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Friends United
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January/February 2010
BROWN Audrey Garner Brown, 92, October 8, 2009, Branon Friends, North Carolina. She was born May 9, 1917, to the late John Clayton and Laura Holleman Vanhoy. Mrs. Brown was a loving homemaker to her family, and worked as a waitress. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husbands, Robert Lee “Bob” Garner and Fletcher B. Brown; sisters, De Ette Darnell James and Fronie Byrd; brothers, Johnny, Clarence, Will, Raymond, Luke and Dallas Vanhoy; and step-sons, Parks Brown and Fletcher Brown, Jr. Surviving are her children, Bobby L. (Conni) Garner, David (Alease) Garner and Laura (Norman, deceased) Vanhoy; step-children, Bertha McMahan, Nellie Wall, Barbara Hudspeth, Mary Allison, Della Pinnix, Edd, Willie, George, David, Spencer and Joseph Brown; six grandchildren; four step-grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; a sister-in-law, Freida Casey; and several nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Her funeral service was held at the Gentry Family Chapel by the Rev. Hewey Parrish and the Rev. Joe Reece.
CARTER Daniel Fleming Carter, 55, September 2, 2009, Somerton Friends, Virginia. Daniel was born September 22, 1953, the son of the late Marie Falls Carter and Sidney Fleming Carter. He worked as a lieutenant for Western Tidewater Regional Jail. Daniel is survived by his wife of 25 years, Iris Yvonne Holland Carter; daughter, Daphne Lorrain Carter; sons, Daniel (Rebecca) Carter and Samuel (Marion) Carter; three grandchildren; and sisters, Bobbi (Andy) Anderson, Pat Davenport and Frances (Gary) Smith. A funeral service was held September 5, with Pat Thames officiating.
CLARKE Samuel Gordon Clarke, 78, September 15, 2009, Rhodes Friends and New Hope Friends, North Carolina. Gordon was born on March 3, 1931, to Leonard Gordon Clarke and Marguerite Lyons Clarke. He was married to Martha Thompson Clarke for almost 59 years. He served in the U.S. Air Force. Gordon served as pastor for 53 years in Friends churches in Indiana, California and North Carolina. He was currently serving as pastor of Rhodes Friends Church of Mount Olive. In addition to his wife, Gordon is survived by a son, Daniel Gordon Clarke; a grandson; a great-granddaughter; and his brother, David Keith Clarke. A son, David Allen Clarke, preceded him in death. Funeral services were conducted by Bill Garner and Billy Britt.
COSAND Mary Elizabeth Warren Cosand, 89, August 5, 2009, Damascus Friends Church, Ohio. Mary was born on March 2, 1920, a daughter of the late William Weston and Anna Belle Shigley Warren. Mary retired in 1980 from teaching elementary school. She was faithful to serve beside her husband while he served as a minister and district superintendent in the Friends Church. Mary served on the North Carolina Yearly Meeting literature committee while her husband was pastor at Up River Friends Meeting. She is survived by her husband of 64 years, the Rev. Rendal Loren Cosand, whom she married on August 31, 1944; three sons, Wesley (Ruth) Cosand, Walter (Patricia) Cosand and Watson (Anna) Cosand; a brother, Frank Weston Warren; eight grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by a son, Timothy Warren Cosand, and a brother, William Rutus Warren. Services were held August 10 at the Damascus Friends Church with Pastor Richard Brendlinger, Sr., and Pastor Chris Jackson, Eastern Area Superintendent of the Friends Church, officiating.
