnnie Cofield. Burial was in the Veale family cemetery, Lewiston. Wilder’s Funeral Home, Inc., Aulander, was in charge.

Shirley Ann Langley

PORTSMOUTH, Va. – Shirley Ann Langley, 52, a native of Seaboard, died March 31, 2007, at Sentara Leigh Hospital.

Mrs. Langley was a member of First Baptist Church, Taylorsville, Portsmouth.

Survivors include her husband, Robert E. Langley; two sons, Dion Langley and Marvin Rodgers Briggs, both of Portsmouth; her mother, Doris Rodgers and her father, Frank Rodgers; three sisters, Julia McIntyre of Portsmouth, Gloria Miller and Doris Pittman, both of Chesapeake; one brother, Frank Rodgers Jr. of Portsmouth; and four grandchildren.

A funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. Friday at New First Baptist Church, Taylorsville, Portsmouth. Steele-Bullock Funeral Home is in charge. Viewing will begin Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. with a wake from 7 to 8 p.m. Family and friends may assemble at the residence for the procession to the church by 12:15 p.m.

Nora Wynn

AHOSKIE n Nora Wynn, 104, departed this life on Monday, April 2, 2007 at Guardian Care Nursing Home, Ahoskie, NC.

She was born on September 9, 1902 to the late Eddie and Mittie Holley Hardy in Bertie County, NC.

Services will be held on Thursday, April 5, 2007 at Zion Hill Baptist Church by the Rev. Nathaniel Thompson. Burial will be held in the church cemetery. Hunter’s Funeral Home, Inc., Ahoskie, is handling the services.

Thelma R. Rice

WINDSOR n Thelma Rhea “Sweet Pee” Rice, 73, a native of Bertie County, died April 1, 2007 at Pitt Memorial Hospital, Greenville.

A funeral will be conducted at 2 p.m. Friday at St. Matthew Baptist Church, Windsor, by the Rev. Michael Rice. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Wilder’s Funeral Home, Inc., Aulander, is in charge.

She was last employed as a nurse’s aide at Bertie Memorial Hospital. She was a member of St. Matthew Baptist Church.

Survivors include a son, Michael Rice of Windsor; daughters, Arretta Dudley of Windsor and Gwendolyn Rice of New York City, NY; sisters, Eunice Harmon of Windsor, Doris Wilder, Colleen Rice of Windsor and Clara Overton of Pittsburgh, Pa.; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Ruby E. Martin

PORTSMOUTH, Va. n Ruby E. Martin, 84, a native of Aulander, died April 2, 2007 at her home.

A funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. Thursday at Snellings Funeral Home, Churchland Chapel, by the Rev. Terry Taylor. Burial will be in Aulander Cemetery, Aulander. Condolences may be offered to the family at www.snellingsfuneralhome.com.

Mrs. Martin was a member of Port Norfolk Baptist Church.

Survivors include her husband, James E. Martin; a daughter, Sandra Elizabeth Cartwright; a sister, Mary Hunt of Aulander; two brothers, Robert Rawls of Aulander and Fred “Bud” Rawls of Woodland; and four grandchildren.

James E. Cowan

POWELLSVILLE n James Elton Cowan, 89, a native of Bertie County, died April 2, 2007, at the home of his daughter in Winterville.

Cowan was a long time member, deacon and Sunday school teacher at Powellsville Baptist Church. After college, James served in the U.S. Army as a Sergeant during WWII, mainly in North Africa and Italy.

He began working as a news reporter for the Hertford County Herald, and later the Elizabeth City Daily Advance and the Wilmington Star News. He then took up the printing trade and retired after 30 years of service with Pierce Printing Company in Ahoskie.

During the 1980’s, Mr. Cowan wrote a popular column for the Hertford County Herald, “Ripples in the Stream”, and wrote a number of articles about local history.

James was a long time active member in the Lion’s Club and other civic and community organizations, including the Powellsville “Scrub Club”.

Survivors include his wife, Doris Early Cowan; a son, Richard E. Cowan of Greenville; daughters, Celeste E. Cowan of Winterville and Gail C. Leyrer of Hamilton, OH; a sister, Mary Lou Jernigan; and a brother, Elbert Cowan, both of Windsor; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

A celebration service of Mr. Cowan’s life will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday at Garrett Funeral Home, Ahoskie, with the Rev. Ed Davis.

Burial will be in Highland Memorial Gardens.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 1:00 until 2:00 p.m. on Friday, prior to services.

You may express your condolences with donations to the Powellsville Baptist Church, P.O. Box 5, Powellsville, NC, 27967, or to University Health Systems Hospice Care, P.O. Box 272, Ahoskie, NC, 27910.

