Austin & Barnes Funeral Home & Crematory

Robert A. (Bob) Reed, M.D. of Blowing Rock, North Carolina passed away of a sudden heart attack at his home on June 26, 2021. Dr. Reed was a Radiology Specialist in Boone, North Carolina and a retired Radiologist with over 59 years of experience in the field of Radiology. He was licensed and practiced in North Carolina, Alabama and Kentucky. Dr. Reed, the son of the late Dr. and Mrs. R. Glenn Reed, Sr., was born April 16, 1936 in Acworth, Georgia. He attended Marietta High School, graduated from Emory University, and received his medical degree from Emory University School of Medicine in 1962. While at Emory, he was a member of Chi Phi social fraternity and Phi Delta Epsilon medical...

Carolyn Bowden Travis, 84, of Boone passed away peacefully at the Life Care Center of Banner Elk on Saturday, the 20th of March, 2021. Born to George Page and Sarah Louise Bowden on July 18th, 1936 in Asheboro, North Carolina, Carolyn attended Asheboro High School and obtained her Masters of Fine Arts in English from Appalachian State Teachers' College in Boone. She married Samuel Boyce Travis August 30th, 1959 and made the Carolina High Country she loved her home for life. She undertook the role of educator, teaching in the Forsyth County School District for a year before beginning a thirty-three year career in the English Department at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, North Carolina. She...

Barbara Helen (Godfrey) Mizner, 95, of Smyrna passed away peacefully on January 11, 2021 two days short of her 96th birthday. She was born on January 13, 1925 in Providence, RI. On June 7, 1947 she married Jack Mizner in Providence RI. Jack and Barbara moved their family to Georgia in 1961, where they lived until Jack's passing in 2015. In 2016 Barbara moved to Boone, NC where she lived out her remaining years with two of her sons and family. Barbara was an active member of the Smyrna community and was a frequent volunteer at schools, her neighborhood and church, Tillman Memorial. Barbara was dedicated to her family and friends. She never missed a birthday, anniversary or graduation...

Dan Dwayne Blair, Sr. passed away December 12, 2020 at Watauga Medical Center in Boone. He was born on September 5, 1931 in Gaston County and lived in Lowell, NC then after retirement moved to their home near Blowing Rock. Dan was preceded in death by his parents James M. Blair and Ola Monteith Blair, and an infant brother Charles Dean Blair. Survivors include Bette Neeland Blair, his wife of 67 years and whom he affectionately introduced to everyone as his "Bride"; son Dan Blair, Jr. (Kathy) of Garner, NC; daughter Kaye Phillips (Jim) of Dallas, NC; grandsons Jay, Adam, and Drew Phillips; sister-in-law, Sue Neeland Earnhardt (Jack Deckert); and several nieces and nephews. After...

Cheri McInturff Strickland of Blowing Rock, N.C. passed away July 1 at the age of 64. She is survived by her loving husband of 43 years, Durwood Kirby Strickland, three children, four grandchildren, a sister, a brother and a large extended family. Cheri was born in Bluefield, WV on July 24, 1955. She was the eldest child of the late Arthur Ramey McInturff, Jr. and Margaret Mahood McInturff. She graduated from Sanderson High School in Raleigh, NC in 1973 and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her work life included time as a newspaper journalist (Charlotte Weekly Newspapers), a public relations professional (Carowinds and...

On November 11, 1942, Laura Katherine Reynolds entered the world at City Hospital in Winston-Salem, North Carolina to proud parents, Anne Siler and Frank Taylor Reynolds. Frank received the news from Anne by telegram, where he was serving as a Sea Bee in the Aleutian Islands during WWII. The story was always told as, "he received the news by flashlight" - one that was communicating through Morse Code, of course. Kathy grew up in Lewisville, North Carolina with her parents, brother, Richard Maxwell Reynolds, 3 years her senior, and surrounded by her, grandparents, aunts, uncles and numerous cousins, the offspring of the other 5 brothers of her Daddy, Frank. She graduated from Southwest High...

In the early morning hours of February 27, 2020, Watauga County and Boone, North Carolina lost one of its dearest guardians, Kathy Reynolds Jackson. Before her second marriage to Dr. Jim Jackson of Appalachian State University, she was known to many, who worked with her at Watauga County Hospital and Watauga Medical Canter as Kathy Sparks. Kathy's career at WMC spans 29 years, her total nursing career over 30 years. Her children, Shannon and John Sparks, attended Hardin Park Elementary, Watauga High School and Appalachian State University. Kathy attended ASU in the 1990s through an extension program at Winston-Salem State while studying for her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Laura...

Rose was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, to John and Rose Benziger. Her father was crew leader lineman for Knoxville Power. Her mother was a business woman, managing a coal mine and a music company. Early in her childhood, the Depression caused their family to seek a new life style, living in the country. Her father used his carpentry skills to convert a large farm shelter into a home. Friendly neighboring farmers taught them how to raise chickens, milk a cow, make molasses from sugar cane, etc. Mom had many happy memories of these times. When they did return to the city, they found a house large enough to generate income, by renting out extra rooms. Young Rose, took care of...

Marvin Bagwell Jr (Sunny) 76, passed away peacefully, June 27, 2019 after declining health with Parkinson's and dementia. Marvin was born July 19, 1942 in Greenville, SC to the late Marvin and Mary Bagwell. He graduated from Greenville High School and he attended the University of South Carolina and Palmer School of Business in Columbia SC. He married his high school sweetheart and love of his life Jean Penland, August 19, 1961. Marvin had a very successful career as a commercial insurance broker. He worked for Sedgwick James and Marsh and McClennan before retiring. He not only took pride in his business, but truly valued the friends he made during his time in business. After...