DOWNING Melbourne Thomas Leslie Downing, Jr., 68, September 19, 2009, Springfield Friends, North Carolina. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Mel was born January 27, 1941, a son to the late Melbourne Thomas Leslie Downing and the late Dorothy Cook Downing. As a youngster he sang as a boy soprano until his voice changed. However, his interest in music led him to study piano and organ. By the time he was 16 he was serving as a church organist. In 1959, he graduated from Baltimore Friends School and from Peabody Institute of the City of Baltimore Conservatory of Music (now a part of Johns Hopkins University) where he studied piano. Also in 1959, he moved to Greensboro, North Carolina, to enroll in Guilford College, where he would later graduate in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science. In 1962, he moved to High Point as pianist and organist for Springfield Friends Meeting, a position he would hold for 47 years until the time of his death. Some may remember Mel as organist at the 2008 FUM Triennial Sessions in High Point the night that Landrum Bolling gave the peace lecture. On February 24, 1962, he married the former Janet Anne Majors who survives. Also surviving are daughters, Deborah Anne Downing and Patricia Lynne (Thomas) Corcoran; a brother, Wesley Emory Frank Downing; and five grandchildren. Services to celebrate Mel’s life were held at Springfield Friends with Ray Luther and the Rev. Milburt Kurtz and James Taylor officiating. Memorials may be made to the Melbourne Thomas Leslie Downing, Jr., and Janet Anne Majors Downing Music Trust Fund at Springfield Friends Meeting.
FULK Mattie Loraine Guyer Fulk, 93, November 20, 2009, Pilot Mountain, North Carolina. She was born October 31, 1916, to the late William W. and Lela Ray Guyer. She was a homemaker and is survived by her husband, Clyde W. Fulk; son, Phillip; sister, Susie (Burton) Schendel; and several nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by three sisters. Funeral services were held November 24 at Pilot Mountain Friends Meeting, conducted by Pastor Sara Beth Terrell and Pastor Frank Huffman.
GRIFFIN Sarah McPherson Griffin, 84, August 8, 2009, Cane Creek Friends, North Carolina. Sarah was the wife of the late John Blake Griffin and the daughter of the late Paul V. McPherson and the late Lorna Smith McPherson. She was retired from AT&T Lucent. Sarah is survived by two daughters, Patty Griffin and Becky Gammon; one son, Cletus P. Griffin; two grandsons and one great-grandson. In addition to her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by her son, David Griffin; her brother, James Paul McPherson; and her son-in-law, Calvin Gammon. A funeral service was held at the Cane Creek Friends Meeting, August 12, with Mark Tope officiating.
HOBSON Vera Josephine “Aunt Jo” Hobson, 91, October 25, 2009, East Bend Friends, North Carolina. She was born November 21, 1917, to Charles Gurney and Nancy Grace Hobson. She was a member of East Bend Friends Meeting where she served as the church treasurer for 46 years and was the pianist/organist for more than 50 years. She retired from the Veteran’s Administration in 1973 as secretary to the director. She was a member of United Society of Friends Women and she served as recording clerk of Yadkin Valley Quarterly Meeting of Friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, six sisters and one brother. Surviving is one brother, Marvin Gilbert Hobson, and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. Funeral services were conducted October 28 at the East Bend Friends Meeting, with the Revs. Bobby Choplin, Randy Johnson and Hewey Parrish officiating.
HOLT Inez Lowe Holt, 92, August 19, 2009, Corinth Friends, Virginia. Inez was born in Southampton County, the oldest child of the late Mabel Drewry and Saint Luke Lowe. She was predeceased by her husband, Conrad Norton Holt, Sr.; a son, Merle R. Holt, Sr.; three sisters, Louise Holt, Helen Warren and Sadie Turner; her brother, Haywood G. Lowe; and half-brother, Robert “Bud” Barnes. She was a 1933 graduate of Franklin High School and a retired Holt Metal Works clerk. Survivors include three daughters, Carolyn (Phil) Tart, Sherry Pickens and Jean (Bill) Galtress; one son, Conrad (Rachelle) Holt, Jr.; 18 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren; six great-greatgrandchildren; and two sisters, Elise Asbell and Juanita Rousse. The funeral was held at Corinth Friends Meeting with Pastor Tony Lowe and Pastor David Hobson officiating.
