June 16, 2006

Mrs. Harlena Cook Hayes

Mrs. Harlena Cook Hayes, 91, of 1171 George Hayes Road, Boone, died Tuesday afternoon, June 13, 2006, at Blowing Rock Hospital.

She was born March 18, 1915 in Watauga County, a daughter of the late Rev. Will Jordan and Mollie Vandyke Cook.

Mrs. Hayes was a retired salesperson for Belk Department Store and a member of Mount Vernon Baptist Church.

Survivors include two daughters, Evelyn Critcher and husband, C.M., of Boone, and Joyce Meeks of Clermont, Fla.; two sons, Howard Hayes and wife, Lucy, and J. Harold Hayes, all of Boone; and a brother, George Cook and wife, Virginia, of Beverly, Ohio. Seventeen grandchildren, 33 great-grandchildren, two great-great grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews also survive.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Joe Hayes;  one brother, Dayton Cook; and one sister-in-law, Texie Hayes Cook.

Services will be conducted Saturday morning, June 17, 2006, at 11:00 o'clock, at Hampton Funeral Home Chapel. The body will lie in state from 10:00 until 11:00 o'clock. Officiating will be the Rev. Bud Russell, the Rev.  Burl Greer, and the Rev. Gary Shew. Burial will follow in the Coffey Family Cemetery.

The family will receive friends Friday evening, from 7:00 until 8:30, at the funeral home.

Flowers are appreciated, or memorial contributions may be made to the Coffey Family Cemetery Fund, in care of Harold Hayes, 1171 George Hayes Road, Boone, N.C. 28607 or to the Watauga County Project on Aging, 132 Poplar Grove Connector, Suite A, Boone, N.C. 28607.

Hampton Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements.

Beatrice West Whittington

Mrs. Beatrice West Whittington, 68, of 1107 Junaluska Road, Boone, died Monday, June 12, 2006, at the home of her sister at 604 Maple Street, in Glade Springs, Va.

She was born Jan. 22, 1938 in Watauga County, a daughter of Myrtle West Johnson and the late James West.

Mrs. Whittington was a homemaker and a member of the Mennonite Brethren Church in Boone.

In addition to her mother, Mrs. Whittington is survived by her husband, Buster Whittington of Boone; one daughter, Diane W. Pickett and husband, Harry, of Charlotte; one grandson, Brandon Pickett of Charlotte; four sisters, Janet Hagler, Velma Branch, Barbara Bradley, and Anita Lockhart; and one brother, Timothy Johnson, all of Glade Springs, Va. A number of nieces and nephews, including a special niece, Faye Reddix, also survive.

She was also preceded in death by one brother, Jessie James West.

Services were conducted Wednesday afternoon, June 14, 2006, at Hampton Funeral Home Chapel. Officiating was the Rev. R.C. Bryant and Pastor Barbara Bradley. Burial followed in the Clarissa Hill Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Southwest Virginia, 325 Cummings Street, Abingdon, Va. 24210.

Hampton Funeral Service was in charge of the arrangements.

June 14, 2006

Mrs. Pauline ‘Polly’ Amanda New Edens

Mrs. Pauline "Polly" Amanda New Edens, 87, formerly of Salisbury, died Monday, June 12, 2006, at Kindred Hospital, Greensboro.

She was born April 28, 1919, in Wilmington, the daughter of the late Ruth Gaynelle Cook and Leslie Thomas New.

Mrs. Edens was a graduate of Lee Edwards High School in Asheville, class of 1936, and in 1940, graduated Cum Laude from Milligan College in Tennessee. A retired school teacher and housewife, Mrs. Edens taught at Rockwell Elementary and Erwin Junior High School.

She was a member of First Baptist Church, Salisbury; past president of the Milford Hills Lioness Club, Salisbury; a member and past president of Enon Home Extension Club; and past member of the Salisbury-Rowan Choral Society. She volunteered at Rowan Helping Ministries and American Red Cross. 

Survivors include her husband of 66 years, James Edwin "Jim" Edens; a son, Gary Denton Edens and his wife, Suellen, of Paradise Valley, Ariz.; a daughter, Wendy Edens Jessen and her husband, Lee, of Boone; grandchildren, Ashley Reid of New York City, N.Y., Emily Calihan of Phoenix, Ariz., Jeffrey Edward Jessen of Anchorage, Alaska, Jonathan Lee Jessen, also of Anchorage, and Erik Andrew Jessen of Durango, Colo.; and three great-grandchildren.

