Carolyn Ransome

ROCKY MOUNT n Carolyn Deloris-Ann Whitehead Ransome, 55, died January 2, 2008.

A funeral was conducted Monday at Light of Peace Missionary Baptist Church by Bishop Lonnie Braswell. Interment was in Gardens of Gethsemane. H.D. Pope Funeral Home was in charge.

Hunter W. Blanchard

TYNER – Hunter Willard Blanchard, 79, a native of Chowan County, died January 6, 2008, in Albemarle Hospital, Elizabeth City.

Blanchard was a retired farmer and pork producer, he was a member of Warwick Baptist Church, attended Happy Home Pentecostal Holiness Church and was an Army veteran of the Korean War.

Survivors include his wife of more than 33 years, Vertie Copeland Blanchard; two daughters, Pam Perry of Edenton and Ruby Hollowell of Greenville; a son, Rube Blanchard of Hobbsville; two sisters, Homer Benton of Hobbsville and Virginia Lee Nixon of Gates; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

A funeral was conducted Tuesday in Happy Home Pentecostal Holiness Church by the Rev. Chuck Davis, the Rev. Henry Pillow and the Rev. Billy Presley. Burial was in the church cemetery. Miller Funeral Home & Crematory, 735 Virginia Road, Edenton, was in charge.

Georgia R. Barnard

ROANOKE RAPIDS – Georgia Ruth Turner Barnard, 72, a native of Southampton County, died January 4, 2008, at East Pavilion. She was the widow of George Wilson Barnard.

She was a longtime Luzier Cosmetics representative and a member of the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Survivors include a daughter, Cathy F. Grizzard of Drewryville, Va.; her son, Carl E. Ferguson Jr. of Franklin; one sister, Rose Edwards of Lake Gaston; three brothers, Rueben Turner of Jackson, Leslie Turner of Emporia, Bill Turner of Seaboard; and one granddaughter.

A graveside service was conducted Sunday in Beechwood Cemetery by Brother Jeff Haislip. Wright Funeral Home was in charge.

Faye W. Cutchin

FRANKLIN, Va. – Faye Wainscott Cutchin, 81, a native of Jennings County, Indiana, died January 4, 2008. She was the widow of Ernest L. Cutchin Jr.

Mrs. Cutchin was a member of South Quay Baptist Church.

Survivors include her daughter, Yvonne C. Raiford of Franklin; two sons, E. Linwood Cutchin III of Como and Wayne Cutchin of Pompano Beach, Fla.; four grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

A private burial was held in Poplar Spring Cemetery. Wright Funeral Home was in charge.

Japheth E. Saecker

MELFA, Va. – Japheth Edward Saecker, 54, a native of Suffolk, died January 6, 2008 at Bayside Healthcare Center in Virginia Beach.

Survivors include his wife, Ann Rotariu Saecker; two children, Christianna Mills Saecker of Smithfield and Japheth Edward Saecker Jr. of Houston, Texas; two brothers, Dr. John Rawls Saecker of Accomac and Wellington Mills Saecker Jr. of Suffolk; a sister, Edith Saecker Higinbotham of Suffolk; three stepchildren, Daniel, Clay, and Mary Midkiff of Melfa.

Saecker attended Chowan College. He worked for IA Construction and then VDOT until he retired due to illness in 2006.

A memorial service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday in Drummondtown United Methodist Church in Accomac. Following the service, a celebration of life and reception will be held at the church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ed’s name to the Drummondtown Church Choir, c/o Adelaide Hollandsworth, 26065 Colonial Drive, Onley, VA 23418. Memory tributes may be sent to the family at www.williamsfuneralhomes.com. Arrangements by the Williams-Onancock Funeral Home.

Monica Myrick

COMO – Monica Myrick, 45, a native of Hertford County, died January 4, 2008 at her residence.

Monica was a member of

Sandy Branch Baptist Church in Roxobel where she was an usher.

She was employed with Hertford County Schools at Bearfield Primary School as a teacher assistant.

Survivors include her husband, Rev. Roger Myrick Jr. of the home; one daughter, Brittney L. Myrick of the home; three brothers, James L. Wiggins of Portsmouth, Va., David B. Wiggins and Kenneth A. Wiggins, of Woodland; and four sisters, Maxine L. Perry of Plattsburgh, NY, Ruth Jennings of Raleigh, Bonnie Morgan of Ahoskie and Nyoka Green of Woodland.

A funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. Saturday at Sandy Branch Baptist Church by the Rev. Lycurgus Harrell. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Hunter’s Funeral Home, Inc., Ahoskie, is in charge. You may visit all obituaries on our website:

www.huntersfuneralhome.com

Magdelene Banks

COMO – Magdelene Banks, 90, a native of Suffolk, Va., died January 7, 2008 at her residence.

She was a member of Diamond Grove Baptist Church in Franklin, where she was Mother of the Church, President of Missionaries, former Choir and Pastor’s Aide member.

She was also a member of Holland Chapter 162 Order of Eastern Star PH.

Survivors include three sons, Willie E. Banks of Red Banks, NJ, William H. Banks Jr. of Como, and Melvin W. Banks of Murfreesboro; two daughters, Marlene Simmons of Como and Marcell Faulk of Suffolk; two brothers, James Copeland and Enoch Copeland, both of Suffolk; two sisters, Katie C. Knight and Hilda Abram, both of Suffolk; 28 grandchildren; and a host of great-grandchildren.

A funeral will be conducted at 12 noon Friday at Diamond Grove Baptist Church in Franklin. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Hunter’s Funeral Home, Inc., Murfreesboro is in charge.

You may visit all obituaries on our website:

www.huntersfuneralhome.com

Billy Ray Jackson Jr.

MOUNT MORRIS, Mich. – Billy Ray Jackson Jr., 44, a native of Newport News, Va., died January 6, 2008, in Hurley Medical Center, Flint.

Jackson was a carpenter.

Survivors include his wife, Debby Jackson; a daughter, Angel Jackson; four sons, Billy Ray Jackson III, Joshua Jackson, Jessie Jackson and Logan Jackson; his mother, Betty Gurley Jackson of Goldsboro; his father, Billy Ray Jackson of Corapeake; his stepmother, Faye Eure Jackson; a sister, Janie J. Rowe of Goldsboro; and a brother, Jody E. Jackson of Corapeake.

A memorial service will be conducted at 1 p.m. Friday in Damascus Christian Church, Sunbury, by the Rev. Wayne Gardner. Friends may join the family in the fellowship hall following the service.

Melvin W. Scott

GARYSBURG – Melvin W. Scott, 56, died January 5, 2008.

A funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. Thursday at Gaston Baptist Church. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Cofield Mortuary is in charge.

Linda Joyner

WINTON n Linda Joyner, 47, a native of Hertford County, died January 7, 2008 at Pitt Memorial Hospital.

A funeral will be conducted at 12 noon Friday at Revelle Hill Baptist Church by the Rev. Elijah Barnes. Burial will be in Highland Memorial Gardens. Hertford County Undertakers, Winton, is in charge.

Survivors include a son, Octavius Joyner of Winton; four brothers, Willie Fennell and Curtis Wendell Joyner, both of Ahoskie, Eddie Joyner of Baltimore, Md., and Mark Joyner of Como; and seven sisters, Thelma Dunn and Viola Taylor, both of Hampton, Va., Joyce Ridley and Bobby Jean Riddick, both of Ahoskie, Elsie Blythe of Como, Vergie Jones of Hampton and Annette Jordan of Washington, D.C.

Garrie Barnes

COURTLAND, Va. n Garrie Barnes, 97, died January 7, 2008 at Courtland Health Care.

A funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. Friday at Odom Chapel Baptist Church, Newsom, by the Rev. Angela Vick. Burial will be in Shiloh Baptist Church Cemetery, Boykins. A viewing will be held from 1 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Faison’s Funeral Home, Inc., Seaboard.

Bertha L. Futrell

AHOSKIE n Bertha Lee Futrell, died January 9, 2008 at her residence.

A funeral will be conducted at 2 p.m. Sunday at Zion Grove Baptist Church, Aulander, by the Rev. James Meacer. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Reynolds Funeral Home, Inc., Ahoskie, is in charge.

Mrs. Futrell was a member of Zion Grove Baptist, and a member of the usher board.

Survivors include her husband, Charles T. “Charlie” Futrell of Ahoskie; six sons, Roosevelt Robbins, Calvin Futrell, James A. Futrell, James R. Futrell, Thomas Earl Futrell and James Charles Futrell, all of Ahoskie; eight daughters, Mary R. Crawford of Gates County, Geraldine Sessoms, Thelma Futrell, Betty Ann Horton and Bettie Lee Futrell, all of Ahoskie, Malinda Futrell of Manhattan, NY, Patricia Parker of Virginia and Elizabeth Raynor of Potecasi; 35 grandchildren; numerous great and great-great-grandchildren.