Walter McCanless Cloer, age 75, of Salisbury, died Monday, May 30, 2005, at Brian Center of Salisbury. He had been ill for five years and seriously ill for two months. He was born in Rowan County June 24, 1929, the son of the late Gaither Cloer and Corrie Gardner Cloer. He was a self-employed machinist and was a member of Canaan Baptist Church. A veteran of the
U. S. Navy, he served aboard the USS Franklin Roosevelt as the chief mechanic on aircraft. Mr. Cloer was also a member of the Amvets of Salisbury and the Moose Lodge of Salisbury. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, Gaither Cloer. Survivors include his wife, Mary Hovis Cloer of the home; a son, Johnny Hovis Cloer and wife Linda of Salisbury; a devoted grandson, Jason Scott Cloer of Salisbury; a sister, Norma C. DiFonzo of Wilmington, Delaware; and a brother, John M. Cloer of Norfolk, Va. Funeral services were conducted Friday, June 3, 2005, at Canaan Baptist Church with Rev. Bruce Graham officiating. Burial, with full military rites, followed in the Salisbury National Cemetery. Condolences may be e-mailed to the Cloer family at adamsfuneralhome@charter.net. Adams Funeral Home of Taylorsville was in charge of arrangements.
Albert S. “Abbie” Garwood, Jr., age 61, of North Wilkesboro, died Thursday, June 2, 2005, at Lake Norman Regional Medical Center. He was born in Wilkes County March 11, 1944, the son of the late Albert Sidney Garwood and Anna Laura Hulcher Garwood, Sr. In his early career, he worked as a machinist at Lineberry Foundry, then fifteen years with Junior Johnson and Associates, and the last nine years with Penske Racing-South. Mr. Garwood was a member of Wilkesboro United Methodist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Linda Combs Garwood of the home; two daughters, Beth Jeffords and husband Ted of Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Jennifer Bare and husband Allen of North Wilkesboro; two sons, Jerry Garwood and wife Tammy of Ronda and Jason Garwood and wife Shannon of North Wilkesboro; one sister, Marilyn Garwood of North Wilkesboro; one brother, Robert Garwood of Taylorsville; and six grandchildren. Funeral services were conducted Sunday, June 5, 2005, at Wilkesboro United Methodist Church with Rev. Chris Fitzgerald and Rev. David Wellborn officiating. Burial followed in Mountlawn Memorial Park. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, Lymphoma Research, P.O. Box 106, North Wilkesboro, NC 28659. Reins-Sturdivant Funeral Home of North Wilkesboro was in charge of arrangements.
James Michael Mitchell, age 53, of Claremont, died unexpectedly Sunday, June 5, 2005, from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident in Alexander County. He was born in Iredell County February 19, 1952, the son of Edgar Mitchell of Newton and the late Zettie Joines Mitchell. In addition to his mother, he was preceded in death by a son, James Jeremiah Mitchell, and a sister, Shelby M. Pennell. Survivors include his wife, Dinah Mitchell of the home; two daughters, Kristi Barrymore and Kelly Mitchell, both of the home; a brother, Vaughn Paul Mitchell of Newton; three grandchildren; a special nephew, Douglas Carlton; and other nieces, nephews, and cousisn. A memorial service was conducted Wednesday, June 8, 2005, at 1:00 p.m. at the Adams Funeral Home Chapel in Taylorsville with Rev. Lester Carson officiating.
Memorials may be made to Adams Funeral Home, P.O. Box 937, Taylorsville, NC 28681 to pay for funeral expenses and other expenses related to Mr. Mitchell’s death. Notes of sympathy may be e-mailed to the Mitchell family, adamsfuneralhome@charter.net.
Adams Funeral Home of Taylorsville was in charge of arrangements.
Charis Ava Walker, infant daughter of David Ryan Walker and Athena Michelle Marlowe Walker of Thomas Boyd Drive, Hiddenite, died at birth Saturday June 4, 2005, at Catawba Valley Medical Center in Hickory. In addition to her parents, survivors include her maternal grandparents, Bob and Carol Marlowe of Taylorsville; paternal grandparents, Ronnie and Janet Walker of King, N.C.; maternal great-grandmother, Luella Herman of Taylorsville; and paternal great-grandparents, Loeta Byrd and Amos and Helen Walker, all of Kentucky. A graveside service was conducted Tuesday June 7, 2005, at the Three Forks Baptist Church Cemetery with Rev. Mike Runion officiate. Notes of sympathy may be e-mailed to the Walker family at adamsfuneralhome @charter.net. Adams Funeral Home of Taylorsville was in charge of arrangements.
