Mabel Claire Hoggard Maddrey

Mabel Claire Hoggard Maddreypassed away on Monday, January 14, 2008 at the age of 100.

Burial will be at the Ahoskie Cemetery in Ahoskie, North Carolina at 12 noon on Thursday, January 17, 2008. The memorial service will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 17, 2008 at First Baptist Church 99 N. Salisbury Street, Raleigh, with Dr. Daniel Day and the Reverend Michael Morris officiating.

Visitation will follow immediately after the service in the Church.

A native of Ahoskie, she was born April 27, 1907, the daughter of Charlie C. Hoggard and Tulie E. Hoggard.

She graduated from Meredith College in 1928 and from Columbia University with a Masters Degree in History in 1929.

In 1931, she married Charles Gordon Maddrey.

She remained active at Meredith College her entire life and was named a Trustee Emerita and was a recipient of Outstanding Alumna Award. She was the first Chairperson of Meredith College Heritage Society (Planned Giving) and established the Mabel Claire Maddrey Scholarship Fund.

She was very proud of being instrumental in the planning, design and fundraising of Jones Chapel, dedicated in 1982.

Meredith College honored her by dedicating the Mabel Claire Maddrey Parlor in the Alumnae House.

She was past President of the North Carolina Baptist Women’s Missionary Union and in the 1950’s was the first woman to be elected nationwide to the Southern Baptist Convention Board.

She was a gifted speaker and spoke in numerous Baptist Churches throughout North Carolina.

She served as a Deaconess in both First Baptist Church of Ahoskie and First Baptist Church of Raleigh.

In July 1998 she was featured on the front page of the New York Times in front of First Baptist Church, Raleigh, in the article about Baptist Churches withdrawing from the Southern Baptist Convention because of its positions on women and their role in the Baptist Church.

On the occasion of her ninetieth birthday, Governor James B. Hunt, Jr. proclaimed that day Mabel Claire Maddrey Appreciation Day and the Proclamation stated in part, “Mabel Claire Maddrey embodies the spirit of public service and neighbor helping neighbor, inspiring the best in others, and Whereas Mabel Claire Maddrey personifies dignity, grace and perfection in all her endeavors and Whereas Mabel Claire Maddrey continues to serve the people of North Carolina and cares deeply about the community and the State.”

She was active in the N. C. Federation of Women’s Clubs for over sixty years and served as State President and as a past President of the Raleigh Woman’s Club. A Parlor in the Raleigh Woman’s Club building is named in her honor.

Politically she has been Chairperson for North Carolina women for a major Gubernatorial Candidate, Chairperson for North Carolina women for a major Presidential Candidate and past President of the Democratic Women of Wake County. In the late 1960’s she initiated the highly popular annual Jefferson-Jackson Day breakfast, which is held annually.

She was a past President and Member of the Sir Walter Cabinet for over fifty (50) years.

She was a past member of the North Carolina Economic Development Board and a Director of the North Carolina Museum of Natural History. Mrs. Maddrey was the recipient of the Governor’s Award for Distinguished Service, inductee in Raleigh’s YWCA Academy of Women and North Carolina Council for Women Distinguished Women Award.

She has been featured as a News & Observer Tar Heel of the Week.

Her interests in life were Good Causes, Good Government and Christian Citizenship.

She was preceded in death by her husband Charles Gordon Maddrey.

She is survived by her children, Charles H. Maddrey and wife, Rose Maddrey of Atlanta, Georgia and Joseph G. Maddrey and wife, Elizabeth Maddrey of Eden, North Carolina, four grandchildren, Charles Gordon Maddrey, II, Gregory Hoggard Maddrey, Claire Webb Maddrey and Joseph Huntley Maddrey.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Mabel Claire Maddrey Scholarship Fund, Meredith College, 3800 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607 or the Raleigh Woman’s Club, 3300 Woman’s Club Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina 27613 or First Baptist Church, 99 N. Salisbury Street, Raleigh, North Carolina 27603.

Tributes may be made to the family at www.brownwynne.com.

Virginia V. Odom

CONWAY n Virginia Vann Odom, 79, died January 14, 2008 at Halifax Regional Medical Center, Roanoke Rapids.

She was a homemaker.

Survivors include her husband of 57 years, Jake H. Odom of their home; one son, Jeffery H. Odom of Severn; two daughters, Terry Odom Martin of Milwaukee and Cheryl Odom Chappell of Suffolk, Va.; a sister, Edith Vann Smith of Roanoke Rapids; and three grandchildren.

A graveside service will be conducted at 11:30 a.m. Thursday in the Town of Conway Cemetery with the Rev. Willie McLawhorn and the Rev. Sid Collins. The family received friends at Bridgers Funeral Home Inc. in Conway on Wednesday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and at other times at the family home near Conway.

Enoch L. Baker

WINDSOR n Enoch Ledrew Baker, 86, of 444 Bakertown Road, died Monday, January 14, 2008 at his home. Mr. Baker was born in Bertie County on July 6, 1921 to the late Enoch Lee and Minnie Hughes Baker and was predeceased by his wife, Sybil Hoggard Baker and a son, Gary Baker. He was a member and Deacon of Capeharts Baptist Church and a farmer.