HUBBARD John Hubbard was born in Pittsburgh on October 31, 1926. His parents were Claude Hubbard and Alice Emma (Jones) Hubbard. He had one sibling, a sister named Harriet. Harriet died at age 14 from meningitis when John was only seven years old. John attended a private boy’s school in Pittsburgh, where his father was a physical education teacher. After high school, John attended the University of Pittsburgh and earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering. He graduated while the United States was deeply engaged in WWII and signed up for the U.S. Navy. After the war, the G.I. bill paid for his tuition to go to Tufts University in Boston where he earned his master’s degree in engineering. He returned to Pittsburgh, and there, while attending Pittsburgh Friends Meeting, he met Rachel Elizabeth Katz. They were married April 3, 1953. Within a year of marriage, they both took jobs in Cincinnati, Ohio, and moved to the community of Mariemont, where they lived until 2005. John was an engineer at the Ohio River Division Laboratories of the Army Corps of Engineers until 1972 when he resigned instead of being transferred to Illinois. After working for a private consulting firm for a few years, he taught engineering courses at Cincinnati State College for nearly four years before retiring. When the Hubbards moved to Cincinnati, they joined the Seven Hills Friends Meeting (FUM) which merged in 1968 with East Cincinnati Friends Meeting (FGC) to form Community Friends Meeting. It was into these Friends meetings that their two children were born, John Allen in 1956 and Karolyn Elizabeth in 1959. In the mid 1960s the family spent many summers attending Camp Nee-kau-nis, a Quaker camp located north of Toronto. John and Rachel were active in Quaker, ecumenical and civic organizations. They attended a Triennial Conference of the Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) in Honduras and annual FWCC-Section of the Americas conferences in Mexico, Oregon, California and Arizona. John was quite involved in Friends United Meeting, representing Community Friends Meeting at Miami Center Quarterly Meeting and Wilmington Yearly Meeting’s annual sessions. He was a leader in the Public Sanctuary Movement in Cincinnati during the El Salvadoran civil conflicts. Faced with the reality of the U.S. sponsored war in El Salvador, the Friends Meeting discerned for weeks as to whether to provide sanctuary to Salvadoran refugees. John was very clear that his conscience would not allow him to do otherwise. In the first months after the Salvadoran family, Miguel, Gabriela and their daughters, moved into the Meeting House, John would often be seen in the library taking his turn to stand watch for government officials who might come to arrest them. In 2001 John’s son Allen died from lymphoma, leaving behind three daughters whom John and Rachel helped through high school and college. In 2005 he and Rachel moved into the assisted living housing at Quaker Heights. There John designed and built a special small pond to be attractive to dragonflies. Dragonflies had become a major hobby of John’s during his more than 30 years of volunteering at the Cincinnati Nature Center. After Rachel’s passing, John moved to live near his daughter Karolyn in Atlanta, Georgia, and later to “Court at Sandy Springs” where he died on June 14 with Karolyn and Michael present. A Friends Memorial Service was held at Community Friends Meetinghouse on September 6.
KIGER Angela Lynn Kiger, 31, September 27, 2009, Wabash Friends, Indiana. Angela was born August 31, 1978, to Randy and Nancy (Dale) Niccum. She was a 1998 graduate of Manchester High School and attended International Business College in Fort Wayne. She married Joshua Kiger at the Wabash Friends Church on April 29, 2000. She enjoyed crocheting, going to the lake and, most of all, her two daughters. Angie was a medical assistant at Heartland OB/GYN. She is survived by her husband; two daughters, Elizabeth Jean “Elli” and Kathrine Marie “Kati”; her parents; three brothers, Ryan, Mary and Kevin Niccum; grandparents, Roger (Bonnie) Dale and Marvin (Charlene) Niccum; two nephews; several aunts, uncles and many friends. She was preceded in death by her grandma, Jean Dale. Funeral services were held October 1 at Wabash Friends Chuch, with David Phillips officiating. Memorials may be sent to the Elli & Kati Kiger Education Fund c/o Crossroads Bank.
MANESS John William Maness, 68, October 9, 2009, Holly Springs Friends, North Carolina. John was a farmer and a member of the Quaker Men Association. Survivors include his wife, Sondra Stone Maness; daughter, Shelia (Steven) Brumley; son, William Jeffery Maness; sister, Rebecca (Tom) Poteat; brothers, David (Penny) Maness and Phillip (Joyce) Maness; and four grandchildren. Funeral services were officiated by the Rev. Todd Brown.
