The Chowan Herald

Edrew Samuel "Drew" Clark, Jr., 37, died on Monday, March 13, 2023 in Las Vegas, NV. Born on September 10, 1985 in Savannah, Georgia, Drew was a graduate of Hartsville High School in Hartsville, SC as well as a 2007 graduate of Clemson University in Clemson, SC where he received his Bachelor's Degree in Health Science. While at Clemson he was a brother of the Kappa Alpha Order. Later he continued his education at Central Carolina Technical College, Sumter, SC, graduating in 2016 with an Associate in Science Degree in Nursing Science. Drew worked several years as a Registered Nurse in Behavioral Health in the Columbia, SC area. His most recent employment was the Three Rivers Behavioral...

Joseph Garland Asbell, 77, of 922 Sandy Ridge Road, passed away on Wednesday, March 8, 2023 in Sentara Albemarle Medical Center, Elizabeth City. Born on October 2, 1945, he was a lifelong resident of Chowan County, and was the oldest son of Garland Hollowell and Anne Byrum Asbell. A 1963 graduate of Chowan High School, he attended North Carolina State University and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology in 1967. He also held an Associate degree in Accounting. For many years he worked at Carter's Ink in Edenton (later Pelikan Corp. and Dennison Computer Supplies), later with United Piece & Dye Works, and lastly retired as the Materials Manager with Chowan Hospital. A...

Phyllis Faye Bunch Copeland, 76, of 801 Blackrock Road, died Saturday, March 4, 2023 in her home where she was cared for by her family. Mrs. Copeland was born in Bertie County on February 7, 1947, and was the daughter of the late Leslie W. and Ruby Peele Bunch. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death in 2021 by her husband of nearly 55 years, Woody Ross Copeland; and in 2022 by her son, Kevin Ross Copeland. A graduate of East Carolina University with a Bachelor of Education Degree, she retired from Chowan Middle School. Earlier in her career, she had taught third grade at Lawrence Academy. A member of Riverside Baptist Church, she also found the calling later in life of being...

Roy Lee "Dootsie" Ashley, Sr., 76, of 227 Sandy Ridge Road, passed away on Wednesday, February 22, 2023 in his home where he was being cared for by family. Mr. Ashley was born in Perquimans County on September 1, 1946, and was the son of the late Raleigh Edward, Sr. and Donnie Mae Monds Ashley. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife Julia Mae Lane "Josie" Ashley, and by a sister, Carrie Hope Twine. Retired from a boat building career that spanned several decades, he had been employed with Fiberform Boats and later with Albemarle Boats and Regulator Marine. He grew up in the fellowship of Center Hill Baptist Church, and more recently, when his health permitted, he...

George Ellis Jones, 87, of 1103 W. Queen Street, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, in his home where he was being cared for by family. Mr. Jones was born in Chowan County on February 2, 1936, and was the son of the late James Earl and Ora Brown Jones. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sisters, Doris Jean Saunders and Audrey Nixon. George had many accomplishments in his life. While being a hog farmer, he was named Outstanding NC Pork Producer of the Year for 1996. Following his retirement from farming, he worked in real estate development. He served as a Chowan County Commissioner for a total of 18 years; he was on the boards of both BB&T...

Shelva Jean Bailey Halsey, 85, died Sunday, February 19, 2023 in Three Rivers Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, Windsor. Mrs. Halsey was born in Martin County on February 1, 1938 and was the daughter of the late Reuben, Sr. and Viola Whitehurst Bailey. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Frank G. Halsey, Sr.; a grandson, Steven Craig Halsey; sisters, Alice Ruth Holliday and Carolyn Hardison; and by brothers, Reuben, Jr. and George Bailey. A retired nurse, she completed her training at Parkview Hospital in Rocky Mount. Her nursing career encompassed work at Brown's Hospital in Williamston, Chowan Hospital in Edenton, providing private duty homecare, and...

Kayla Elizabeth Ricks, 28, of Wilmington, and formerly of Edenton, died Saturday, February 11th, 2023 as the result of injuries received in an automobile accident. Kayla was born in Lynchburg, Virginia on August 8th, 1994, and was the daughter of Dante Ewell and Kristie Ricks Byrum. She was raised in Edenton by her adoptive parents, Carolyn Rogerson Ricks and the late John W. "Ricky" Ricks. A 2013 graduate of John A. Holmes High School, she later attended Pitt Community College in Greenville. Since moving to Wilmington, she worked as a waitress at K38 Baja Grill on Oleander Drive. Kayla loved playing the online game "Fortnite" with her friends, being with her large circle of family and...

