Virginian-Pilot

May 9, 2003

Christine B. Asbell

AULANDER -- Christine B. Asbell, 64, died May 6, 2003. Graveside services will be held today at 2 p.m. at Hoggard Memorial Cemetery, Lewiston. Sykes Funeral Service, Rich Square, is in charge.

Mark Chisman

KILL DEVIL HILLS -- Mark Chisman, 51, died May 7, 2003. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday in United Methodist Church of Little Falls, N.J. Twiford's Colony Chapel, Manteo, is in charge.

Elizabeth S. Fletcher

ELIZABETH CITY -- Elizabeth Skiles Fletcher, 85, of the 1400 block of Weeksville Road, died May 7, 2003. A funeral will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Twiford's Memorial Chapel.

Zachariah T. Gurkin

WILLIAMSTON -- Zachariah ``Zack'' Taylor Gurkin, 65, of the 1100 block of James Wiggins Road, died May 7, 2003. A funeral will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Maple Grove Christian Church. Biggs Funeral Home is in charge.

Minnie L. Jacobs

ELIZABETH CITY -- Minnie Long Jacobs, 86, of the 1300 block of N. Road St., died May 8, 2003. A funeral will be held Saturday at 4 p.m. in Twiford's Memorial Chapel.

Merle B. Stewart

CHEROKEE -- Merle Bowman Stewart, 78, died May 7, 2003 at Tsali Care Center.

Merle was a native of Jackson County, born Nov. 27, 1924 at Smokemont. She was the daughter of the late Roy and Grace Rose Bowman. She attended the Cherokee Indian Boarding School. She resided in Norfolk for many years where she was supervisor at the C & P Telephone Company and switchboard operator at Dominion University. She returned to Cherokee in 1974.

Merle will be sorely missed by all those who knew her. A quite calm person, who loved nature, she never offended anyone and loved living in the mountains at Cherokee where she grew up and retired in 1974.

She is survived by two sons, James R. Lee of Memphis, Tenn. and Kenneth M. Lee of Sylva; and sisters, Dorothy Franklin, Jean Bowman Ward and Kathryn Bradley.

Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday in Drama Cemetery, Cherokee, with the Rev. Youngdeer officiating. Melton-Riddle Funeral Home is in charge.

Arnetta Williams

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arnetta Williams, a native of Bertie County, died May 6, 2003. A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Springhill Baptist Church Cemetery, Lewiston. Reynolds Funeral Home, Ahoskie, is in charge.

Willie L. Winborne

AULANDER -- Willie Lee Winborne died May 6, 2003. A funeral will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at Conoconary Baptist Church. Reynolds Funeral Home, Ahoskie, is in charge.