Austin & Barnes Funeral Home & Crematory

Wayne Brooks Fowler of Indian Trail passed away peacefully with his daughter by his side on October 29, 2022 at Watauga Medical Center in Boone. He was born in Monroe, North Carolina on December 11, 1942 to Randolph and Mable Fowler. In 1983 Wayne opened and ran Matthews Fence Co. and continued at the helm until 2007 when he passed the torch to his daughter. Wayne was preceded in death by his mother, father, brothers; Floyd, Alfred "Al", Melvin and Morrison, Sisters; Mildred, Louise and Juanita. He will be greatly loved and missed by his surviving relatives: daughter, April Ward; granddaughters, Isabella and Emma Ward; great-grandson, Elias Gentry (also known as "doodle beans"); sisters,...

Mitchell Archie Pardue, 69, of Boone, NC, passed away on March 6, 2022, in St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands. Scuba diving was his passion, and we find comfort in knowing that Mitch perished doing what he loved. Mitch became a father late in life, and what JOY his young son brought him. Mitch was born May 5, 1952, in Durham, NC, to the late Daniel Walker and Kathleen Wilborn Pardue. He was raised in southern Guilford County, where his siblings still reside. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a nephew, Chris Linkous. Survivors include his wife, Anna Gates, and son, Owen Pardue; brothers Joel Pardue (Barbara), Rocky Pardue (Joyce), and Gary Pardue; sisters...

Robert McCluer Calhoon, historian, teacher, and scholar of religion and politics in the US backcountry died from complications to dementia on January 14, 2022 in the memory care unit at Deerfield Ridge Assisted Living in Boone, NC. His wife Doris preceded him in death in 2009 as did his sisters Mary Nelson and Peggy Robbins in 2006 and 2018 respectively. He is survived by his daughter Claudia Calhoon; by an informally adopted family: son Y Nuh, daughter-in-law Ha Bek, and granddaughter Zina Ecam; by his friend and companion later in life, Susan Kramer, and by countless friends, colleagues, and mentees. Robert wrote or edited nine books, contributed to another sixteen volumes, and published...

Dell Elizabeth Graham born May 28, 1947 - passed September 17, 2021 Dell Elizabeth Graham was born in the small town of Todd in Ashe County North Carolina. She has always affectionately been known as Betsy. Her parents were William Reece Graham Jr. and Laura Louise Oliver Graham. Betsy is survived by two brothers, Charles Graham (& wife Elaine) & Reece Graham (& wife Judy) both of West Jefferson North Carolina. Betsy is also survived by her three sons Christian Graham Covington (&wife Angi) of Todd North Carolina, Matthew Patterson Covington (& wife Stacey) of Concord North Carolina and Charles William Reece Graham of Concord North Carolina. She took great joy in her...

Ruth Dover Elliott Robinson entered into the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ in the early hours of Thursday morning, September 16, 2021. She was a native of Charlotte, NC, and leaves behind her husband, Ed Robinson, children Debbie McCord (Phillip), Michael Elliott, Tommy Robinson (Tammy), and Teresa Greene, along with, eight grandchildren, three great grandchildren, her sister Tommie (Ken) Plummer and a multitude of family and friends. She is preceded in death by her husband Grover Elliott, parents Charlie and Johnsie Dover, her brothers Pat and Buddy Dover, and sisters, Mabel Locke, Charlotte Tyson, Anna Holder, and her great-granddaughter Lily McCord. Ruth was a true southern bell...

Martha Worked, Studied, Travelled and Sweetened Lives of Family and Friends March 4, 1931 - Sept. 10, 2021 Martha Clara DeLancey Blair, born March 4, 1931 to Martha Ballew DeLancey and William Whitley DeLancey of Greensboro, North Carolina. Martha was second oldest of seven children: Evelyn Arnold, William Jr., David, Cora Lea Kempton, James and Sarah. Martha grew up during the Great Depression and supported winning World War II by collecting scrap metal. In 1949 after graduating Bessemer High School, she married C. Homer Blair. She completed business college with honors and began a career with Home Life Insurance Co. of New York, later becoming Office Manager. Martha loved traveling and...

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...

Terry Philip Ainsworth, age 73, of Boone, NC passed away Monday, August 23, 2021. Terry will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and the entire Hound Ears Community. Born December 14, 1947 in Tampa, Florida he was a son of the late Helen Gaillard Ainsworth and Philip Calvin Ainsworth. He was a graduate of the University of Florida and LOVED being a Gator! Terry led a passionate life. He loved to dance, golf, cook, travel and spend time with family & friends. He always told the grandsons if you learn to cook and dance you will get the girls! Terry gained wisdom and knowledge through life experiences and enjoyed writing about them in all his journals. Terry and his...

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...