Celia Rae Nixon Copeland, 96, of Ryland Road, died Tuesday, February 7, 2023 in ECU Health Roanoke-Chowan Hospital, Ahoskie. Mrs. Copeland was born in Chowan County on February 10, 1926, and was the daughter of the late Jesse and Dixie White Nixon. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Lester Taylor Copeland; an infant son, Joseph Anthony Copeland; by sisters, Ella Mae Perry, Minnie Brown, Louise Perry, Gertrude Driggs and Jessie Driggs; by brothers, Cecil and Norman Nixon; and by four half-siblings. Through her family history and genealogy Mrs. Copeland was proud that her maternal grandfather Joel White had volunteered to fight in the Civil War. A...

Thomas Stanton Harrell, 85, of Yeopim Road, died Monday, February 6, 2023 in CarolinaEast Medical Center, New Bern. Mr. Harrell was born in Chowan County on April 8, 1937, and was the son of the late Thomas O. and Thelma Stanton Harrell. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Faye Twiddy Harrell, and by his daughter, Teresa Harrell Ward. A retired Conservation Technician with the Perquimans-Chowan Office of the USDA Soil & Conservation Service, he will be also be remembered for his Draftsman work in rendering house plans for many in the area. He was a member of Yeopim Baptist Church. Surviving are his children, Amby Harrell Parrish (husband, Frankie) and Ben...

Kay White Toler, 73, of 244 Hwy 45 North, died Friday, February 3, 2023 in ECU Health Chowan Hospital, Edenton. Mrs. Toler was born in Bertie County on July 11, 1949, and was the daughter of the late Louis Albert White, Sr. and Thelma Cobb White Bruce. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a brother, Louis A. White, Jr.; a brother-in-law, Billy Skiles; and by a nephew, Charlie White, Jr. A retired assistant manager and head supervisor with the Wrangler Corp. in Windsor where she had worked for 36 years, she was a member of Capehart's Baptist Church. Surviving is her husband of nearly 55 years, Gene L. Toler; a sister, Marion W. Skiles of Merry Hill; two brothers, Tim...

Jessie Ruth Hudson "J.R." Shackelford, 88, formerly of Edenton, and more recently of Hertford, died Sunday, January 29, 2023 in her home. Mrs. Shackelford was born in Chowan County on December 28, 1934, and was the daughter of the late David T. and Molly Cayton Hudson. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Clarence Zachery "Shack" Shackelford, a sister, Addie Jethro, a brother, Morgan Hudson, and by a grandson, Dillon Ray Shackelford. A longtime bookkeeper and later an insurance agent, along with her husband she also co-owned and operated Governor Eden Inn in Edenton for many years. She was a member of Edenton Baptist Church. Surviving are her...

Garry Pike Copeland, 56, a member of the Ryland community in Chowan County, passed away Friday, January 27, 2023 in Edenton. Born in Chowan County on May 18, 1966, he was the son of the late Dorus Elihu and Blannie Winslow Copeland. Garry grew up working on the family farm and enjoyed the fellowship of Piney Woods Friends Meeting. A 1984 graduate of John A. Holmes High School, he later attended and graduated from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science in Economics. Through the years his work included banking, land development, and the construction and concrete industry. Garry had a passion for learning about the history and architecture of the northeast region of...

Evelyn Briggs Forehand Chappell, 93, of 235 Tip Toe Road, died Thursday, January 26, 2023 in Three Rivers Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, Windsor. Mrs. Chappell was born in Chowan County on December 7, 1929, and was the daughter of the late James Richard and Annie Bivens Briggs. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by husbands, Joseph L. Forehand and Melvin Chappell; her son, Joseph Richard "Ricky" Forehand; three sisters, two infants and Annie Marie Goodwin; a brother, Frank Briggs; and a great-granddaughter, Tiffany Helton. In earlier years she worked at the P & Q Supermarket but most of her adult life worked in Cuthrell's Department Store. She was a faithful...

