DURHAM

Betty F. Goswick

DURHAM -- Mrs. Betty F. Goswick, 77, of Durham, passed away early Sunday morning at Durham Regional Hospital while recovering from a recent stroke. Mrs. Goswick was born in Durham, the daughter of the late Samuel Bennett Ferrell and the late Marjorie Gattis Ferrell. She was also preceded in death by a brother, Samuel Bennett Ferrell Jr.

She had worked as a stewardess, a data processing clerk for Hospital Savings Association and a bookkeeper for Glidden Paint Co. before retiring. She was also a long time member of Trinity Avenue Presbyterian Church and later on, after her return to Durham from Saint Louis, Missouri, she and Alex joined Bethany United Methodist Church.

Betty was a majorette for the Durham High School Marching Band where she graduated in 1951. She was on the DHS Class of '51 Reunion Committee and organized many of their most recent reunions. She was also a member of the Durham Junior Woman's club during the 1970s' and a fan of the late Elvis Presley.

Mrs. Goswick is survived by her husband, Alex Goswick; a son, Bart Goswick; and a sister, Charlotte Dudley, all of Durham. Also surviving are her brother in law and sister in law, Claude and Louise Goswick from Bryan, Texas; and many nieces and nephews.

The funeral service will be held at Bethany United Methodist Church on Thursday at 2 p.m. followed by the burial at Maplewood Cemetery. The family will receive friends at Clements Funeral Home in Durham Wednesday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. Flowers are acceptable or the family would appreciate donations to Avila Retreat Center, 711 Mason Road, Durham, NC 27712 in Betty's name.

Richard Lee McCombs

DURHAM -- Funeral service for Mr. Richard Lee McCombs, 65, of 1315 Hyde Park Ave., will be conducted on Wednesday at 1 p.m. from the Southside Church of Christ and the interment will follow in the Beechwood Cemetery. The family will meet with their friends one hour before the funeral service.

Survivors are his mother, Mrs. Fannie Scott (Troy); one daughter, Mrs. Liza Marden (Derrick); one sister, Ms. Jacklyn Jackson; two brothers, Mr. Earnest McCombs, Mr. Edward Thorpe.

Hanes Funeral Service is in charge of all arrangements.


Nora Florence Shelton



DURHAM -- Nora Florence Shelton, passed from this life on Sunday, November 8, 2009, at Duke Hospice.

Ms. Shelton was a native of Pennsylvania having lived most of her life in Tampa, Fla., Asheville, and more recently in Durham. She was a member of the Horton Road Church of God. Ms. Shelton was preceded in death by her mother, Bessie Marie Mitchel; husband, Dewey James Shelton; a daughter, Jackie Jones; three grandsons, Christopher, Mark and Gregory Jones; and a brother, Stanley Mitchel.

She is survived by her daughter, Fay, and son-in-law, Jerry Phillips of Durham; two brothers, Chester Mitchel of Egg Harbor Township, N.J. and Roy Edward 'Eddie' Mitchel of Nashville, Tenn.; grandson, Leonard Jones III and wife, Denise; and great-grandson, Isaiah Jones of Jasper, Ga.; step-grandsons, Greg Wilson and wife, Anne and their children, Lauren, Ashlyn and Drew, and Jeff Wilson and wife, Rachel and their children, Amber and Madison; step-granddaughters, Tiffany Clark and husband, Chris and their children, Tyler and Caitlyn and Amanda Warren and her children, Brennen and Connor; and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009 in Carmen Church of God on Shelton Laurel in Madison County with the Reverends Joe Leonard and Jimmy Dean Hensley officiating. Interment will follow in the Shelton Family Cemetery.

Serving as pallbearers will be Leonard R. Jones III, Steve Shelton, Roger Shelton, Patrick Shelton, Jerry Miller, Justin Hensley, Josh Hensley and Jared Hensley.

The family will receive friends Wednesday at the church from 1 to 2 p.m. prior to the service.