Mrs. Edens was preceded in death by brothers, Robert Floyd New and Leslie Thomas New.

Services will be conducted Wednesday afternoon at 2 p.m., June 14, in the Summersett Memorial Chapel in Salisbury. Visitation will follow the services at the funeral home. Burial will be in Happy Valley Memorial Park in Elizabethton, Tenn., on Thursday.

Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church, 1st Family Ministry or Christmount Assembly, 225 Fern Way, Black Mountain, N.C. 28711.

Summersett Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

Teressa Jean Kelly

Mrs. Teressa Jean Kelly, 46, of Winter Drive, Boone, died Saturday morning, June 10, 2006 at her home. 

She was born Dec. 15, 1959 in Lexington, N.C., a daughter of Lucy Carroll Greer Kelly and the late Glenn Wayland Kelly. 

Mrs. Kelly attended Greenway Baptist Church and was formerly employed as a cashier at the Kentucky Fried Chicken Restaurant in Boone.

Survivors include her husband, Michael Edward Fuller; two daughters, Ariel Brown and Alexis Kelly and her husband, Darwin Rodriquez, all of Blowing Rock; three sons, Cody Kelly of Boone, Dakota Kelly of Sugar Grove and Aaron Brown of Tennessee; one granddaughter, Sierra Kelly of Blowing Rock; her mother, Lucy Kelly of Boone; one sister, Glenna Nichols of Troup, Texas; and her step-father, Mitchell Greer of Boone. 

Memorial services were conducted Tuesday evening at 7 o’clock at Bibleway Baptist Church, officiated by the Rev. Michael Greene and the Rev. Erick Proffitt. 

Memorial donations may be made to the Kelly family.

Austin & Barnes Funeral Home and Crematory is serving the Kelly family.

June 12, 2006

Joyce Elizabeth Humphries Blanton

Mrs. Joyce Elizabeth Humphries Blanton passed away, Monday, June 5, 2006.

She was born Dec. 13, 1942, in Lineville, Ala., to the late David Raymond Humphries and Ada Elizabeth New Humphries and the late Grover Rice and Samantha Humphries Rice.

She was the wife of Colonel Robert Delano Blanton (USMC, retired). Living in many parts of the world,  including  Washington, D.C. in Quantico, Va.; Okinawa, Japan; Hawaii and New River Air Station, N.C., as a Marine's wife, was a joy to her life.

Joyce received her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education from Auburn University in Alabama, and her masters degree in Middle Grades Education from Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C. She taught school in Pensacola, Fla.; Jacksonville, N.C.; Walnut Cove, N.C. and Tucson, Ariz. She was active in professional educational organizations wherever she went. Education was more than a profession to her - it was her calling in life. She truly enjoyed teaching and working with students.

Mrs. Blanton received the most enjoyment in being a mother. She interrupted her teaching career for fifteen years to be a stay-at-home mom to, as she liked to say, "my three sons."

Traveling to new places such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, England, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, Bangkok and Canada was fascinating to her. A month spent in Turkey visiting her daughter-in-law's family last summer was a wonderful experience which she talked about often, and a week spent in the Cotswold area of England in September, 2004 was a dream come true.

She is survived by her first born son, Dr. Sean Alexander Blanton and his wife, Yasemin Ipek, and Joyce's first grandchild, Pelin Elizabeth, of Chicago, Ill.;  second born son, Jason Robert Blanton and his wife with Joyce's second grandchild, Niko Geiger, of Washington, D.C.;  third born son, Matthew Edward Blanton of Chicago, Ill.; beloved sisters, Frances Sudderth and Jody Speer of Birmingham, Ala.; Dean Capps of Dallas, Tex.; Margaret Bell of Forest Park, Ga.; Mar Ingram of Marvin, Ala.; Mae Barie of Palm Desert, Calif.; half-sister, Clara Takacs of Birmingham, Ala.; sisters-in-law, Ann Mixson, Mary Lou Seyle and Elizabeth Blanton, all of North Charleston, S.C.; Lynn Blanton of Mt. Pleasant, S.C.; and also honorary sister Cigdem Cetiner of Izmir, Turkey. Joyce has dozens of nieces and nephews who always adored her; and her loyal and loving chocolate lab, Jonas, was always by her side.

Mrs. Blanton has many friends including the High Country Writers of Boone, N.C.; the Eclectic Society book discussion group also of Boone, N.C.; her many scrap-booking friends; her neighbors of Jonas Ridge, N.C. and other friends all over the world.