Raevon Norris, age 68, of Boone, died Sunday, June 5, 2005, at Ashe Living Center in Jefferson. He was born in Boone, Watauga County, March 31, 1937, the son of the late Robert Leander Norris and Nina Norris Norris. Mr. Norris was honorably discharged from the North Carolina National Guard in 1958 and from the U. S. Army in March 1963. He was a former sawmill worker and was a member of Tabernacle Baptist Church. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two sisters, Jessie Padgett and Bertia Norris.
Survivors include his wife, Beatrice Dubois Norris of the home; two sons, Richard Norris and wife Darlene of Taylorsville and Scott Norris and wife Donya of Boone; two brothers, Estle Norris and wife Lena and Coy Norris, all of Boone; three sisters, Maebelle Denny of Nashville, Tenn., and Betsy Stanbery and Unadell Ward and husband David, all of Boone; eight grandsons; two granddaughters ; two great-great-grandchildren; and a number of nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be conducted Wednesday, June 8, 2005, at 3:00 p.m. at Tabernacle Baptist Church with Rev. Gary Watson and Rev. George Berry officiating. Military graveside honors and burial will follow in the Norris-Tabernacle Church Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to the Norris-Tabernacle Church Cemetery Fund, c/o Glenna S. Hollar, 3144 North Pine Run Rd., Boone, NC 28607. Hampton Funeral Service of Boone is in charge of arrangements.
John Patrick "Jack" Donovan, Jr., age 76, of Statesville, and formerly of Cape May, New Jersey, passed away Tuesday, August 23, 2005, at Forsyth Memorial Hospital in Winston-Salem.
Born June 8, 1929, in Philadelphia County, Penn., he was the son of the late John P. Donovan, Sr., and Mary Millar Donovan. He was a retired building contractor and a veteran of the U.S. Army, having served during the Korean Conflict. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two brothers, Joseph Donovan and Theodore "Ted" Donovan. Survivors include his wife, Carol Dyson Donovan; two sons, Brian Donovan and wife Carol of Hammonton, New Jersey, and John P. Donovan, III, and wife Janet of Oakmont, Penn; three grandchildren, Joseph, Matthew, and John Patrick Donovan, IV; two brothers, Richard Donovan and Daniel Donovan; sisters-in-law, Gail and Ed Walther of Mooresville and Hope D. Cromwell of New York City; brother-in-law, Lynn and Dorcas Dyson, of Statesville; and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were conducted Friday, August 26, 2005, at the Alexander Funeral Service Chapel in Taylorsville with Rev. Gary Jennings officiating. Burial followed in the Dover Baptist Church Cemetery in Alexander County. Condolences may be emailed to the Donovan family at alexfuneralsvc@bellsouth.net Alexander Funeral Service, Inc., of Taylorsville, was in charge of arrangements.
Richard “Dicky” Lee Miller, age 54, of Taylorsville, died Sunday, August 28, 2005, at the Kate B. Reynolds Hospice House in Winston-Salem. He was born in Catawba County April 13, 1951, the son of Paul Miller and the late Elizabeth Fox Miller. He was owner of the Hickory Fire Protection Company and was a member of Mt. Olive Lutheran Church. Mr. Miller was a graduate of N. C. State University, where he earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He was an avid N. C. State Wolfpack football fan, a member of the Longview Lions Club, and a past volunteer for Pack 275 Scout Troop. In addition to his mother, he was preceded in death by a son, Eric Lee Miller, and a brother, Paul Kenneth Miller, Jr. Survivors include his wife of thirty-one years, Gail Mull Miller of the home; his father and step-mother, Paul Kenneth Miller, Sr., and wife Barbara of Hickory; a daughter, Elizabeth Miller of Apex; mother-in-law, Frances Mull of Hickory; and a brother-in-law, Wayne Mull and wife Radka of Hickory. A memorial service will be held Wednesday afternoon, August 31, 2005, at 4:00 p.m. at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Hickory with Pastor David Keck officiating.
A private commital service will be held prior to the memorial service for family and close friends. The family will receive friends in the church fellowship hall immediately following the memorial service.
Pallbearers include Don Crocker, Greg Crocker, Gary Lytton, Don Sisk, Jim Morrow, and John Shew. Memorials may be made to Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, 2780 N. Center St., Hickory, NC 28601 or to the Kate B. Reynolds Hospice House, 101 Hospice Lane, Winston-Salem, NC 27103. Bass-Smith Funeral Home of Hickory is in charge of arrangements.
Irene R. Wike, age 75, of Hwy. 16 North, Taylorsville, died Wednesday morning, August 31, 2005, at Frye Regional Medical Center. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced later at Alexander Funeral Service in Taylorsville.
