JOE E. COLEMAN, Sr.
Joe E. Coleman, Sr., 88, of Sixteenth Avenue Place, NW, died July 21, 2000, at Frye Regional Medical Center.
Born Oct. 8, 1911, in Duplin County, he was a son of the late Joseph E. and Mary Lou Watkins Coleman.
A member of First United Methodist Church, he retired from Spainhours of Hickory.
A member of Hickory Masonic Lodge 343, Lion's Club and Elks Club, he was a former president of Lake Hickory Country Club, Hickory Merchants Association.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Delide Vaughan Coleman.
Survivors include his wife, Nell Jones Coleman; a son, Joe Coleman, Jr. of Hickory; three daughters, Mary Louise Transou and Ann Atchison of Greensboro and Dee Vannoy of Wilkesboro; eight grandchildren; and six great-great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be conducted by the Rev. Paul Starnes at 2 p.m. Monday at his church.
Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Men's Bible Class at First United Methodist Church.
The family will be at Bass-Smith Funeral Home from 7 to 8:30 tonight.
Memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church, Building Fund, 311 Third Ave., NE, Hickory, N.C. 28601.
HELEN M. HEFNER
Helen Motley Hefner, 71, of Hickory, died July 21, 2000, at Camelot Manor in Granite Falls.
Born Jan. 1, 1921, she was a daughter of the late Albert and Kate Parlier.
She was a registered nurse and worked as a nursing supervisor at Frye Hospital for a number of years and was a health nurse in Cleveland County.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard C. Hefner; a brother, Kenneth Parlier; and two sisters, Margaret Williams and Betty Jo Parlier.
Survivors include a son and daughter-in-law, John and Ronda Motley; a daughter and son-in-law, Gaye and Richard Tucker; two stepsons and daughters-in-law, Dick and Kathi Hefner of Concord and Jim and Luann Hefner of California; a brother, Richard Parlier of Hickory; three sisters, Ann Morgan of California, Peggy Craig of Winston-Salem and Jenny Icard of Bethlehem; six grandchildren, Reshea Tucker and John Tucker of Granite Falls, Chad Tucker of Wake Forest, Shane Motley and Travis Motley of Hickory and Dana Motley Davis of Shelby; four great-grandchildren, Nakia Maria, Michael Aaron, Samantha Michelle and Hannah Kathryn Tucker; and step-grandchildren, Jason, Nathan, Matt, AJ and Zack.
A memorial service will be held at 7 p.m. Sunday at Bass-Smith Funeral Home.
The family will be at the funeral home one hour prior to the service and at the residence of Gaye Tucker, 1336 Sixth St., NW, Hickory, at other times.
Memorials may be made to Arthritis Foundation, Carolina Chapter, Building 7, Suite 217, Woodlawn Green Office Park, Charlotte, N.C. 28217.
CLARENCE R. HELDERMAN
LENOIR - Clarence Rufus Helderman, 90, of Shaire Center of Lenoir, died July 22, 2000, at Caldwell County Hospice.
Born March 22, 1910, in Caldwell County, he was a son of the late Marvin D. and Nora Lee Barlow Helderman.
A member of Clark's Chapel Baptist Church, he retired from North Carolina Baptist Children's Home and was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Blanche Hickman Helderman; and three brothers, Francis Hilderman, Russell Helderman and Raymond Helderman.
Survivors include his wife, Nora Craig Helderman; a son, Clarence Gerald “Jerry” Helderman of Raleigh; a daughter, Linda Helderman McDonald of Liberty; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
The funeral will be conducted by the Revs. Jack Sprinkle and Jim Waters at 11 a.m. Tuesday at his church.
Burial will be in Lower Creek Baptist Church Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Ron Helderman, Bobby McDonald, Jim Boltz, Stewart Pettit and Larry Helderman.
The family will be at Pendry's Lenoir Funeral Home from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Monday.
Memorials may be made to Caldwell County Hospice, 902 Kirkwood St., Lenoir, N.C. 28645; or North Carolina Baptist Children's Homes.
RUTH G. PEELER
LINCOLNTON - Ruth Gales Peeler, 61, of Peeler Road in Vale, died July 21, 2000, at her residence.
Born Dec. 7, 1938, she was a daughter of the Mary Ethel Bess Gales of Lincolnton and the late Harse Gales.
A member of Reeps Grove United Methodist Church, she was a secretary for Lincoln County Schools. She was a former president of the North Carolina School Secretaries Association.
Survivors, in addition to her mother, include her husband, Don Peeler; a son and daughter-in-law, Timothy and Elizabeth Peeler of Cary; two daughters and sons-in-law, Donita and Delaine Davis of Vale and Mary Beth and Doug Finley of Simpsonville, S.C.; two brothers, Jasper Gales and Gary Gales of Cherryville; and four grandchildren.
The funeral will be conducted by the Rev. Jim Calloway at 3 p.m. today at her church.
Burial will be in the church cemetery.
Memorials may be made to Hospice of Lincoln County or Reeps Grove United Methodist Church.
E.F. Drum Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
ILA H. COLLINS
Ila Hood Collins, 92, of Lenoir, formerly of Dry Ponds Road in Granite Falls, died July 22, 2000, at Caldwell County Hospice.
Born Dec. 25, 1907, in Catawba County, she was a daughter of the late John D. and Betty Ann Ward Hood.
A member of Mountain Grove Baptist Church, she was a homemaker.
She was preceded in death by a number of brothers and sisters.
Survivors include nephews, nieces, great-nephews and great-nieces.
A graveside service will be conducted by the Rev. John Brashear at 2 p.m. Monday in Mountain Grove Baptist Church Cemetery.
The family will be at the funeral home from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Monday.