The family received friends on Friday, June 9, 2006 from 6- 8 p.m. at Currie-Jefferson Funeral Home, Hwy 150, Hoover, Ala.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. at the First United Methodist in Lineville, Ala.

Currie-Jefferson Funeral Home in Hoover, Ala., was in charge of the arrangements.

Darleen Greene Presnell

Mrs. Darleen Greene Presnell, 49, of 1330 Brownwood Road, Deep Gap, died Sunday morning, June 11, 2006, at Watauga Medical Center.

She was born April 17, 1957, in Watauga County, a daughter of Sarah Brown Greene and the late Odis Lawrence Greene.

Mrs. Presnell was an employee in the food service at Appalachian State University, and was of the Baptist faith.

Survivors include her husband, Daniel S. Presnell; two daughters, Amy Trivette and husband, Phillips, of Raleigh and Valerie Saunders and husband, Stanley, of Zionville; eight granddaughters, Courtney Saunders, Shanika Saunders, Liberty Saunders, Justus Saunders and Courtney Taylor Saunders, all of Zionville, Brittany Trivette, Nichole Trivette and Danielle Trivette, all of Raleigh; two grandsons, Dustin Oliver of Zionville and Austin Trivette of Raleigh; and one great-granddaughter; her mother, Sarah Greene; two sisters, Geneva Hennessee and husband, David, and Judy Greene; and one brother, Lawrence Greene, all of Deep Gap. A  number of nieces and nephews also survive.

She was preceded in death by her father, Odis Lawrence Greene.

Services will be conducted Tuesday afternoon at 2 o’clock at Pilot Mtn. Baptist Church. The body will lie in state at the church from 1-2 p.m. Officiating will be the Rev. Fred Vannoy and the Rev. Keith Woodie. Burial will follow in the Greene Family Cemetery.

The family will receive friends Tuesday afternoon from 1-2 p.m. at the church, prior to the service.

Hampton Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements.

Landon Chance Pruitt

Ella Abigail Pruitt

Landon Chance Pruitt and Ella Abigail Pruitt, infant twins of Kevin and Melissa Ellison Pruitt, died at Watauga Medical Center. Ella Abigail died Friday, June 9, 2006 and Landon Chance died Saturday, June 10, 2006.

In addition to their parents, they are survived by one brother, Ethan Pruitt of the home; their maternal grandparents, Gary and Jan Ellison of Todd; their paternal grandfather and step-grandmother, Larry Pruitt and wife, Wanda, of Wythville, Va.; their paternal grandmother and step-grandfather, Linda Trent and husband, Johnny, of Lansing; their maternal great-grandmother, Jean Ellison of Todd; their paternal great-grandmothers, Thelma Pruitt and Nancy Harris, both of Marion, Va.

They were preceded in death by a maternal great-grandfather, Earl Ellison; a paternal great-grandfather, Jack Pruitt; and maternal great-grandparents, Louis and Ella Davis.

Private graveside services were conducted Sunday afternoon, June 11, at 4 p.m., at the Ellison Family Cemetery with Pastor Dewayne Tester officiating.

Hampton Funeral Service was in charge of the arrangements.

Mae Greer Thomas

Mrs. Mae Greer Thomas, 101, of US Highway 421 North, Zionville, died Friday afternoon, June 9, 2006, at  Watauga  Medical  Center.

She was born Feb. 21, 1905 in Watauga County, a daughter of the late William and Elmina Oliver Greer. She was a native of the Mabel Community and moved to Wasco, Oregon when she was 16. Mrs. Thomas lived there until she returned to Zionville at the age of 97, where she lived until her death.

Mrs. Thomas was a member of Union Baptist Church.

Survivors include one sister, Mrs. Dare Greer Isaacs of Zionville; one brother, Don Greer and wife, Ollie Belle, of Zionville; and one grandson, Tommy Thomas of Washington State. A number of nieces and nephews also survive.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Mark Thomas; one son, Ralph Thomas; a daughter-in-law, Mary Thomas; three sisters, June McGlammery, Ethel Perry, and Martha Greer; and seven brothers, Fontz Greer, Rev. Arnt Greer, Norman Greer, Raymond Greer, Von Greer, Clay Greer, and Mylo Greer.

Services were conducted Sunday evening,  June 11, 2006, at Hampton Funeral Home Chapel. Officiating was the Rev. Bill Warren. Burial will follow in  Ioof  Cemetery in The Dalles, Oregon.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Union Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, in care of Roxana Miller, 6797 Old US Highway 421, Zionville, N.C. 28698.

Hampton Funeral Service was is charge of the arrangements.