Billy Ray Hoosier, Jr., age 52, of Taylorsville, and formerly of Crown, West Va., departed this life Saturday, August 27, 2005, at his residence. He was born in Madison, West Va., June 7, 1953, the son of Mary Jo Mullins Hoosier of Crown, West Va., and the late Billy Ray Hoosier, Sr. He was a disabled coal miner fomerly employed with Eastern Associated Coal Company. Mr. Hoosier was a member of the United Coal Miners of America. In addition to his father, he was preceded in death by his grandparents, Dana and Daisy Adkins Stowers, Sester Hoosier, and Bessie Hoosier Mitchell.
Those left to miss him include his mother, Mary Jo Mullins Hoosier of Crown, West Va.; two sons, Billy Gene Hoosier and wife April of Taylorsville, with whom he made his home, and Shane Hoosier and wife Kelly of Taylorsville; two brothers, Terry Hoosier and Ted Hoosier, both of Crown, West Va.; one sister, Vickie Bailey and husband Pete of Pine Creek, West Va.; four grandchildren, Brandon, Tanner, and Grifyn Hoosier and D. J. Moore; three nephews, Perry Bailey, Jr., of Dulles, Va., Casey Hoosier of Crown, West Va., and T. J. Hoosier of Kistler, West Va.; three nieces, Carrie Chafin and husband Billy of Rocky Branch, West Va., Jessica Bailey of Omar, West Va., and Vickie Hoosier of Crown, West Va.; two great-nephews, Jake and Tyler Chafin of Rocky Branch, West Va.; one great-niece, Allison Bradley of Omar, West Va.; a special friend, Krystal Wichnoski; three special little friends, Abby and Gracie Farley and Logan Western; his loving and faithful dog, Kansas; and a host of other relatives and friends. The family will receive friends Wednesday evening, August 31, 2005, 6:00-9:00 p.m. and one hour prior to the funeral service Thursday at Krantz-McNeely Funeral Home, 115 Market St., Man, West Va. Funeral services will be conducted Thursday, September 1, 2005, at 1:00 p.m. at the Krantz-McNeely Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Jimmy Belcher officiating. Entombment will follow in Highland Memory Gardens Mausoleum in Godby, West Va. Pallbearers include George Kirby, Shaun Farley, Perry Bailey, Jr., Casey Joe Hoosier, Teddy Hoosier, Shane Hoosier, and Tom Kent. Honorary pallbearers include Terry Hoosier, Mike Clay and Billy Chafin. Krantz-McNeely Funeral Home, Inc., of Man, West Va., is serving the Hoosier family.
Elwood Lake “Buck” Perry, age 90, of Taylorsville, father of structure bass fishing and owner and retired President of Bucks Baits of Hickory, died Friday, August 12, 2005, at his residence following a period of declining health. Perry authored several books which introduced many fishermen to the idea of structure fishing. He trolled spoonplugs, a lure he developed, to find the fish where they held on structure. He was an icon of bass fishing to many tournament fishermen. Survivors include his wife, Geraldine “Jeri” Stowe Perry of the home; a son, G. Reid Perry of Hudson; a niece, Tera Johnson Barnwell of Gaffney, S.C.; three step-sons, Don Wallace, John Wallace, and Ron Wallace, all of Indiana; two step-daughters, Jane Townsend of Maine and Susan Winkler of Taylorsville; twenty-four grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. A celebration of his life was conducted Saturday, August 20, 2005, at Bass-Smith Funeral Home in Hickory with Pastor Bruce Townsend officiating. Burial followed in Catawba Memorial Park. Memorials may be made to Hospice and Home Care of Alexander County, 50 Lucy Echerd Lane, Taylorsville, NC 28681, to the Alzheimer’s Association, 260 1st Ave. NW, Hickory, NC 28601, or to Gideons International. Bass-Smith Funeral Home of Hickory was in charge of arrangements. We wish to thank his faithful, loving caregiver, Cathy Blanton, for her devoted care; and Hospice and Home Care of Alexander County, Dr. Trevor Craig, Dr. William Smith, Dr. Eller and Catawba Valley Medical Center for being there for us.