MASSEY Elijah Conard Massey, 94, July 16, 2009, Goldsboro Friends, North Carolina. Conard was born August 26, 1914, to the late Elijah Coleman Massey and Emma Gertrude Cox Massey. He was married to the late Ruby Costin Massey. He was a long-time dairy farmer. Conard had been a trustee and member of Ministry and Counsel for Goldsboro Friends Meeting and cooked for the fellowship meals. He often arrived for meeting for worship early in order to sit in the silence in the manner of his conservative Friends’ background. His favorite Bible passage was Psalm 103. Conard is survived by his daughters, Mary (Vernon) New and Louise (Wesley) Braswell; a brother, Lloyd (Elizabeth) Massey; three nephews, Macon, Frank and Harry Massey; a niece, Nancy Heath; and many other nieces and nephews.
RUSSELL Edith Matthews Russell, 84, October 1, 2009, Forbush Friends, North Carolina. She was born on September 21, 1925, to Thomas Henry and Emma Hauser Matthews. She was retired from RJR Tobacco Company. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Kenneth A. Russell; brothers, Junious, Mawyer, Charles, Nelson and Bill Matthews; and sisters, Juanita Richardson and Nell Freeman. Surviving are her daughter, Wanda (John) Merschel; brother-in-law, Jack Freeman; sisters-in-law, Grace, Beatrice, Ruby and Dot Matthews; step-son, Gary (Nancy) Russell; step-daughters, Paulette (Eddie) Ray, Libby (Norman) Marlow and Magalene (J.C.) Shelton; and many extended family members. Funeral services were held October 3 at Forbush Friends Meeting with the Rev. Jake Penley officiating.
SMALL Charles Clark Small, 90, September 29, 2009, Marlboro Friends, North Carolina. Charles was a WWII veteran. He retired from Globe Parlor/Burlington House Furniture Company. He was an avid farmer, gardener and woodworking man. He is preceded in death by his wife, Margie White Small; parents, James Clark and Ida Yow Small; sisters, Bertha Bundy, Ethel Steed and Elizabeth Michael; and brother, Milton Small. He is survived by daughters, Joyce Ann (Charles) Walker and Carolyn (James) Smith; son, Charles Lynn Small; three grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. The funeral was held October 2 at Marlboro Friends Meeting with the Rev. John H. Sides and Dr. Bob Medford officiating.
WILLIAMS Margaret Gentry Williams, 86, August 30, 2009, Pilot View Friends, North Carolina. Margaret was born July 13, 1923, to the late William Miles and Leona Pendry Gentry. She was a great cook, and was well known for her homemade yeast rolls and coconut cake. She worked for several years, with her husband, James Hugh Williams, at Williams and Gentry Grocery and Meat Processing in Yadkinville. She served the church as a Sunday School teacher for the kindergarten class for over 40 years. In addition to her parents, she was also preceded in death by her sisters, Iva Helton and Ruth Mickle; and by her brothers, George and Lester Gentry. Surviving are her beloved husband of 64 years, James Hugh Williams; her daughters, Delores (David) Mabe, Wanda (Charlie) Brintle and Janet (Jerry) Anderson; seven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; sisters, Bernice Norman and Wilma Casstevens; and a brother, Frank (Barbara) Gentry. Her funeral service was held by the Rev. Nelson Puffenbarger and Tim Vestal.
WINSLOW Ruby Smith Winslow, 86, September 30, 2009, Asheboro Friends, North Carolina. Ruby was born March 9, 1923. She was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma and retired as a teacher from Guy B. Teachey School in 1984, after 31 years of teaching in the public school system. She is survived by her husband, Minister Leslie Winslow; son, Worth Winslow; daughter, Mary W. Stickle; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Funeral services were held October 3 at Asheboro Friends Meeting with Pastor Ken Thames and Pastor Pat Thames officiating.