Memorials may be made to Caldwell County Hospice, 902 Kirkwood St., Lenoir, N.C. 28645.
Mackie-High Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
RUSSELL L. WHEELER
Russell Leo Wheeler, 79, of Twelfth Street, NE, died July 22, 2000, at his residence.
Born Aug. 23, 1920, in Utica, N.Y., he was a son of the late Leo E. and Claudia Fournier Wheeler.
A retired engineer for the city of Utica, N.Y., he served in the U.S. Navy.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Colleen Maloney Wheeler; a daughter and son-in-law, Karen and Derek Lawrence of Hickory; and a sister, Catherine Hoag of Florida.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Bass-Smith Funeral Home.
ANNIE M. HIGH
GRANITE FALLS - Annie Rebecca Mackie High, of Eight Plaza Drive, died July 23, 2000, at Frye Regional Medical Center.
Born April 18, 1916, in Granite Falls, she was a daughter of the late Marvin A. and Monta Martin Mackie.
A member of Granite Falls First Baptist Church and the Elizabeth Mackie Sunday school class, she organized the church library and served as librarian for 25 years.
She also served as a church trustee, historian and Sunday school teacher.
She studied at Mars Hill Junior College and received a bachelor's degree from Woman's College (now UNC-Greensboro) and a library science degree from Appalachian State Teachers College (now ASU) in Boone.
She began teaching in Wendell, and taught for 20 years in Hudson, and Granite Falls.
She was also the librarian at Granite Falls High School for eight years.
In 1963, she, her husband and son founded High Funeral Home, which later became Mackie-High Funeral Home.
She received her North Carolina Funeral Directors License in 1969.
She was a charter member of the Granite Falls Business and Professional Women's Club for which “The Annie High Award” has been presented since 1986 to an outstanding BPW member.
She received the “Annie High Award” for 1999-2000.
She served as president, vice president, secretary and committee chairwoman, was consistently appointed parliamentarian and became the first district director from the Granite Falls BPW.
She served a term as historian of the state federation and was selected The Granite Falls Woman of the Year in 1987.
A charter member of the Cosmopolitan Book Club, a charter member of the N.C. Baptist Historical Society, a member of the Catawba Valley Executive Club, Hickory Christian Woman's Club and the Hickory Tavern Daughters of American Revolution, she also established the “Thomas C. High Memorial Scholarship” at Caldwell Community College.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas Clair “Lanky” High; and four brothers, M.A. Mackie, Boyce Mackie, Glenn Mackie and Joe Mackie.
Survivors include a son and daughter-in-law, Thomas C. and Phyllis Saunders High, Jr.; a sister, Maclyn Humphrey of Spartanburg, S.C.; and two grandsons, Thomas Clair High, III of Atlanta, Ga., and Avery Saunders High of Granite Falls.
A celebration of her life will be conducted by the Revs. Dr. Robert B. Evans, Jr. and Roger Mercer at 2 p.m. Tuesday at her church.
The committal service will be held in Pinecrest Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Danny Church, Melton Hope, Bill Keller, Roger McGuire, Jim Mackie and Mike Mackie.
Honorary pallbearers will be the staff of Mackie-High Funeral Home and members of the Granite Falls Business and Professional Womens' Club.
The family will be at First Baptist Church Family Life Center from 6:30 to 8:30 tonight.
Memorials may be made to the Thomas C. High Scholarship Fund, c/o The Edward Jones Company, P.O. Box 1675, Lenoir, N.C. 28645; or First Baptist Church, Building Fund, P.O. Box 507, Granite Falls, N.C. 28630.
WILMA F. GITLIN
LONGWOOD, Fla. - Wilma F. Gitlin, 78, of Smokerise Boulevard, died July 21, 2000, of complications from cancer.
She was born March 19, 1922, in Hickory, N.C.
A member of Bethel Methodist Church in Hickory, N.C., she was a member of Sweetwater Country Club and Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary.
Survivors include her husband, Allen R. Gitlin; two sons, Ronald F. Gitlin of Montclair, Va., and David A. Gitlin of Woodbridge, Va.; two daughters, Sheila G. Dye of Casselberry, and Suzanne G. Rydzewski of Doyles Town, Pa.; two sisters, Raydell McRee and Bebe Fulbright of Maiden, N.C.; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
The funeral will be held at 7 tonight at Woodlawn Carey Hand Funeral Home.
Burial will be in Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.
The family will be at the funeral home from 5 to 8 p.m. today.
WILLIAM P. INGRAM
TAYLORSVILLE - William “Bill” Preston Ingram, 86, died July 19, 2000, at Alexander Community Hospital.
Born March 24, 1914, in Alexander County, he was a son of the late Garland F. and Gertrude Campbell Ingram.
A member of Taylorsville First United Methodist Church, where he served as lay leader and a Sunday school teacher for a number of years, he also served on the official board and the board of trustees.
The Bill Ingram Sunday school class was named in his honor.
He was owner and operator of a television sales and repair business in Taylorsville, for a number of years, and he operated the license bureau until retiring in 1983.
A military veteran of World War II, he was awarded the Bronze Star for bravery.
He also was a charter member of the Brushy Mountain Golf Course in Taylorsville, and a former member of the Taylorsville Rotary Club.
He was preceded in death by a daughter, Elizabeth Brame Ingram; three brothers; and a sister.
Survivors include his wife of 57 years, Rebecca Brame Ingram; a daughter, Molly Preston Ingram of Cornelius; a sister, Sarah Ingram Coffey of Bethlehem; and a number of nephews and nieces.
A graveside service will be conducted by Dr. Charles Hutchens at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday in Taylorsville Cemetery.
A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Tuesday at his church.
Memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 157, Taylorsville, N.C. 28681.
Adams Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
