William Gatling Jr.

SUNBURY n William "Dick" Gatling Jr., 69, a native of Sunbury, died July 16, 2005 at Nansemond Pointe Nursing Home, Suffolk, Va.

A funeral was conducted Wednesday at St. John A.M.E. Zion Church, Sunbury, by the Rev. Samuel L. Buck, Jr. Burial will be in St. John Drake Memorial Cemetery, Sunbury. Stallings Funeral Chapel, Gatesville, was in charge.

Survivors include his wife, Rachel Gatling of the home; four daughters, Deirde Taylor of Sunbury, Robin Spivey and Sharon Evans, both of Gatesville and Merveilene Evans of Elizabeth City; four sons, Terrence Gatling and William Gatling, both of Sunbury, Sherman Gatling of Corapeake and Michael Gatling of Anchorage, Alaska; his parents, Bertha and William Gatling Sr.; 15 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Emma Pugh

WINDSOR n Emma Pugh, 100, died July 18, 2005 at Bertie Memorial Hospital.

A funeral will be conducted at 3 p.m. Saturday at Cedar Landing Baptist Church. There will be a wake from 7 to 8 p.m. Friday at Gilliam Funeral Home. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

William D. Pierce Jr.

COWPENS, S.C. – William Dallas Pierce Jr., 65, formerly of Sunbury, died July 16, 2005.

Pierce was a member of First Baptist Church, Cowpens. He served as a deacon and was a member of J.W. Martin Sunday School Class. He was a member of Masonic Lodge and a former member of the Lions Club of Lake Wales and Jacksonville, Fla. He also was a past president of the Railroad, Airline and Truck Traffic Club in Orlando, Fla. Following graduation from Sunbury High School in 1958, he began his career with Seaboard Airline Railroad in Richmond, Va.

He was also director of Perishable Sales and Operations in Jacksonville, Fla., where he founded the Orange Blossom Special Train. He retired as general manager of Pricing Sea-Land International a division of CSX Corporation located at Hunt Valley, Md.

Survivors include his wife, Carol Easler Pierce; a son, Sgt. Dallas Oliver Pierce; three sisters, Jeanne P. Spivey, Shirley Ann Modlin, and Carolyn Jordan; a brother, Glenn Ray Pierce; and two grandchildren.

A funeral was conducted Tuesday in First Baptist Church, Cowpens, by the Rev. Gregory Dry, the Rev. Larry Easler and the Rev. Dwight Easler Jr. Burial was in Springhill Memorial Gardens. Memorials may be made to American Diabetes Association, 16 A. Brozini Court, Greenville, SC 29615. Eggers Funeral Home was in charge. Condolences may be sent online to www.eggersfuneralhome.com.

Georgia M. Carter

PORTSMOUTH, Va. – Georgia M. Carter, 79, a native of Woodland, died July 13, 2005, in her residence.

Mrs. Carter retired after 15 years from Portsmouth Psychiatric Center and was a member of Mount Calvary Baptist Church, Portsmouth, where she was active with Usher Board No. 2.

Survivors include a daughter, Willie Mae Porter of New Brunswick, N.J.; a stepdaughter, Doris Ruffin; a son, James W. Carter of Richmond, Va.; a sister, Essie Lee Anderson; one grandchild; and three great-grandchildren.

A funeral will be conducted at 11 a.m. Thursday in Mount Calvary Baptist Church by the Rev. William S. Hampton. Burial will be in Rosewood Memorial Park, Virginia Beach. Fisher Funeral Home, 1520 Effingham St., Portsmouth, is in charge. Family and friends will be at the residence. The body will be placed in the church Thursday at 10 a.m. Condolences may be sent to www.fisherfuneral.com.

Harold A. Mitchell

AHOSKIE – Harold Allen Mitchell, 68, a native of Hertford County, died July 13, 2005, in his home.

Mitchell was a member of First Baptist Church, Ahoskie.

He was a Navy veteran and retired owner, operator of M.H. Mitchell Furniture Company.

Survivors include his wife, Janie Thompson Mitchell; a daughter, Georgia P.