Memorials may be made to Horton Road Church of God, 1210 Horton Road, Durham, NC 27704.

Madison Funeral Home, 1750 Hwy 213, Marshall, is assisting the family.

www.MadisonFH.com

GRANVILLE




William Michael Huffaker Sr.



OXFORD -- William Michael Huffaker Sr., 59, of 6195 Horner Siding Road in Oxford, died at home on his beloved farm on November 8th after a courageous battle with Melanoma.

Mike was born on October 5, 1950 to Clyde Lee Huffaker Sr. and Helen Clark Huffaker, both deceased, in Knoxville, Tennessee. Mike grew up in Tazewell, Tennessee where he was active in his church's youth group as well as in the local Boy Scout Troop. He was the starting quarterback for the Claibourne County Blue Devils and continued playing football at Carson Newman College in Jefferson City, Tennessee as well as at Morehead State University in Morehead, Kentucky.

Mike received his undergraduate B.S. degree with a major in Biology and minor in Chemistry in 1973. In 1975 he received his master's degree in Science from Morehead State University. Mike was a lifelong educator with his teaching career beginning in 1973 at Morehead State University as a teacher's assistant in Invertebrate Zoology. Upon receiving his master's degree he taught Anatomy and Physiology at Maysville Community College in Maysville, Kentucky. He also helped write an environmental impact statement while teaching in Kentucky. Mike moved to Oxford in 1978 and began teaching at Vance Granville Community College in Henderson. He helped form the International Human Anatomy and Physiology Society, where he was one of the charter members. He also taught at Piedmont Community College in Roxboro from 1986-1987. He taught EMT, Hunter Safety, First Aid/Safety, and CPR courses during his lifetime. He certified a large number of individuals who were later credited with saving many lives.

Mike was an avid outdoorsman and conservationist and was passionate about hunting, fishing, and wildlife. He created wildlife habitats on his farm and worked for wildlife enhancement. He was a lifelong member of Quail and Ducks Unlimited, NRA, NC Wildlife Habitat Foundation, Sierra Club, and Audubon Society.

Mike was a loving and devoted husband to his wife, Gail Smith Huffaker and a loving and totally devoted father to his son, Will. Mike is also survived by his brother, Lee Huffaker of Maryville, Tennessee; and sister, Phyllis Stark of Oxford.

Mike was a member of Oxford United Methodist Church where he was Den Leader with Pack 637 Cub Scouts, and a committee member of Boy Scout Troop 637. He coached soccer, basketball, and T-ball at the Henderson YMCA for a number of years.

A memorial service will be held Wednesday, November 11 at 2 p.m. at the Oxford United Methodist Church by The Reverend Pat Hawkins. A private graveside service will be held at another time on Mike's farm in Oxford overlooking the lands and farm he loved.

Serving as pallbearers will be Leon Dillard, Charles Pleasants, Johnny Newell, David Wallhausser, John Rexrode, and Joe Stepusin.

Flowers will be accepted or donations may be made to the Vance Granville Community College Endowment Fund in memory of William M. Huffaker Sr., P.O. Box 917 Henderson N.C. 27536 to help create a perpetual scholarship.

Arrangements are by the J.M. White Funeral Home.

ORANGE

Stella Malaszek Allison

CALDWELL -- Mrs. Stella Malaszek Allison, 74, of 5714 NC 57, Hurdle Mills, died Sunday morning, November 8, 2009 at Durham Regional Hospital.

She was born in Erie, Pa. She loved her family, especially her grandchildren. She enjoyed playing bingo and shopping and socializing with her friends at the Goodwill #503, Roxboro Rd., Durham.

She is survived by her husband, Charlie Ormand "Pete" Allison; and children, Mike and wife, Sheri Allison, Michelle and husband, Jim Benson, and Mark and wife, Wendy Allison, and Cheryl Wray; grandchildren, Ashley and April Summey, Cale and Bailey Allison, Kayla Bateman, Sydney and Joshua Allison; two brothers and two sisters. She was preceded in death by nine sisters and two brothers.

