Nannie Mullen

AHOSKIE n Nannie Mullen, died October 3, 2007 at Roanoke-Chowan Hospital, Ahoskie.

A funeral will be conducted at 12 noon Saturday at Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, Ahoskie, by the Rev. H.H. Murrill. Burial will be in Hillcrest Cemetery. Reynolds Funeral Home, Inc., Ahoskie, is in charge.

She is survived by a sister, Thelma C. Saunders of Ahoskie; and nine stepsons, Robert, David, James, William, Clifton, Shelton, Howard, Donald and Walter.

Raymond Brown

WINTON n Raymond Brown, 84, a native of Hertford County, died October 3, 2007 at Chesapeake General Hospital.

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

Survivors include his wife, Geraldine Brown of Winton; a son, Michael J. Brown of Portsmouth, Va.; a daughter, Barbara Hines of Chesapeake; one brother, Bernard A. Brown of Ahoskie; 10 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Ethel M. Rooks

LEWISTON n Ethel Mae “Miss Polly” Rooks, 93, a native of Bertie County, died September 28, 2007 at Three Rivers Rehab, Windsor.

She was a homemaker.

A funeral was conducted Thursday at Beautiful Zion Baptist Church, Lewiston, by Bishop Bryant Hill. Burial was in the church cemetery. Cherry’s Funeral Home was in charge. Cherry Funeral Home was in charge.

Survivors include her children, Benjamin Rooks of Pleasantville, NJ, Ernestine Langley of Norfolk, Va., John H. Bazemore Jr., Harold Rooks of Lewiston, Clarence B.B. Rooks of Columbia, SC, and Sarah Peele of Wilmington, DE; 35 grandchildren; 46 great-grandchildren; and seven great-great-grandchildren.

Bertha N. Bowen

ATLANTIC BEACH n Bertha Nelms Bowen, 98, formerly of Ahoskie, died Thursday, October 4, 2007. 4:30 pm  in her home.  She was preceded in death by her husband, Alvin R. Bowen, her brothers, Jack and Horace Nelms and sister, Onie Joyner, all of Nashville, NC, and her sister, Lizzie Lee Faulkner of Red Oak, NC.  Mrs. Bowen was born May 14, 1909, in Nashville, NC, a daughter of the late Dorsey and Lizzie Nelms.

 For over 40 years, Mrs. Bowen owned and operated Eastern Office Equipment Company in Ahoskie, NC. Bertha Bowen is credited for many accomplishments over the years, relating to her business abilities and involvement with the community.  She was very active in the business life of the area and always supported the various groups and organizations when they asked anything of her.

In the earlier years, she and a counterpart, decided the streets of Ahoskie needed to be decorated for Christmas.  Since Ahoskie did not have any type of Christmas decorations these two women not only provided the decorations, but “climbed the poles” to hang them.

Possibly one of the most cherished events provided by Bertha Bowen was a New Year’s Day brunch, lunch and supper consisting of black eyed peas and crackling corn bread.  Hundreds of people, some of whom she didn’t even know, turned out year after year for these meals.  Mrs. Bowen was quoted as saying “Work is the best word anybody has ever said to me.  I love to work and I love people.”

Mrs. Bowen moved to Atlantic Beach in 1993; however, she said she would not give up her church.  She was a longtime member of the First Baptist Church of Ahoskie.

Left to cherish her memory is a daughter, Christine Mangum of Williamston; and a son, Charles Bowen and his wife, Barbara of Kinston; grandchildren, Steve Mangum and wife, Barbara of Cary,   Jeffrey and wife,  Stacey of Fuquay-Varina, Karen M. Roughton of Duluth, GA, Scott Bowen and wife, Diane, Craig Bowen and wife, Paula and Kelly Bowen Jones and husband, Mike, all of Kinston, N.C.  Also left to cherish her memory are nine great-grandchildren.

Special thanks extend to the following for their loving care and support of Bertha Bowen.

Her long-time care givers: Barbara Whaley and Faye Ballou of Atlantic Beach and Morehead City and  her special friend “Debbie” for their loving care and support and for her physician, Dr. Mary Katherine Lawrence.

A celebration of life service will be conducted at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 6, 2007, at First Baptist Church of Ahoskie with the Rev. Dr. Jesse J. Croom and Rev. Daniel Glaze officiating. Burial will follow in Forest Hill Cemetery, Nashville, NC at 4:00 p.m. The family will receive friends at the church from 12:30 p.m. until 1:00 p.m. prior to services.

Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to First Baptist Church of Ahoskie,

312 W. Main Street, P.O. Box 649, Ahoskie, N.C. 27910 or Hospice of Carteret County, 302 Medical Park Court, Morehead City, N.C.  28557.

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