Category: IndividualObituary

ARMSTRONG, Thomas James (1877)

Transcribed by Stephen Carroll Pearsall

Mr. Thomas J. Armstrong died on the 10th of September 1877, at his residence in Pender Co, N. C.

From a short sketch of his early life, written by himself for the information of his children, we learn that he was born at South Washington on the 21st of April 1813. His early life was marked by vicissitudes various and painful, and more like pages of a thrilling romance than incidents in the life of an ordinary man. We incline to the opinion, however, that his career was rather extraordinary, for notwithstanding the bitterest griefs and over-whelming reverses of fortune, we know that he emerged from them at the age of manhood with a spotless moral character, and equipped with the most inflexible principles for the solemn duties of life. The lessons he had learned by actual experiences enabled him to form a just estimate of men and things, and to cultivate those liberal views by which his whole life was so strongly characterized. After his conversion he joined the M. E. Church, South and remained an active and useful official member until his failing health deprived him frequently of his accustomed participation in the public worship of the sanctuary.

As a Christian he had few superiors. His house was the preachers’ resting place, where they always felt at home. Non ever doubted the sincerity of his cordial welcome, or the manifest wisdom of his counsel. He was a delightful social companion. Besides his sterling common sense and well cultivated judgment, which gave weight to his opinions and actions, he had a rich fund of humor, and a keen perception of the ludicrous, which added an inimitable charm to his conversation. His intercourse with his family and friends was most tender. One of the beautiful traits of his symmetrical character was his love of little children. He seemed to enter fully into their plans and amusements, invariably won their confidence, and attached them strongly to him, by his great love for them. Love was the ruling principle of his life. By it he rose superior to circumstances the most adverse, had a host of warmly attached friends, and daily exemplified the golden rule, “Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.”

His declining years were marked by unwavering faith in God his Saviour, and entire trust in His faithfulness. Thus lived and died one of the most irreproachable of men. We sorrow not as those who have no hope, “for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him” James B. Bailey (author)

Source: Wilmington Morning Star, April 2, 1878

HUGHES, Thelma R. (1991)

Transcribed by Stephen Carroll Pearsall

Thelma R. Hughes, 80, of 310 Woodbine St., died Tuesday, Jan. 29, 1991, following a brief illness. She was the widow of Charlie Frank Hughes Sr.

Born in Burgaw, N.C. she was the daughter of the late Richard R. and Nora Brothers Rivenbark, and had been a resident of Hopewell most of her life. She was a member of Wesley United Methodist Church and was preceded in death by her son, Charlie Frank Hughes Jr.

She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Charlotte and Bill Andrews of Hopewell; nine grandchildren including Becky Lipscomb, Bonnie Barbini, Thomas Frazier and Marshall Andrews; 10 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren; and a sister, Myra Shaw of Hopewell.

The family will receive friends Thursday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Gould Funeral Home and at other times at the home of Charlotte Andrews, 3410 Jackson Farm Road.

A service will be conducted by the Rev. John Crawford, pastor of Wesley United Methodist Church. Interment will follow in Appomattox Cemetery.

Source:  The Hopewell News, Hopewell, Va., Wednesday, January 30, 1991 (p14, c5&6) 

Note:  Thelma Rivenbark, daughter of Richard Ray Rivenbark and Nora Brothers, was born 9 Jul 1910 in Burgaw.  Nora Brothers was the daughter of John (Jacob) Wesley Brothers and Joseph (Jodie) Catherine Dupree.  Richard Ray Rivenbark was the son of John Vann Rivenbark and Mary Catherine Bowden.  Richard is thought to have died in 1955 in the state of Virginia.  Nora Brothers Rivenbark is buried in the Burgaw Cemetery.

DRIVER, Robert (1943)

Transcribed by Stephen Carroll Pearsall

Robert Driver Is Killed by Train At Rooks Station

Robert Driver, 60, for many years respected and beloved janitor at the Atkinson school, was instantly killed Sunday afternoon about 2 o’clock when the car in which he was riding was struck by a train at Rooks station near Atkinson.  He is survived by a son and a daughter, and one sister, with whom he made his home.

Funeral service was held Tuesday, November 9th, and burial was at Point Caswell Cemetery.

 Source: The Pender Chronicle, Burgaw, NC, November 11, 1943

Note:
Robert Stephen Driver was the son of Harrison Monroe Driver and Mary Christa Pridgen.  He was born in Pender County on 9 Mar 1882.  Robert married Tina (Tiney) Lecester Malpass.  The two children were:  William Hanson Driver and Dorothy Louise Driver.

BELL Sr., Raymond (1959)

Transcribed by Stephen Carroll Pearsall

Raymond Bell, Sr., Prominent Pender Figure, Succumbs at 79 

Raymond Bell, Sr., native of Pender County, and a prominent figure throughout this area, succumbed at his home Thursday evening at six o’clock, following several months of illness.

