Bertha Lee Steward

COMO – Bertha Lee Steward, 67, of 123 Hills Ferry Road, Como, died October 16, 2007 at Roanoke-Chowan Hospital.

A native of Murfreesboro, Steward was a retired medical transport provider with Hertford County EMT.

She was a member of Canaan Missionary Baptist Church of Ahoskie.

Survivors include her husband, Cleveland Steward Sr. of Como; sons Willie “WC” Porter and Efrem Porter, both of Richmond, Va., and Cleveland Steward Jr. of Fayetteville; daughters Rennie Steward and Darlene Steward, both of Como; sisters Marie Gatling of Newport News, Va. and Doretha Lassiter of Como; and 20 grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 21 at Canaan Missionary Baptist Church in Ahoskie with Rev. Franklin Williams presiding.

Burial will follow in the Steward Family Cemetery in Como.

Wilder’s Funeral Home, Inc. of Aulander is serving the Steward family.

J. Wayne Overton

AHOSKIE – John Wayne Overton, 60 of the 100 block of Matheson Drive, Ahoskie, died Wednesday, October 17, 2007 at Pitt County Memorial Hospital.

Mr. Overton was a native of Nash County, NC, a member of Hickory Chapel Free Will Baptist Church and owned and operated Overton Construction Company.

He was the son of the late John Halliet Overton.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Fran Klein Overton; two sons, Russ Overton and Neal Wayne Overton, both of Apex, NC; his mother, Ann Alston Overton of Ahoskie; three brothers, Royce Overton and David Overton, both of Richmond, Va., and Dennis Overton of Wilmington; and one granddaughter.

A Graveside Celebration of Life Service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 20, 2007 at Highland Memorial Gardens with Rev. Mike Williams officiating.

Memorial donations may be made to Hickory Chapel Free Will Baptist Church, 531 NC Highway 561 East, Ahoskie, NC, 27910.

Garrett Funeral Home is serving the Overton family.

Charles D. Buffaloe Sr.

CONWAY – Charles Drake Buffaloe Sr., 77, died Thursday, October 18, 2007 at Hampton Woods Nursing Home in Jackson.

He had been preceded in death by his wife of 51 years, Irene “Peggy” Turner Buffaloe.

A native of Jackson, he was retired from Davis & Company in Conway where he worked in sales for many years.

He was a member of Conway United Methodist Church, was an avid baseball player in his youth, played in the church softball league as an adult and enjoyed hunting and fishing.

Survivors include two sons, Chuck Buffaloe of Conway and Command Sergeant Major Willie Buffaloe and his wife, Delores, of Fayetteville; one daughter, Donna B. Burgess and her husband, Neil, of Conway; three grandchildren, Christopher T. Buffaloe, Justin R. Burgess and Callie Ruth Burgess, all of Conway; and one sister, Ruth B. Dean of Jackson.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 21, at Conway United Methodist Church with Rev. Lindsey Green presiding. Burial will follow in the Town of Conway Cemetery.

The family will be receiving friends at Bridgers Funeral Home, Inc. in Conway from 7-8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 20 and at other times at the family home in Conway. The family is requesting that anyone wishing to share a memorial gift to do so to Conway United Methodist Church, PO Box 326, Conway, NC, 27820.

John J. Underwood

WOODLAND – John Jenkins Underwood, 81, of the 200 block of West Main Street, in Woodland died Wednesday, October 17, 2007 in Rich Square Health Care Center, Rich Square.

Mr. Underwood was born in Northampton County, a son of the late John Walter and Claudine Jenkins Underwood.

He was a member of Woodland Baptist Church where he served as a member and past Chairman of the Board of Deacons and sang in the choir.

He was a member and past master of the Potecasi Masonic Lodge and was an Army veteran of World War II and a Navy veteran of the Korean Conflict.

John worked as an electrical contractor and in earlier years worked for the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System in Thule, Greenland for 10 years.

Left to cherish his memory is his wife, Marjorie Blanchard Underwood of Raleigh; two daughters, Nan Underwood Grady of Florence, SC and Ann Underwood Lee of Raleigh; five grandchildren, William Michael Grady Jr., Kelly Grady Chapman, Beth Lee Alston, Erin Lee and Nathan Lee; and four great grandchildren, Derrick Emmanuel Alston Jr., Matthew Tyler Alston, Serenity Chapman and Savannah Grady.

A celebration of life memorial service will be held at Woodland Baptist Church at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Woodland Baptist Church.

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