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Watauga County Obituaries – Compiled Feb. 5, 2014

 Watauga County Obituaries – Compiled Feb. 5, 2014

Hershel Greene, D. Feb. 4, 2014

Hershel Greene
Hershel Greene

Mr. Hershel Greene, age 82, of Wilkesboro and Deep Gap, passed away Tuesday evening at Watauga Medical Center.

Survivors include his wife Imogene Blackburn Greene and son Alan Greene. 

Funeral services for Mr. Hershel Greene will be conducted Saturday afternoon February 8, 2014 at 2 o’clock at Pilgrim Baptist Church in Wilkesboro. The family will receive friends at the church prior to the service from noon until 2 o’clock.

Online condolences may be shared with the Greene family at www.austinandbarnesfuneralhome.com

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

Virginia Gummere, D. Feb. 2, 2014

Virginia Gummere
Virginia Gummere

Virginia Lee Jeffries Gummere, 95, passed peacefully into the next world at her home in Wilkesboro on February 2, 2014.

Virginia was married for 67 years to Walter Cooper Gummere, Jr., during which time they enjoyed raising their family as well as many travels at home and abroad. Virginia was a devoted volunteer in the numerous places they lived, working in programs with children with special needs, as a docent for historical societies, and on various boards with art guilds and zoos. She was an avid gardener, enjoying more than anything to dig in the dirt and plant her always enormous and always prolific vegetable garden.

Virginia is survived by daughters Glenn Stewart and Rebecca Gummere; grandchildren Tricia Stewart Shiu (Eric), Cassie Stafford (Brett), Joie Scott (Jeff), Jeff Lilgendahl (Jennifer Pals), Landon Smith (Brandi), Liam Carey, and Maggie Carey; and great-grandchildren Sydney Shiu; Haley and Jackson Stafford; Avery and Charlie Scott; Henry Lilgendahl; and John Walker and Sally Kate Smith; and many devoted friends at Rose Glen Village and elsewhere.

Preceding her in death were husband, Walter Gummere, daughter Debbie Lilgendahl, and grandson Cooper Carey.

The family plans a private memorial service at a later date.

Memorial donations may be made to OASIS, Inc. online at www.oasisinc.org or by check to P.O. Box 1591, Boone, NC, 28607; or to Kiva, online at http://www.kiva.org/about/supportus or by check to: Microfunds, Kiva Attn: Chief Development Officer, 875 Howard St., Suite 340, San Francisco, CA, 94103. 

Dorothy Lee Ollis Cook, D. Jan. 31, 2014

Cook
Cook

Mrs. Dorothy Lee Ollis Cook, age 93, of Hillcrest Circle, Boone, passed away Friday night, January 31, 2014 at the Davant Extended Care Facility. Born May 24, 1920 in Avery County she was a daughter of the late Stancil David and Addie Franklin Ollis. Mrs. Cook worked for many years as a sales associate and buyer of Belk. She also owned and operated a drapery shop with Leatrice Norris. “Tot” enjoyed cooking and sharing meals with friends and family. 

She is survived by one son; John D. Cook, Jr. and wife Carol, one grandson, Daniel Cook, one great granddaughter, Mallory Cook all of Boone, one sister, Ann Ollis Denton of Morganton, one brother in law, Edd Clay of Aberdeen, and a number of nieces, nephews and cousins. In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her husband, J. D. Cook, Sr., three sisters; Lena Mace, Margaret Ramsey and Georgia Heath, and five brothers; Colin, Allen, Dick, Bill, and Stancil Ollis, Jr. 

Funeral services for Mrs. Dorothy Lee Ollis Cook will be conducted Tuesday afternoon at 2 o’clock at Boone United Methodist Church. Officiating will be Rev. Jeff McClain, Rev. Allan Johnson and Rev. Seth Norris. Entombment will follow at Mount Lawn Memorial Park & Gardens Mausoleum.

The family will receive friends prior to the service from 1 o’clock until 2 o’clock at Boone United Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Boone United Methodist Church Stephen Ministry, 471 New Market Boulevard, Boone, NC 28607.

Online condolences may be shared with the Cook family at austinandbarnesfuneralhome.com.

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

Blanche Hayes Minton, D. Jan. 31, 2014

Minton
Minton

Blanche Hayes Minton, age 101, of Deerhaven Lane, Lenoir, a native and former resident of Watauga County, passed away Friday morning, January 31, 2014, in Lenoir.

Mrs. Minton was born August 26, 1912 in Watauga County, a daughter of the late Robert Lee Hayes and Zora “Mae” Holtzclaw Hayes. She was a homemaker and a member of Greenway Baptist Church.