 Funeral service were conducted from the Burgaw Methodist Church Saturday at 3:00 p.m., with the Rev. C. F. Grill officiating.  Burial followed in the Burgaw Cemetery.

Born in the Currie section of Pender County, April 29, 1880, Mr. Bell has resided in Burgaw for more than fifty years.  For the past twenty-five years he was a retired employee of Standard Oil Company.

During that time he served as Deputy Sheriff and was appointed Public Administrator.

Until declining health, Mr. Bell was an active member of the Burgaw Methodist Church having served on the Board of Deacons.  He also served as Recording Secretary for the Church and held other offices in the Sunday School.

He was also a member of the Woodmen of the World, Camp NO. 313.

Survivors include his widow, the former Janie McLendon; one daughter, Mrs. Lila Mae Bell Teachey, Rose Hill; two sons, Raymond Bell, Jr., Burgaw, and Angus Bell, Wilmington; four brothers, C. S. Bell of Garner, L. M., W. C., and C. H. Bell, all of Currie, nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Source: Pender Chronicle, Burgaw, NC, January 21, 1959

SHAW, Myra R. (1994)

Transcribed by Stephen Carroll Pearsall

Myra Rivenbark was the daughter of Richard Ray Rivenbark and Nora Brothers.  I am compiling the genealogy of the John (Jacob) Wesley Brothers and Joseph (Jodie) Catherine Dupree.  Nora Brothers, the mother of Myra Rivenbark, was their daughter.  Myra Rivenbark was also married to a W. C. Nelms.  Henry H. Shaw was Henry Hawthorne Shaw.  Would like to hear from members of the family. — Stephen Pearsall

Myra R. Shaw, 86, died at John Randolph Medical Center, thursday, Jan. 27, 1994, after a period of declining health. She was the widow of Henry H. Shaw.

Born on Nov. 23, 1907, in Burgaw, N.C., she was the daughter of Richard R. and Nora Brothers Rivenbark and had been a resident of Hopewell most of her life.

She was a member of the Pentecoastal Holiness Church in Hopewell.

Shaw is survived by her daughter, Dorothy N. Peters, of North East, Md.; son and daughter-in-law, Walter L. and Billie A. Nelms; and son, Myron Joseph Shaw, of Hopewell; three grandsons, five granddaughters; 4 great grandsons and two great granddaughters.

The family will receive friends on Friday from 7 to 8:30 p.m., at Gould Funeral Home.

A service will be conducted on Saturday at 2 p.m., in the funeral chapel by the Rev. Willie S. Cromer Jr., pastor of the First Baptist Church.

Interment will follow in Appomattox Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Hopewell Emergency Crew, P.O. Box 572, Hopewell, Va. 23860.

RIVENBARK, Mary Lois (1977)

Transcribed by Stephen Carroll Pearsall

Miss Mary Lois Rivenbark, 69, of 3532 Granada, a 60-year Dallas resident, died Monday in a Terrell hospital.

Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday in Crown Hill Memorial Park.

A native of North Carolina she attended North Dallas High School and Southern Methodist University and was a member of Highland Park United Methodist Church.

Source: Dallas Morning News, Dallas, Texas, Tuesday, July 5, 1977 (Sec 4, p4, c4)

Note: Mary Lois Rivenbark was born 10 Sep 1907 in North Carolina and died 4 Jul 1977, the daughter of Liston Wells Rivenbark and Mary Lola Faust. Liston Wells Rivenbark was from Burgaw, NC.

LEE, Lloyd Haywood (1997)

Lloyd Haywood Lee, 62, of Washington, died Tuesday morning, April 15, while attending a business meeting in Raleigh.  Lee was born Sept. 2, 1934 in Pender County, the son of the late Lonzie Haywood Lee and Gertrude Costin Lee.  He was a graduate of East Carolina University and a veteran of the U.S. Army.  Lee was employed with the Electric Membership Corp. for 40 years.  He worked in several North Carolina locations during his tenure in various capacities, including Red Springs-Lumber River E.M.C., Burgaw-Four County E.M.C., Carteret-Craven E.M.C., Morehead City. At the time of his death, he was the general manager of Tideland E.M.C. in Pantego. Survivors include his wife, Lina Sanford Lee of the home; a son, Lloyd “Nolan” Lee of Bath; a daughter, Marcia Lynne McConeghy; a grandchild, Nolan Alexander Lee; a sister, Marie Wood of Angier; and a brother, Clifton Lee of Ivanhoe.  Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Saturday in the chapel of Paul Funeral Home, Washington.  Burial followed at Oakdale Cemetery.