Mitchell of Wilmington; three stepdaughters, Kelly Callis of Colerain, Caroline O’Neal of Cofield and Tracey Range of Richmond, VA; a brother, Dr. Donald Mitchell of Washington, NC; seven stepgrandchildren and one stepgreat grandchild.

A private memorial service will be held at a later date.

Memorial donations may be made to Alzheimers Research, 22512 Gateway Center, Clarksburg MD., 20871. Garrett Funeral Home, Ahoskie, is in charge.

Nina Mizelle

AHOSKIE -Nina Leigh White Mizelle, 77, of Ahoskie died July 18, 2005 in Roanoke-Chowan Hospital.

Mrs. Mizelle was born in Askewville, Bertie County.

She retired from Belk's with more than 25 years of service.

She was a member of First Baptist Church of Ahoskie where she served as a Sunday school teacher in the nursery for more than 30 years.

She served as a volunteer for the Roanoke-Chowan Hospital Auxiliary and for Roanoke-Chowan Hospice.

She received the Jack Stickley Fellow Award for Dedicated Humanitarian Services from the North Carolina Lions Foundation for 1998-99, the Distinguished Service Award/Community Service Award from the Hertford County Council for Women for Dedicated and Loyal Services Rendered to the Citizens of Hertford County in 1998, and was named a "Woman of the Century" by Women of the Century and Women's History Month in 1999.

Mrs. Mizelle was the wife of the late Jesse C. Mizelle, and sister to the late Julian White of Askewville, Claxton White of Chesapeake, VA, Brinkley White of Powellsville and John W. "Willie" White of Askewville.

Survivors include one daughter, Charlotte Mizelle and husband, Sid Lawrence of Cary, NC, and one son, Doug Mizelle and wife, Judy, and granddaughter, Jessi Mary-Lou, of Ahoskie, and one sister Faye White Bowen and husband, Claude, of Huntersville, NC.

Visitation was held at Garrett Funeral Home on Tuesday. The funeral service was held at 11 a.m. at Garrett Funeral Home on Wednesday, July 20th and graveside service following the funeral at Highland Memorial Gardens.

Donations may be made to the Baptist Children's Homes of NC, PO Box 338, Thomasville, NC

27361-9911 or Roanoke-Chowan Hospice, P.O. Box 272, Ahoskie, NC, 27910.

Efton Taylor

ALEXANDRIA, Va. n Efton Taylor, 64, a native of Southampton County, Va., died July 18, 2005 at Inova Alexandria Hospital, Alexandria, Va.

A chapel service will be held on Saturday, July 23, 2005 at 2 p.m. with the Rev. Melvin Winborne officiating. Burial will follow in the Piney Grove Baptist Church Cemetery in Newsoms, Va. A wake will be held on Friday, July 22, 2005 from 2 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. Services of comfort are entrusted to Hertford County Undertakers, Winton.

Survivors include one sister, Evangeline Taylor of Alexandria, Va.; one brother, Melton Taylor of Como, NC; a nephew, Rodney Taylor of Baltimore, Md.; one niece, Lauryn Taylor of Alexandria, Va.; and one aunt, Julia Sutton of Baltimore, Md.

Willie I. Hamm

GARYSBURG – Willie Irvin Hamm, 88, a native of Morehead, Ky., died July 15, 2005, in his home. He was the widower of Alberdia Lydic Hamm.

Hamm had retired from the U.S. Navy after 30 years of service and also owned an insurance agency. He was a member of Calvary Presbyterian Church, Norfolk.

Survivors include a daughter, Kay Herrold of Garysburg; a son, David Logan Hamm of Boone Mills, Va.; three sisters, Evelyn Withrow and Lena Boyd, both of Morehead, Ky., and Frieda Ruggeri, Palms Springs, Colo.; 11 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Garrett Funeral Home, Ahoskie, N.C., is in charge.

James R. Howard

AHOSKIE n James Robert "Lil Boy" Howard, died July 18, 2005 at Roanoke-Chowan Hospital, Ahoskie.

A funeral will be conducted at 12 noon Friday at Reynolds Funeral Home Chapel, Ahoskie. Burial will be in Philippi Baptist Church Cemetery.

He is survived by one sister, Janice Howard Keemer of Hampton, Va.