Elizabeth G. Hayes

COMO – Elizabeth Griffith Hayes, 98, a native of Murfreesboro, died October 26, 2007, at East Pavilion. She was the widow of Horace Hayes.

Survivors include two grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

A graveside funeral was conducted Monday in Southampton Memorial Park, Franklin, by the Rev. John Hackney. Wright Funeral Home was in charge.

Doretha Rainey

JERSEY CITY, NJ n Doretha Rainey, 64, formerly of Halifax, died October 27, 2007 at Greenville Hospital, NJ.

A visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Parker Funeral Home, NJ. Also a visitation will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Roanoke Rapids Chapel of H.D. Pope Funeral Home. A funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. Thursday at Twilight Baptist Church, Weldon, by the Rev. Danny B. Jones Sr. Interment will be in the church cemetery.

Charlie Purnell

ROANOKE RAPIDS n Charlie Purnell, 91, died October 26, 2007 at Liberty Commons Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Weldon.

A funeral will be conducted at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Roanoke Rapids Chapel of H.D. Pope Funeral Home. Interment will be in the Susan P Ivey Cemetery, Roanoke Rapids.

Curtis Butler

GATES n Curtis Butler, 83, died October 28, 2007 at Albemarle Hospital, Elizabeth City.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete. Stallings Funeral Chapel, Gatesville, is in charge.

Ruth H. Parker

WINTON n Ruth Delyn Henderson Parker, 93, of the 1200 block of George Washington Highway, North, Chesapeake, Virginia, formerly of Winton, NC, died peacefully on October 16, 2007, of complications following a stroke in late September. Mrs. Parker was born on April 14, 1914, in Spartanburg County, SC, the youngest daughter of seven children, to Ethel Nance and George Washington Henderson. She was a graduate of Spartanburg High School.

Ruth was predeceased by the father of her children, Herbert Douglas Parker of Winton, NC, and by her youngest child, Michael Douglas Parker of Zebulon, NC, just within the last few months. She is survived by her two daughters and their husbands, Linda Beale Bross and Paul of Suffolk, VA, and Pamela Parker Hagerty and Jim of Virginia Beach, VA; as well as her four grandchildren, Michael Christopher Hagerty of Chesapeake, Kevin James Hagerty of Woodinville, WA, Candice Thomas of Greensboro, NC, and DeAnna Truesdell of Hubert, NC; and three great-grandchildren, Collin and Caitlin Hagerty of Chesapeake, VA, and Hanna Hagerty of Woodinville, WA, as well as numerous nieces and nephews and their progeny.

Ruth moved to Winton while awaiting the birth of her second daughter Pamela while her husband served overseas in the US Army as a young Lieutenant. Winton became her home and she loved it as well as the people there. Ruth has been a member of Winton Baptist Church since 1953. While raising her family in Winton she held the position of Treasurer and Tax Collector for the town from 1961 through 1979 when she retired. After retirement, she ran for major, just missing the majority of votes to attain that office. She was selected for inclusion in the Who’s Who of American Women, Fifth Edition, in 1967, which is a biographical dictionary of notable living women of the U.S. and other counties. In Ruth’s later years, she was quite active with the Senior Citizens in Winton, going on several trips with them throughout the state. She also enjoyed flying out to Seattle, WA to visit her daughter and family who moved to that area in the middle 1980’s. She moved to Northern Virginia in 1997 to live with her daughter Linda until 2001 when she moved to assisted living in that area. She has been in the Chesapeake area since 2004, moving to the Tidewater area when Linda and her husband moved here as a result of her son-in-law’s job change.

A celebration of life service was held on Saturday, October 20, 2007 at Garrett Funeral Home, Ahoskie, NC. Her burial was in Spartanburg, SC, on Monday, October 22. Donations in her memory may be made to the House of Ruth, 5 Thomas Circle, NW, Washington, DC, 20005, which offers support to women and children in need. Immediately following the services at the funeral home for Mrs. Parker, a memorial service was held for her son, Michael Douglas Parker, who predeceased her on August 8, 2007 in Zebulon, NC, where he resided.

Rionne O. Butler

POWELLSVILLE n Rionne O’Brien Butler, died October, 2007.

A funeral will be conducted at 4 p.m. Thursday at First Baptist Church Murfreesboro by the Rev. Robert Richardson. Burial will be in Hillcrest Cemetery, Ahoskie. Reynolds Funeral Home, Inc., Ahoskie, is in charge.

Survivors include his parents, Stanley and Kathy Butler of Powellsville; two brothers, Brandon and Marlon Butler, both of Powellsville; and his grandparents, Genay Sessoms and Jessie Mae Butler, both of Powellsville.

Michael Johnson

COLERAIN n Michael Louis Johnson, died October 26, 2007 at Pitt County Memorial Hospital, Greenville.

A funeral and interment will be conducted in Jamaica, West Indies, Montego Bay. Reynolds Funeral Home, Inc., Ahoskie, is in charge.

Survivors include his wife, Diann Maisonet Johnson of Colerain; one stepson, John Dishing Maisonet of Allen, Va.; two stepdaughters, Zekeina Veal of Raleigh and Twanna Paul of Ahoskie; his parents, Trivolta Brunson and Johnathon Miller Johnson, both of Jamaica.

Virginia H. Watford

POWELLSVILLE –

Virginia Harrell “Ginger Bread” Watford, 76, a native of Hertford County, died October 28, 2007 at her residence.

Mrs. Watford was a member of Rountree Temple of Praise International C.O.G.I.C. Powellsville, where she served as an usher and member of the kitchen committee. She was a homemaker.

Survivors include her husband, Clarence Watford of the home; sons, Clarence Ray Waftord Jr. of New York, Bobby Watford of Colerain, Jerome Watford of Powellsville,

Tony Watford of Wilmington, and Ron Watford of Colerain; daughters, Betty Watford of Powellsville, Margaret Bunch of Durham,

Patricia Thompson of Colerain, Cynthia Dianne Roberson of Powellsville and

Linda Williams of Conway; sisters, Elizabeth Turner of Brooklyn, NY, Hattie Mabine of Ahoskie and Viola Perry of Winston-Salem; one brother, Malachi Harrell of Corapeake; 28 grandchildren; and 21 great-grandchildren.

A funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. Thursday at Rountree Temple of Praise International C.O.G.I.C. by Bishop J.C. Watford. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Wilder’s Funeral Home, Inc., Aulander, is in charge.