Mrs. Minton is survived by three daughters, Loyce Minton Edmisten of Boone, Joyce Minton Proffitt and husband Bill of Spruce Pine, and Gail Minton Elliott and husband Bill of Lenoir. She is also survived by ten grandchildren; fourteen great-grandchildren, five great great-grandchildren, and a number of nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Claude W. Minton, Sr.; one son, Claude W. Minton, Jr.; two sisters, Ina Greene and Nora Baird; two brothers, Paul Hayes and Harry Hayes; one grandson, and one son-in-law, Bill Edmisten.

Funeral services for Blanche Hayes Minton will be conducted Sunday afternoon, February 2, 2014, at 3:00 o’clock, at Hampton Funeral Home Chapel. The body will lie in state, at the chapel, from 2:00 until 3:00 o’clock. Officiating will be Reverend Gordon Noble. The burial will be private at Mount Lawn Memorial Park and Gardens.

The family will receive friends following the funeral service.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Caldwell Hospice and Palliative Care, 902 Kirkwood Street, Lenoir, North Carolina, 28645.

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

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

 Rosa Harmon Hicks, D. Jan. 31, 2014

Rosa Hicks
Rosa Hicks

Rosa Harmon Hicks, age 82, of Banner Elk, passed away Friday evening, January 31, 2014, at Life Care Center in Banner Elk.

Mrs. Hicks was born March 6, 1931 in Watauga County, a daughter of the late Lee Monroe Harmon and Mary Ellen McGuire Harmon. She was a homemaker and a member of Bethany Baptist Church.

Mrs. Hicks is survived by one son, Leonard Hicks and wife Linda Kay of Banner Elk and Piney Flats, Tennessee; three daughters, Dorothy Jean Odom and Kathy Ribble and husband Kenneth, all of Elizabethton, Tennessee, and Juanita Simerly and husband Jerry of Hampton, Tennessee; three grandsons, Daniel Lynn Hicks of Piney Flats, Troy Simerly and Shane Simerly, both of Hampton; one granddaughter, Ahsley Robinson and husband Scott of Piney Flat; three great-grandsons, Nathan Daniel Hicks of Elizabethton, Trenton Robinson of Piney Flats, and Ethan James Hicks of Bristol, Tennessee; two great-granddaughters, Alissa Madison of Bristol and Katlyn Cooper of Piney Flats, and two sisters, Wilma Colbaugh and husband Herman of Elizabethton, and Ruby Hicks of North Carolina. She is also survived by a number of nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband Ray Hicks; one son, Ted Hicks; four sisters, Martha House, Mae Vance, Viola Ward, and Dorsey Hicks, and one brother, Filmore Harmon.

Funeral services for Rosa Harmon Hicks will be conducted Tuesday afternoon, February 4, 2014, at 2:00 o’clock, at Hampton Funeral Home Chapel. The body will lie in state, at the chapel, from 1:00 until 2:00 o’clock. Officiating will be Reverend Richard Trivette and Reverend James Byrd. Burial will follow in the Hicks Family Cemetery.

The family will receive friends Tuesday afternoon, from 1:00 until 2:00 o’clock, at the funeral home, prior to the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Hicks family, in care of Leonard Hicks, 218 Old Mountain Road, Banner Elk, North Carolina, 28604.

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

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

Maude Austin Black, D. Jan. 31, 2014

Black
Black

Maude Austin Black, age 83, of Willy Austin Drive, Blowing Rock, passed away Friday, January 31, 2014, at Life Care Center of Banner Elk.

Mrs. Black was born February 9, 1930 in Watauga County, a daughter of the late William Walter Austin and Ruth Shores Austin. She was a nurses aid for Blowing Rock Hospital and a member of Cool Springs Baptist Church.

Mrs. Black is survived by two daughters, Carole Ann Black of Blowing Rock, and Billie Hansen and Chuck of Hickory, and one son, David Jewel Black, Jr. of Sheridan, Montana.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, David Jewel Black, Sr.; one sister, Mabel Bowman, and two brothers, David Austin and Jack Austin.

Funeral services for Maude Austin Black will be conducted Wednesday afternoon, February 5, 2014, at 2:00 o’clock, at Hampton Funeral Home Chapel. The body will lie in state, at the chapel, from 1:00 until 2:00 o’clock. Officiating will be Reverend Michael Austin. Burial will follow in the Cool Springs Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, Western Carolina Chapter, 3800 Shamrock Drive, Charlotte, North Carolina, 28215.

The family would like to express their deep appreciation for the years of loving and compassionate care provided to our mother by the staff of Life Care Center of Banner Elk.

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

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

Ruth Apperson Sizer, D. Jan. 28, 2014

Sizer
Sizer

Ruth Apperson Sizer, age 93, of 163 Shadowline Drive, Boone, passed away Tuesday, January 28, 2014, at her home.

