1000 x 90

Watauga County Obituaries – Compiled Aug. 13, 2013

Watauga County Obituaries – Compiled Aug. 9, 2013

John Edmisten, D. Aug. 11, 2013

John Edmisten
John Edmisten

Mr. John Paul Edmisten, 81 of Concord, passed away Sunday afternoon, August 11, 2013 at home. Born September 10, 1931 in Watauga County, he was a son of the late Walter F. and Nell Hollars Edmisten. Paul was a graduate Applalachin State University, a POW in the Korean War while serving with the US Air Force and retired from Phillip Morris as an industrial engineer. Paul loved being outdoors where he could hunt deer, fish off shore and raise miniature donkeys.

He is survived by his wife; Alice McIntyre Edmisten, five children; Lori Pressley and husband Mark of Winder, GA, John Paul Edmisten, Jr., and wife Judy of Sevierville, TN, Walter Edmisten and Bryan Edmisten both of Boone, and Michael Edmisten and wife Jennifer of Bahama, NC, four grandchildren; Jacob Burleson, Eli Burleson and wife Amy, Sage Edmisten, Addison Edmisten, and one great grandchild, Isabella Burleson; one sister, Betty Church of Boone, three brothers; Joe Edmisten and wife Patricia of Pensacola, Fl., Baker Edmisten and wife Diane of Boone, and Rufus Edmisten and wife Linda of Raleigh, sister-in-law, Deanie Edmisten Pugh and a host of nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by a brother, David Edmisten. 

 Funeral services for Mr. John Paul Edmisten will be conducted Wednesday afternoon at 2 o’clock at Austin & Barnes Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will be private. The family will receive friends prior to the service Wednesday afternoon from 1 o’clock until 2 o’clock at Austin & Barnes Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Medi Home Hospice, PO Box 1357, Newland, NC 28657. Online condolences may be shared with the Edmisten family at www.austinandbarnesfuneralhome.com.

Austin & Barnes Funeral Home & Crematory is serving the Edmisten family. 

Captain Stines, D. Aug. 10, 2013

Captain Stines
Captain Stines

Mr. Captain Stines, age 50, of Pinola Lane, Banner Elk, passed away Saturday morning, August 10, 2013 at Kate B. Reynolds Hospice House in Winston Salem. Born March 4, 1963 in Avery County he was a son of the late Jessie Stines and Stella Presnell Stines. Captain was employed by Republic Services as a truck driver and laborer. 

He is survived by his wife; Doraine “Dee” Oliver Stines, his children; John Stines, Captain Stines, Jr., and Julia Stines all of Banner Elk, his mother; Stella Stines of Banner Elk, his brothers and sisters; Becky Davis and Nellie Davis both of Foscoe, Johnny Stines, Wade Stines, and Sandy Humphrey all of Banner Elk and Julia Barnes of Sugar Grove, five grandchildren; Nicholas Stines, Trinity and Dallas Oaks, Christopher Sebastian and Paris Oaks, his father in law; Joe Lore of Arizona, two sisters in law; Elaine Oliver of Lenoir and Lorraine Campbell of New Jersey and a number of nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Jessie Stines, one daughter, Brenda Oaks and his mother in law; Brenda Johnson.

Funeral services for Mr. Captain Stines will be conducted Tuesday evening at 7 o’clock at Austin & Barnes Funeral Home Chapel. Officiating will be Rev. Justin Dancy and Rev. James Ballew. The family will receive friends prior to the service from 6 o’clock until 7 at Austin & Barnes Funeral Home.

The family respectfully requests no food or flowers. Memorial may be made to the Stines family in care of Austin & Barnes Funeral Home. Online condolences may be shared with the Stines family at www.austinandbarnesfuneralhome.com.

Austin & Barnes Funeral Home & Crematory is serving the Stines family. 

Leck Willett, D. Aug. 9, 2013

Leck Willett
Leck Willett

William “Leck” Willett, age 62, of Ski Crest Park Road, Blowing Rock, passed away Friday afternoon, August 9, 2013, after a short battle with cancer, at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem.

