OBITUARIES

ANGIER - Tommy Stephenson, 78, passed away on Sunday. A native of Johnston County, he is the son of the late Thlymor and Bessie Pearl Blackmon. Funeral services will be held Wednesday at 1:30 PM at Hilltop Free Will Baptist Church. Burial will follow at Roselawn Cemetery in Benson. Survivors include his wife of sixty years, Marie, children Eugene...

Curtis Crocker Buffaloe, 89, of Raleigh went to be with the Lord on Tuesday.Curtis was the youngest son of the late Atlas and Lillian Crocker Buffaloe. Curtis met and married his high school sweetheart, Margaret Poole of Garner in 1944.They made a home in the McCullers Community, where they raised their two sons, Mickey and Danny.The family farmed tobacco...

Wake Forest - Patricia Dawn Bridges, 68, died Sunday. A native of Wake County, she was the daughter of the late Jesse and Norma Williams Johnson. She was preceded in death by her brother Timothy Glenn Johnson. Patricia was a longtime member of Ebenezer United Methodist Church. Mrs. Bridges was the first female claims adjuster in N.C. A memorial...

ANGIER - Valeria Coats Adams, 93, passed away on Wednesday morning. A native of Wake County and a lifelong resident of Angier, she was the daughter of the late William Amos and Dessie Stephenson Coats. In addition to her parents and eleven brothers and sisters, she was preceded in death by her husband, J. Norwood Adams in 1992. Funeral...

RALEIGH-Edward Leon Gillespie,68, passed away Wednesday. A native of Kanawha, WV, he is the son of the late Edward & Tressie Lowe Gillespie. Mr. Gillespie graduated from Meadow H.S. and received a B.A. from Wake Tech. After 33 years serving the citizens of the state of North Carolina, he retired from the Secretary of State office as a Securities...

Melba Adams Stephenson, 88 passed away peacefully on Sunday at her home. She was the daughter of the late Sandy and Etta Young Adams and she was preceded in death by her husband, R.A. Stephenson in the year of 2002. Melba was a member of Angier Baptist Church. Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday, May 6th at 2:00...

James E. Creech, 69, passed away at home after an extended illness. James worked in the HVAC industry performing many tasks as a jack of all trades. Funeral service will be held Sunday at 3:00 pm at Plainview Presbyterian Church, Angier. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. James was preceded in death by his daughter; Jamie Lynn Guerrero....

Gregory Powell Rasor, 45, died unexpectedly at home as a result of an aortic aneurysm. He was born in Raleigh, NC to James and Mollie Rasor. A graduate of Apex High School, he attended ECU School of Art for two years. Then he transferred to the newly established Culinary Arts Program at Wake Technical Community College and was one...

ANGIER - Milton Giles Coats, 90, passed away Saturday at Liberty Commons Assisted Living Facility. Mr. Coats served honorably for 23 years in the US Army including WWII and two tours in Vietnam. Once he returned to his hometown in NC he became an active member of his church and community. He served as a volunteer for numerous organizations...

RALEIGH -Helen Higgins Whitaker, 92, diedSaturday. Funeral services will be 11:00AM, Monday at Bryan-Lee Funeral Chapel, Garner. Burial will follow at Montlawn Memorial Park. A loving and devoted wife, mother and friend, she is survived by sons; David Earl Whitaker and wife, Cindy of Clayton, William Edward Whitaker of Raleigh; 2 grandsons, Brandon Bryan Whitaker and wife, Jennifer of...

Four Oaks - Stacie Hamilton Stanley, 39, passed away Saturday. Funeral Services will be 2:00 pm Wednesday at Bryan-Lee Funeral Chapel, Garner. Burial will follow at Montlawn Memorial Park. Survivors include her husband, Ronnie Stanley of Four Oaks; daughter, Ashley Hamilton of Willow Spring; son, Justin Edwards of Raleigh; father and step-mother, Jack and Sue Hamilton and mother and...

Willow Spring - Sharon Umstead Jackson, 44, passed away on Monday. A native of Wake County, she was the daughter of the late Alexander Wiley Umstead and Jacquelyn Thigpen Umstead Johnson. Sharon was a patient financial manager at Wake Medical Center. Funeral services will be Friday, 2:00pm at C-3 Church, Clayton. Burial will follow in the Jackson Family Cemetery...

Garner- Carl William Franks, Sr., 87, died peacefully at his home Tuesday. Other than his wife of 59 years Marie, Carls pride and joy was his 2 children and 6 grandchildren. He was a caring man that put the needs of others first. A family and community driven man, he was the first police commissioner of Garner, a board...

RALEIGH- James Kevin Hatcher, 47, launched his final mission on Thursday, March 29, 2012. A native of Brunswick County, he was born July 7, 1964 to James P. Hatcher and Geraldine Lancaster Risley. Kevin served his country in the US Air Force and National Guard, serving three tours in Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He was currently active serving as...

RALEIGH- Ella Mae Sauls Hurst, 90, passed away peacefully Monday morning. Born in Wake County, she was the daughter of the late Russell and Ruth Whittington Sauls. Funeral services will be 1:00 pm Thursday at Turner Memorial Baptist Church. Burial will follow at Montlawn Memorial Park. Survivors include her daughter, Cindy Hurst Howell of Raleigh; son, Clyde Hurst, Jr.,...

GARNER - James Jackson Jack Mitchiner, Jr. 75, former owner of J & J Tree Service died Friday. A native of Wake Co. he was the son of the late, Jack Mitchiner, Sr. and Kathryn Hockaday Mitchiner. He is survived by his wife, Vicki Chappell Wynne-Mitchiner; son Jack Mitchiner III of Garner; brother, P.V. Mitchiner and wife, Sondra of...

Natalie E. Hume September 28, 1942 - December 2, 2011 Raleigh - Natalie Hume, 69, retired from WakeMed after 40 years of employment. Natalie is survived by her mother, Peggy Hume; sister, Lori Hume; niece, Jennifer Englehardt; and great-niece, Mary Kate Englehardt. Natalie was preceded in death by her father, Nathan Hume, and sisters, Penny Hume and Jennifer Hume....

WENDELL - Katherine Pike Harms, 80, died Tuesday at Wake Medical Center. Born in Heard County, GA, she was the daughter of the late Hertchell and Eula Abner Pike. A memorial service will be held at 4:00 pm Saturday, August 4th at Bryan-Lee Funeral Chapel, Garner. Survivors include her daughter, Holly Katherine Long and husband, Doug of Wendell; grandchildren,...

CLAYTON- Joseph Bryant Barbour, 60, passed away Tuesday in Pittsburgh, PA. Born in Johnston County, he was the son of Catherine McCarthy Barbour and the late Max Leo Barbour. Mr. Barbour served in the US Army during the Vietnam War and was the recipient of two bronze stars. Funeral services will be 11:00 am Saturday at Horne Memorial United...

Cary - Gerald Wayne Smith, 68, of Cary, NC passed away recently at his home.He was born in Raleigh on August 7, 1945 and graduated from Enloe High School. He proudly served a tour of duty with the United States Navy during the Vietnam era and retired from Goodmark Foods in Garner after 30 years .He is survived by...