Ruth was born October 18, 1920 in Montgomery, Alabama, the second daughter of Claude Damon Apperson and Dessie McLendon Apperson. Her stepfather was Lawrence Lafayette Apperson, Sr. of Atlanta, Georgia.

The family moved to Atlanta when she was 8 years old. She attended R.L. Hope Grammar School and graduated from North Fulton High School in Atlanta. After graduation, Ruth attended the University of Georgia where she was a charter member of Pi Beta Phi Fraternity.

In October of 1942, she enlisted in the first contingent of Waves from the South (Navy) and was stationed at Indiana University for her “boot training”. After finishing her “boot training”, she was stationed at the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida as a storekeeper 3rd class. Here Ruth met and married Ensign Charles T. Sizer, Sr. They were married for 61 years. After World War II, they remained in Atlantic Beach and Jacksonville, Florida. During those years, she was very active at St. Pauls by the Sea Episcopal Church, President of Atlantic Beach PTA, President of Hibiscus Garden Circle, and many other civic clubs.

In 1963, her family moved to Coral Gables, Florida, and she became associated with Mims and Thomas Manufacturing Company as sales manager. In 1981, Ruth and Charles purchased a second home in Islamorada, Florida where they retired and fished from Charles’ boat “The Ole Doll”. Subsequently, they moved to Blowing Rock and enjoyed the mountains. While here, they traveled extensively in Spain and Portugal where they spent the winter months on the “Costa Del Sol” Seeking a warmer climate they returned to Fernandina Beach, Florida in 1995.

Ruth and her husband were active members of St. Peters Episcopal Church, he in the #4 Breakfast Team and her in the E.C.W., Bereavement Committee, and the Kitchen Angels. She was a member of the Amelia Island Museum and she and Charles were featured in the 200 “Veterans History Project”.

Among her pastimes were hand-quilting and meeting with her Circle of Friends Quilting Group.

Ruth is survived by one son, Charles T. Sizer, Jr. and wife Mary Ruth of Boone; one daughter, Suzanne S. Jordan and husband Edwin of Parkersburg, West Virginia; three granddaughters, Jennifer S. Jordan of Gahanna, Ohio, Carol Ruth S. Holladay and husband Gaius of Orlando Florida, and Elizabeth S. Sizer of Washington, D.C.; two great-grandsons, William Casey Jordan of Gahanna, and Jackson Gaius Holladay of Orlando, and two brothers, Lawrence L. Apperson and wife Louise, and Claude Damon Apperson. She is also survived by a number of nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Charles T. Sizer, Sr.

Memorial services for Ruth Apperson Sizer will be conducted at a later date at St. Peters Episcopal Church in Fernandina Beach, Florida.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Cemetery Fund of St. Peters Episcopal Church, 801 Atlantic Avenue, Fernandina Beach, Florida, 32034, or to the Blowing Rock Community Club, 1022 Main Street, Blowing Rock, North Carolina, 28605.

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

Ann Miller Posternak, D. Jan. 27, 2014

Posternak
Posternak

Ann Miller Posternak, age 90, of Rom Eller Road, Ferguson, a native and former resident of Watauga County, passed away Monday evening, January 27, 2014, at Avante Center At Wilkesboro.

Mrs. Posternak was born December 28, 1923 in Watauga County, a daughter of the late Alonzo Greene Miller and Bessie Moretz Miller. She was a homemaker.

Mrs. Posternak is survived by one daughter, Annette Posternak Greene and husband Smokie of Ferguson; one son, Joseph Miller Posternak and wife Siobhan of Miami, Florida; two granddaughters, Reagan Greene Cox and husband David of Kenosha, Wisconsin, and Rheanne Greene Bumgarner and husband Jeremy of Millers Creek; her great-grandchildren, Corbin Frankie Bumgarner and Kendon Channing Bumgarner, both of Millers Creek, and Jon David Cox of Madison, Alabama; three brothers, John Miller of Boone, Kent Miller of North Miami, Florida, and Robert Miller of West Jefferson, and three sisters, Kathleen Wellborn of Deep Gap, Mary Sue Payne and husband John of West Jefferson, and Sarah Hunt of Danbury, North Carolina. She is also survived by a number of nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Frank Joseph Posternak, and one brother, Paul Miller.

The family will receive friends Saturday afternoon, February 1, 2014, from 1:00 until 2:00 o’clock, at Hampton Funeral Service. Graveside services and burial will follow at Gap Creek Cemetery in Deep Gap.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Gap Creek Cemetery Fund, in care of Bill Moretz, PO Box 575, Deep Gap, North Carolina, 28618.

The family respectfully requests no food.

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