Leck was born February 15, 1951 in Catawba County, a son of Sybil Long Willett and the late Hal H. Willett. He attended Lees McCrae College and Appalachian State University, where he later taught in the Art Department for 10 years. Leck then worked for Boone Construction as a supervisor.

Leck was an avid student of life with an insatiable quest for knowledge. He had many varied interests. Leck was a gifted sculptor and carpenter. He loved to fish and enjoyed playing bacci ball and Nascar racing.

He will be dearly missed by all who knew him.

In addition to his mother, Leck is survived by his wife, Donna Parsons Willett of the home; two step-sons, Amra Hayslett and wife Jennifer of Wake Forest, and Luke Bradshaw; his twin sister, Bryn Starns and husband Wesley of Granite Falls; one brother, Mike Willett and wife Sandy of Prescott, Arizonia; two grandsons, Thomas Hayslett and Essick Hasslatt, both of Wake Forest, and one granddaughter, Sienna Bradshaw of Boone. He is also survived by a number of nephews and great-nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father, Hal H. Willett.

Memorial services for William “Leck” Willett will be conducted Monday evening, August 12, 2013, at 6:30 PM, at Hampton Funeral Home Chapel. Officiating will be Reverend Scott Parsons.

The family will receive friends following the memorial service.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Disabled American Veterans Chapter 90, 135 Bear Trail Lane, Boone, North Carolina, 28607, or to the Watauga Humane Society, PO Box 1835, Boone, North Carolina, 28607.

Online condolences may be sent to the Willett family at www.hamptonfuneralnc.com.

Hampton Funeral and Cremation Service is in charge of the arrangements.

Richard Lundgren, D. Aug. 8, 2013

Richard Lundgren
Richard Lundgren

Richard N. Lundgren, Sr., age 87, of Phillips Branch Road, Vilas, passed away Thursday morning, August 8, 2013, at his home.

Mr. Lundgren is survived by five sons, Richard Lundgren, Jr. of Boca Raton, Florida, Robert Lundgren and wife Kathy of Miami, Florida, David Lundgren and wife Lis, and John Lundgren and wife Michelle, all of Vilas, and Steve Lundgren and wife Jeanette of Scottsdale, Arizona, eight grandchildren, and his special friend, Jean McCaskey of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Lori Adams Lundgren; his second wife, Judy Lundgren; one daughter, Kari Lundgren, and one brother, Bob Lundgren.

Funeral services for Richard N. Lundgren, Sr. will be conducted Tuesday afternoon, August 13, 2013, at 2:00 o’clock, at Bethel Baptist Church. The body will lie in state, at the church, from 1:00 until 2:00 o’clock. Officiating will be Pastor Scott Andrews. Military graveside rites and burial, provided by American Legion Post 130 and Disabled American Veterans Chapter 90, will follow in the Lundgren Family Cemetery.

The family will receive friends Tuesday afternoon, from 1:00 until 2:00 o’clock, at the church, prior to the service. At other times, friends may call at the residence, 3448 Phillips Branch Road, Vilas.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Kari’s Home for Women, PO Box 284, Vilas, North Carolina, 28692.

Online condolences may be sent to the Lundgren family at www.hamptonfuneralnc.com.

Hampton Funeral and Cremation Service is in charge of the arrangements.

Shirley Mast, D. Aug. 8, 2013

Mrs. Shirley Swift Mast of Vilas, NC passed away Thursday morning, August 8, 2013, at Watauga Medical Center. She was 83. 
    

Shirley Mast
Shirley Mast

Born December 12, 1929, Mrs. Mast was the daughter of the late Walter Scott and Nettie Swift of Vilas and the former wife of the late Everett Leo Mast. She was preceded in death by her younger sister Patricia “Patsy” Ann Swift. She is survived by her two daughters, Barbara Mast James (Scott) of Rock Hill, SC and Lara Mast, of Phoenix, AZ, and three grandchildren, Lauren, Michael and William James.
    