Elwood L. (Buck) Perry, a Hickory businessman who developed the “spoonplugging system” for fishing and attracted an army of anglers who follow his teachings, died Aug. 12 at his home in Taylorsville. He was 90. Fishing publications credit him as being the “father of structure fishing” for his techniques in finding fish like largemouth bass around the features of lake bottoms. As a youth who fished Lake James, Perry came to believe that big fish lived in deep water, and that once or twice a day, they became active and may move to shallower water, and that the route they take has bottom features that show them the way. To catch those fish, Perry in 1946 developed the Spoonplug, which combined the actions of a spoon and a plug. He made lures for different depths for fast trolling and casting. He recommended bumping the lures on the bottom to provoke strikes. The lures now come in seven sizes and 35 colors. “Today fewer and fewer anglers realize the impact this man has had on developing an intelligent approach to finding and catching fish,” In-Fisherman magazine wrote about Perry in a 2000 article on the 25 most influential anglers in the nation. For 11 years, Perry had limited success in the South selling Spoonplugs. But the lures took off in 1957 after Chicago newspapers wrote how Perry caught hundreds of bass in a supposedly fished-out Illinois chain of lakes. He published “Spoon-plugging, Your Guide to Lunker Catches” in 1973, a nine-volume Home Study Series in 1981 and a bi-monthly newsletter “The National Spoonplugger.” He inspired Spoonplugging Clubs from Wisconsin to Florida to California. Born in Hickory, Perry attended Hickory High School and Lenoir-Rhyne College. Perry played football at Lenoir-Rhyne from 1934-37 and was an all-conference back in 1936. For three years following college graduation, he taught math and physics at Hickory High. In 1941, he moved to N.C. State University to study mechanical engineering. During World War II, he was a lieutenant colonel with the Army Transportation Corps. Perry was an editor for Fishing Facts magazine. Publisher George Pazik wrote in 1984 that Perry "started the whole modern era of freshwater sport fishing. He is known as the Father of Structure Fishing." In 1984, Perry was inducted into the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame in Hayward, Wis., and into the Lenoir-Rhyne Football Hall of Fame. He owned Buck’s Baits in Hickory. At one time Perry manufactured golf clubs, sleeping bags, fire alarms and specialty furniture parts, in addition to fishing tackle. Survivors include his wife, Geraldine “Jeri” Stowe Perry of the home; a son, G. Reid Perry of Hudson; a niece,Tera Johnson Barnwell of Gaffney, S.C.; stepsons, Don Wallace, John Wallace, Ron Wallace, all of Indiana; step-daughters, Jane Townsend of Maine; Susan Winkler of Taylorsville, 24 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.
Shannon Duncan Blankenship, age 55, of Lewittes Rd., Taylorsville, died Saturday, August 27, 2005, at her home following an extended illness. She was born in Catawba County February 11, 1950, the daughter of the late William Edward Duncan and Wathen Elliott Duncan. She was a homemaker and a member of Bright Light Tabernacle Church in Hickory. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by one brother, Jack Duncan, and two sisters, Rose Duncan and Kay Jenkins. Survivors include her husband, Roger Lynn Blankenship of the home; two sons, Chad Stiles and wife Dale of Stony Point and Chris Stiles of Stony Point; one sister, Lynn Wentz of Maiden; and five grandchildren, Miranda Stiles, Kallie McHargue, Lane McHargue, Jordan Stiles, and Brooke Stiles.
Funeral services were conducted Tuesday August 30, 2005, at Bright Light Tabernacle Church in Hickory with Rev. Ray York officiating. Burial followed in Catawba Memorial Park. Memorials may be made to Hospice of Alexander County, 50 Lucy Echerd Lane, Taylorsville, N.C. 28681. Notes of sympathy may be e-mailed to the Blankenship family at adamsfuneralhome@charter.net. Adams Funeral Home of Taylorsville was in charge of arrangements.
Maggie Horton Saner, age 68, of Lenoir, died Saturday, August 27, 2005, at Caldwell Memorial Hospital. She was born in Alexander County, the daughter of the late Carter Horton and Bertie Parsons Horton. She was a member of Chesterfield Church of God and was also a Mother of the church. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a daughter, Judy Ann Saner; a brother, Bobby Horton; and four sisters, Irene Parsons, Lillian Wellman, Donna Howell, and Myrtle Jean Horton. Survivors include three sons, William Saner of Wilkesboro and Donald Saner and Jeffrey Wellman, both of Lenoir; two daughters, Barbara Saner and Mary Saner, both of Lenoir; a brother, Luther Horton of Taylorsville; four sisters, Lulla Belle Horton Carlton and Joyce Howell, both of Boomer, and Margaret Howell and Edna Parsons, both of Taylorsville; sixteen grandchildren; and ten great-grandchildren. Not only did Mrs. Saner have her children, but she also helped love and raise her host of nieces and nephews as her children. The family will receive friends Thursday, September 1, 2005, 1:00-2:00 p.m., at Pendry’s Funeral Home in Lenoir. The funeral service will be conducted at 2:00 p.m. in the Pendry’s Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Robert Hayes and Elder Billy Lipford officiating. Burial will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Park. Online condolences may be emailed to www.pendryfuneralhome.com.
Pendry’s Funeral Home and Crematory of Lenoir is in charge of arrangements.