Jesse L. Ridley

COMO – Jesse Lee Ridley, a native of North Carolina, died April 2, 2007 in his home.

Ridley attended and graduated from C.S. Brown High School in Winton.

He was a Chief Warrant Officer Two, Retired. For 20 years, he served his country in the United States Army.

Survivors include his wife, Julia A. Ridley; four daughters, Frances Ridley-Boykin, Connie R. Lindsey, Aretha R. Williams, Jessica Ridley-Garner; one son, Ricky Ridley, his mother, L.V. Ridley, one sister, Rosa L. Fisher; one brother, Burnell Ridley; and nine grandchildren.

A service honoring his life will be conducted at 1 p.m. on Friday at First Baptist Church, Severn, by the Rev. Larry Cooper. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Wm. M. Johnson & Sons Funeral Home, Inc., 224 South Main Street, Franklin, VA, is in charge.

Joseph B. Hall

SUNBURY n Joseph Brandon Hall, 22, died April 2, 2007 at Sentara Obici Hospital, Suffolk, Va.

A funeral will be conducted at 2:30 p.m. Friday at Gates County Community Center, Hwy. 158, Gatesville, by the Rev. Margaret Pittman. Burial will be in the Hall family cemetery. A wake will be held from 6-8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. The family will receive friends at the home of the deceased. Stallings Funeral Chapel, Gatesville, is in charge.

Survivors include his parents, Arnold R. Hall Sr. and Cynthia Hall, both of the home; a sister, Arnesha Hall of Sunbury; and a brother, Arnold R. Hall Jr. of Sunbury.

Antonio Boothe

MURFRESBORO n Antonio Boothe, infant son of Lechelle Boothe and Mario Luckey of Murfreesboro, died April 1, 2007 at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, Norfolk, Va.

A service will be conducted at 12 noon Saturday at Hunter’s Funeral Home Chapel, Murfreesboro. Burial will be in the Walton family cemetery, Blackjack Road, Kelford.

Survivors include two brothers, Derick Edwards Jr. and Jamarion M. Boothe, both of Kelford; and three sisters, Kiara Edwards, Equlia Edwards and Tionna Edwards, all of Kelford.

Collis Brown

RALEIGH n Collis Brown, 79, a native of Hertford County, died April 3, 2007 at City of Oaks, Raleigh.

A funeral will be conducted at 11 a.m. Friday at Pleasant Plains Baptist Church, Ahoskie, by the Rev. Robert Ashe. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Hertford County Undertakers, Winton, is in charge.

Survivors include his wife, Elaine Brown of Raleigh; one son, Kenneth Brown of Ahoskie; two daughters, Connie Mitchell and Kesha Hopkins, both of Raleigh; two brothers, Raymond Brown of Winton and Bernard Brown of Ahoskie; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Dorothy Harris

COMO n Dorothy Deans Harris, 76, a native of Northampton County, died April 1, 2007 at her residence.

A funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. Saturday at First Baptist Murfreesboro by the Rev. Morris and the Rev. Richardson. Burial will be in the Harris family cemetery, Como. Hertford County Undertakers, Winton, is in charge.

Survivors include one son, Barry Kee Harris of Franklin, Va.; three daughters, Laverne Wade of Como, Lorreta Peterson of Bronx, NY and Jeanette Harris Rodriguez of Brooklyn; one brother, Purnell Deans of Bronx; four sisters, Lucille Jones, Clara Deans and Inez Wiggins, all of Murfreesboro and Ella Deans of Durham; 18 grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren.

Margaret T. Farmer

AULANDER n Mrs. Margaret Tripp Farmer, age 84, of Hwy. 305, Aulander, NC, died Tuesday, April 3, 2007 at Pitt Memorial Hospital in Greenville, NC.

Mrs. Farmer was born January 22, 1923, in Bertie County, NC, the daughter of the late James Lawrence “Jim” Tripp and Hattie Elizabeth Pollard Tripp. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Osie Farmer Sr. She was a member of Ebenezer First Assembly of God, a loving wife, mother and grandmother.

Survivors include her children, Donald Ray Farmer of Harrellsville, NC, Osie Farmer Jr. of Aulander, NC, Shirley House of Cary, NC, Jerry Lawrence Farmer of Aulander, NC and Carol Ann Saunders of Cary, NC; her brothers, Willie Warren “Sam” Tripp and Linwood Earl Tripp; her sister, Geraldine Keech; seven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held Friday, April 6, 2007 at 2:00 p.m. at Ebenezer First Assembly of God Church. Burial will follow at Aulander Cemetery.

The family will receive friends at Massey Funeral Home in Aulander, NC, Thursday from 7:00 until 8:30 p.m.

Memorial contributions may be made to University Hospice, Ahoskie, NC 27910.