Visitation will be Tuesday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. at Walker's Funeral Home of Hillsborough. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. at Little River Presbyterian Church Cemetery. Online condolences: Walkersfuneralservice.com.

PERSON

Bonnie Wright Gentry

ROXBORO -- Bonnie Wright Gentry, age 94, died Sunday at Person Memorial Hospital. Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at the Allensville United Methodist Church. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at the Brooks & White funeral home.

VANCE

Essie Harris Walker

HENDERSON -- Essie Harris Walker, 88, a resident of 3030 Rock Spring Church Road, died Saturday at Maria Parham Medical Center. She was the daughter of the late Rev. James Harris and Susie Henderson Harris.

She was a retired teacher's aide for the Vance County School System.

She is survived by three daughters, Olivia W. Reid, Woodbridge, Va., Keifer Daniel, Durham and June Ellis, Manassas, Va.; one son, Ronald Walker, Greensboro; one sister, Gail Martin, Manson; two brothers, Dwight Harris, Henderson and Reginald Harris, Johnstown, Pa.; 27 grandchildren; 23 great grandchildren; and two great-great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be conducted Wednesday at 1 p.m. at Woodsworth Baptist Church by the Rev. Lawrence Harrison and the Rev. Clyde W. Ellis Jr. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Viewing will be Tuesday from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. at Wright Funeral Home of Henderson.

ELSEWHERE

Alta Stone Russell

GREENSBORO -- Alta Stone Russell, age 106, died on November 6, 2009. She was born in 1903, the daughter of Ara Byrd Stone and Edward Carl Stone of Durham. Alta graduated from Trinity College, now Duke University, in 1923 and was thought to be the oldest living graduate of Duke at the time of her death. Following her graduation, she taught in the Durham Public Schools until her marriage to The Reverend Leon Russell. They spent 40 years in Methodist ministry in Eastern North Carolina until retiring to Lake Junaluska where they had owned a home for many years. Dr. Russell died in 1979. She moved to Friends Homes in Greensboro, in 1984, where she was living at the time of her death. She was a member of Christ United Methodist Church in Greensboro.

Alta Russell is survived by her daughter, Barbara Russell Hardin, and her husband, Paul, Chapel Hill; her son, John Carl Russell, and his wife, Pat, Old Saybrook, Conn.; and her daughter, Martha Russell Gillikin and her husband, Robert, Dallas, Texas. Also surviving her are her grandchildren, Paul Russell Hardin, Atlanta, Ga., Sandra Hardin Mikush, Winston Salem, Dorothy Hardin Holmes, Bloomfield, Mich., Elinor Russell Ball, Wayne, Pa., Martha Russell Martin, Chesham, England, Barbara Russell Richardson, Atlanta, Ga., Elizabeth Gillikin Johnson, Richmond, Va., and David Gillikin, Dallas, Texas. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews; two sisters-in-law, Waldo Stone and Virginia Stone; and 25 great grandchildren. She was predeceased by her grandson, John Leon Russell; and by two brothers; and three sisters.

Services will be held Sunday, November 15th at 2 p.m. At Memorial Chapel, Lake Junaluska with interment at Garrett-Hillcrest Memorial Park, Waynesville, Dr. Julian Aldridge of Charlotte and Lake Junaluska officiating. Dr. Aldridge and his family have been longtime special friends of the Russells.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Lake Junaluska Foundation, Lake Junaluska, NC 28745, The Leon Russell Chapel at North Carolina Wesleyan College, Rocky Mount, NC 27804, or to a charity of choice.

Mrs. Russell's family is grateful for the excellent and loving care that she received from the entire staff at Friends Homes for many years.

An online guest registry may be signed at www.garrettfuneralsandcremations.com sponsored by the staff of Garrett Funerals and Cremations.