Graveside funeral services will be held on Wednesday, January 16, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. at Capeharts Baptist Church Cemetery by the Rev. David Baker and Rev. Bruce Dayton.

Survivors include: a daughter, Carol B. Penn and her husband Larry of Williamston; a son, Neil Baker and his wife Frances of Windsor; a daughter in law, Linda Baker of Windsor; and a sister, Shirley B. Pierce of Ahoskie; five grandchildren, Kim Baker of Greenville, Neil Baker, Jr. of Askewville, Shannon Baker of Greenville, Lindsay Penn of Durham, and Stephen Penn of Williamston; three great-grandchildren, Caleb Lee, Tyler Baker and Lauren Baker.

The family received friends from Mr. Baker’s home on Tuesday evening. Memorial gifts may be made to either, University Hospital Hospice, PO Box 272, Ahoskie, NC 27910 or to Capeharts Baptist Church Memorial Fund, c/o Dennis Brooks, Merry Hill, NC 27957. Walker Funeral Home is serving the Baker family.

Edith Williams Harris

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Edith Diane Williams Harris, 55, a native of Ahoskie, died January 11, 2008.

Survivors include her husband, James P. Harris Jr.; daughter, Christina D. Harris; and son, Joel P. Harris, all of Virginia Beach; mother, Mary L. Williams of Portsmouth; two sisters, Veta L. Roundtree of Suffolk and Lolita Moore of Portsmouth; three brothers, Bobby E. Williams, Marvin E. Williams Jr., and Rick Lawrence, all of Portsmouth; and one grandchild.

A funeral will be conducted at 11 a.m. Thursday in Emmaus Church, 4209 Portsmouth Blvd., Chesapeake, where the family will receive friends from 10 a.m. until service time. Interment will be in Roosevelt Memorial Park. Pretlow and Sons Funeral Home, Chesapeake, is in charge. We invite you to send a condolence message in the family’s guest book at www.pretlowandsons.com.

James A. Belcher

ROCKY MOUNT n James A. Belcher, 43, died December 31, 2007 at Nash General Hospital.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete. H.D. Pope Funeral Home, Rocky Mount, is in charge.

Jimmie Williams

ROCKY MOUNT n Jimmie C. Williams, 48, died January 13, 2008.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete. H.D. Pope Funeral Home, Rocky Mount, is in charge.

Doris Whitaker

ROCKY MOUNT n Doris Rebecca Whitaker, 45, died January 13, 2008.

A funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. Saturday at Thorne Chapel Baptist Church, Rocky Mount. Interment will be in Gardens of Gethsemane. H.D Pope Funeral Home, Rocky Mount, is in charge.

Martha L. Spickard

NORFOLK, Va. – Martha L. Spickard, 75, of died January 9, 2008.

Mrs. Spickard was a lifetime member of Burrows Baptist Church where she served in Sunday school, on the Counting Committee and sang in the choir for many years.

Survivors include her husband, Alan Spickard; her daughters, Susan Ross of Conway, and Tyna Smelser of Virginia Beach; grandchildren; and great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be conducted at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Hollomon-Brown Funeral Home, Tidewater Drive Chapel, by the Rev. Donald Harris and the Rev. David Ross. Interment will be private. The family will greet friends at the funeral home one hour prior to the service. Memorials, in lieu of flowers, may be made to Burrows Memorial Baptist Church General Fund, 1539 Johnstons Road, Norfolk, VA 23518. Condolences may be offered to the family at www.hollomon-brown.com.

Vernon E. Stevens

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Vernon E. Stevens, 79, a native of Princess Anne County, died January 15, 2008, in Virginia Beach. He was the widower of Jean S. Stevens.

Stevens was a member of the Outdoor Writers Association and wrote for the Associated Press and The Ledger-Star.

Survivors include his daughter, Nancy White of Virginia Beach; two sons, David Stevens of Gates County and Vernon Stevens Jr. of Virginia Beach; and four grandchildren.

The family will receive friends Thursday from 1 to 3 p.m. in H.D. Oliver Funeral Apts., Laskin Road.

William P. Powell

COLUMBUS, GA n William P. Powell, 87, formerly of Rocky Mount, died January 13, 2008.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete. H.D. Pope Funeral Home, Rocky Mount, is in charge.

Henry Hargrave Sr.

MARGARETTSVILLE n Henry Stanley Hargrave Sr., 73, a native of Northampton County, died January 16, 2008 at his home.

A funeral will be conducted at 2 p.m. Friday at Berean Baptsit Church, Boykins, Va., by the Rev. Charles Alvis. Burial will be in Cedarwood Cemetery, Roanoke Rapids. The family will receive friends at Bridgers Funeral Home, Inc., Conway, from

7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday and other times at the family home.

Hargrave had worked as a machine operator with Resinall Corporation and he had helped farm. He was a member of Berean Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon, then an honorary deacon.

Survivors include his wife, Dorothy Bass Hargrave of the home; three sons, Harvey Stanley Hargrave Jr. of Pendleton, Ronnie Hargrave of Clarksville and Michael Hargrave of Severn; one daughter, Patricia Hinson of Severn; two sisters, Sarah H. Davis of Rich Square and Lillian H. Davis of Conway; nine grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.