Mrs. Mast graduated from the old Cove Creek High School in 1946 and went on to get her bachelors degree from the Woman’s College of the University of North Carolina. Mrs. Mast was an educator, first in Miami, then in Washington, D.C., then settling in Atlanta, where she taught at Pace Academy for 31 years, as the school’s first full-time history teacher. She was active in varied facets of high school curriculum including the school’s newspaper, international studies and student government. An intellectual who encouraged her students to think for themselves, she accepted no less than academic excellence and encouraged lively debates both in and out of the classroom. 
    
Following her retirement, Mrs. Mast moved to Vilas, NC and purchased her childhood home, the original Henson Chapel, where she lived until her death. She supported community efforts such as the Cove Creek Community Council, Save the Sugar Grove Post Office, Holy Cross Episcopal Church’s Valle Fair, the old Cove Creek High School, Heritage Days, and Cove Creek Preservation & Development. She continued to submit editorials to the Watauga Democrat on issues that she felt needed a voice. 
    
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, August 17, 2013, at Holy Cross Episcopal Church in Valle Crucis, Rev. R. Allan McCaslin officiating, with a reception immediately following the service at the church.
    
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to: Holy Cross Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 645, Valle Crucis, NC 28691, ww.holycrossvallecrucis.net, or the Pace Academy Upper School Capital Campaign, “Aim High,” 966 W. Paces Ferry Rd., Atlanta, Georgia 30327, www.paceacademy.org/aimhigh.

Arthur William (“Bill”) Seymour, D. Aug. 1, 2013

Bill Seymour
Bill Seymour

Mr. Arthur William (“Bill”) Seymour, age 93, of Castleford Road, Boone, passed away Thursday morning, August 1, 2013 at Blowing Rock Hospital with his granddaughter Amanda at his bedside.  Born July 27, 1920 in Hyde Park, Vermont he was a son of the late George Delbert and Mae Pease Seymour.  He was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy Atwood Seymour of 25 years.  He and his late wife relocated to Bethlehem, North Carolina to live with Vic and Denise Atwood.  Bill relocated to Boone, North Carolina in 2009 to live near Deborah Greene, the daughter of his dearest friends, Charlotte and Charles Houser who preceded him in death.   

Sherrie Norris of the Watauga Democrat interviewed Bill on his 92nd birthday, “Shadowline ‘mascot’ loves the daily grind” when Conrad and Jody Poe hosted a drop-in birthday party for him.  In the interview, Bill refers to the Poe’s as his “second family” and he said of Boone, “It took me this long to make it to these mountains.  I love living here and have no plans to leave any time soon.”  Bill worked as an electrician, bee-keeper and office manager for a Veterinarian.  Bill also served as Chief (Running Bear) of Abenaki Nation/Vermont, Band No. 105.   He said, “He has no regrets and has nothing left on his ‘bucket list’”.  However, he did decide he had one more thing to do and he asked for Steve LaPoint and Conrad Poe to pray with him to accept Jesus Christ.   Bill became close friends with Steve who he taught bee-keeping and adopted a “3rd family”.   He loved animals and made many friends at Pet Place where he frequently visited to play with “Scootchie”, the parrot. 

Bill Seymour
Bill Seymour

Bill was preceded in death by a brother, George Seymour and a sister, Florence Seymour.  He is survived by a sister, Phyllis Decker of Burlington Vermont.  He is survived by his daughter Sherrie Menscer (husband Brad), granddaughters Amanda Bates (husband David) and Tabitha Nance (husband Johnny) and grandson John Spear along with 9 great grandchildren, all of North Carolina.  Bill is also survived by stepson Vic Atwood (wife Denise) of North Carolina, stepson Don Atwood (wife Leslie) of Ohio, stepson Dean Atwood (wife Robin) of Virginia, David Atwood (wife Joyce) of Ohio, stepdaughter Judy Atwood of Vermont, 10 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.

Please make memorials to the Watauga Humane Society, 312 Paws Way, Boone, NC  28607.  Conrad and Jody Poe and Deborah Greene will host a drop-in celebration of Bill’s life on Sunday, August 11 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., at Conrad’s Coffee Company at Shops at Shadowline.  Bill’s granddaughter Amanda who will be in attendance request you write a short note about Bill for her family history book.  Bunch-Johnson Funeral Home, Statesville, NC is serving the family.