(The Coastland Times (Manteo, NC) – Tuesday, April 22, 1997; pg. 5A)

RIVENBARK, Liston Wells (1944)

Transcribed by Stephen Carroll Pearsall

L. W. Rivenbark Dies at His Home

Liston Wells Rivenbark, 62, of 3532 Granada, resident of Dallas for twenty-eight years, where he was a special agent for the Cotton Insurance Association, died at his home Friday.

He was a native of Burgaw, N. C., and lived in Washington, D. C., and Atlanta, Ga., before he came to Dallas in 1916. For the last year and a half he had been in failing health.

He was a member of the National Order of the Blue Goose, an insurance organization.

Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Mary Rivenbark, and two daughters, Mrs. Clara Harper and Miss Mary Lois Rivenbark, all of Dallas.

Source: Dallas Morning News, Dallas, TX, Saturday, April 22, 1944 (Sec II, p10, c2)

Note: Liston Wells Rivenbark was born 25 Mar 1882 in Pender County, the son of David Wells Rivenbark and Penelope Eliza Gurganious. He died on 21 Apr 1944. His spouse’s name was Mary Lola Faust (died Dallas County, 14 May 1969) and his daughters were Mary Lois Rivenbark and Clara Rivenbark. Mary Lola Fuast was born about 1890 in North Carolina. Both of the children were born in North Carolina.

ATKINSON, Leroy (2007)

Transcribed by Stephen Carroll Pearsall

Leroy ATKINSON Died on April 24, 2007 in Puyallup, WA at the age of 79. He was born on November 4, 1927 in Currie, North Carolina and lived in South Seattle before moving to Kent in 1980. Leroy served in the Merchant Marines for 7 years and retired from Knappton Tug & Barge in November of 1989. He was the loving husband of Rosalie; father of Pete (Debbie) Atkinson and Julie (Robbie) Dinius; grandfather of 5 boys; and great grandfather of 1 girl and 2 boys. A Visitation will be held Thurs., April 26, 2007 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at Edline-Yahn & Covington Funeral Chapel in Kent with a Funeral Service at the chapel at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, April 27, 2007. Memorials may be made in his name to the Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation, P.O. Box 56, Mercer Island, WA 98040.

Source: The Seattle Times, Seattle Post Intelligencer, Seattle, WA, 26 Apr 2007

 Leroy Atkinson died on April 24, 2007 in Puyallup, WA at the age of 79. He was born on November 4, 1927 in Currie, North Carolina and was raised in a Baptist Church. He was a long time resident of South Seattle and moved to Kent in 1980, where he lived for 25 years, before moving to assisted living in Sumner. Leroy served in the Merchant Marines for 7 years where he became a Tug Captain. He retired from Knappton Tug & Barge in November of 1989. He was the loving husband of Rosalie; father of Pete (Debbie) Atkinson and Julie (Robbie) Dinius; grandfather of 5 boys; and great-grandfather of 1 girl and 2 boys. He enjoyed traveling to North Carolina to visit family. Memorials may be made in his name to the Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation, P.O,.Box 56, Mercer Island, WA 98040.

Source: Funeral Home online

PULLEN, Lena Sparkman (1959)

Transcribed by Stephen Carroll Pearsall

Friends Mourn Passing of Mrs. Lena Pullen; Final Rites Held Monday

Mrs. Lena Sparkman Pullen, one of Burgaw most loved residents, died Saturday morning at 11:00 a.m. at the home of her daughter, Mrs. C. F. Davis, Sr., in Burgaw.

A native of Rocky Point, she was born October 19, 1877 the daughter of the late Charles and Ella Sparkman.  She was the widow of E. T. Pullen, Sr., who died in March of this year.  They were married fifty-nine years ago.

Mrs. Pullen was one of the oldest members of the Burgaw Methodist Church.  She organized and was a charter member of the Woman’s Society of Christian Service of her Church.  She was a strong member of the Pender Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.  She was active in many phases of civic life during her past years and was known for her love and interest in beautification of gardens.

Funeral services were held Monday morning at 11 o’clock from the Burgaw Methodist Church, with the Revs. C. F. Grill and P. L. Clark officiating. Burial followed in the Burgaw Cemetery.  Her husband was buried on the same day and hour just six months ago.

Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. C. F. Davis, Sr., of Burgaw, and Mrs. J. M. Pringle of Fayetteville; two sons, E. T., Jr., of Winston-Salem, and C. T. of Burgaw; three sisters, Mrs. Pearl Mathis and Mrs. Eloise Johnson, both of Wilmington, and Mrs. Mary Bell Pearsall of Rocky Point; one brother, John Thomas Sparkman of Savannah, Georgia; six grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

Source: The Pender Chronicle, Burgaw, NC, September 30, 1959