William Lewis "Bill" Norvell, Jr., 84, peacefully passed away on Wednesday, January 25, 2023 in his home where he was cared for by his family. Bill was born in Richmond, Virginia on July 14, 1938 and was the son of the late William Lewis Norvell, Sr. and Bennie Allsbrook Norvell Cuzner. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and later graduated from Chowan College in Murfreesboro. His career in sales and marketing began with The Westinghouse Corporation. Upon traveling to Edenton and making sales calls at Byrum Hardware, Bill and his good friend, George Alma Byrum together decided to buy Quinn Furniture Company, which he ran for 20 years. He later worked with Gateway...

James Francis O'Leary, MD, 79, of 507 North Broad Street, died Tuesday, January 24, 2023 in his home. Dr. O'Leary was born in Cork, Ireland on January 6, 1944 and was the only child born to the late James Patrick and Winifred Fielding O'Leary. A surgeon, Dr. O'Leary began his solo practice in Edenton in 1979, was associated with Chowan Hospital, and later working as a Rural Professor training interns with the Brody School of Medicine, retiring from that position in 2013. Educated at University College Cork in Ireland and a member of the Royal College of Surgeons, he served his American residency at Tulane University. Since moving to Edenton, he was a member of St. Ann Catholic...

Horace Douglas "Sonny" Hall, 77, of 100 Chowan Trail, died Tuesday, January 24, 2023 in his home where he was cared for by his family. Mr. Hall was born in Norfolk, Virginia on April 15, 1945, and was the son of the late William Winslow Hall and Myrtle Mae Moody Harrison. As a residential and commercial building contractor, he owned Hall Construction Company. After retirement, he got his Commercial Fishermans license and had a special love for catching catfish. As an avid sportsman, Sonny loved the outdoors and enjoyed every opportunity to hunt and fish. He made several journeys to Montana where he enjoyed trout fishing and elk hunting. Though he thoroughly enjoyed those things, time with...

Dotmegan Lane Rogerson, 93, of 708 Sandy Ridge Road, died Monday, January 23, 2023 in her home. Mrs. Rogerson was born in Perquimans County on August 12, 1929, and was the daughter of the late Ervin Julian and Pearl Layden Lane. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas Glenn Rogerson; her sister, Trythenea Baker; and by brothers, Forrest, Creg, Fentress, and Duwood Lane. A graduate of Perquimans County High School, she had retired from the United States Postal Service after 24 years of employment, 9 years of which she served as the Postmaster of the Tyner Post Office. A homemaker, farmer's wife, and mother, she was an avid gardener, an excellent cook,...

Annie Belle Byrum, 92, of Happy Home Road, died Saturday, January 21, 2023 in Elizabeth City Health & Rehabilitation. Mrs. Byrum was born in Chowan County and one of seven children born to the late Tom and Belle Dail Byrum. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph A. Byrum; sisters, Viola Goodwin and Irene Broughton; and by brothers, Britton, Hercules, and Tommy Byrum. Retired from Don Juan Manufacturing Company in Hertford, as long as health allowed she was a faithful member of Center Hill Baptist Church where she played the piano and sang in the Adult Choir. Many will remember her playing and singing at churches and community events with "The Rocky...

Carol Rector Sampsell, 79, of 1701 Arapahoe Trail, died Thursday, January 19, 2023 in her home where she was cared for by her husband. Mrs. Sampsell was born in McDowell County, West Virginia on June 5, 1943, and was the last surviving of 15 children born to the late Walter and Mazella Basham Rector. In addition to her parents and siblings, she was preceded in death by her only child, James Francis Sampsell, II. A homemaker, since moving to Chowan County after her husband's retirement, she had faithfully attended Chowan Christian Fellowship. Surviving is her husband, Johnny Ray "John" Sampsell; and several nieces, nephews, and other extended family members. Funeral services were held...

Jean Smith Hinton, 95, of 4219 Virginia Road, went to her Heavenly home while being in ECU Health Medical Center on Tuesday, January 17, 2023. Born in Gatesville on August 22, 1927, she was the daughter of the late Floyd Eugene and Erma Morris Smith. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, Henry Hinton, Sr.; her sister, Verlie Gates Franks (Roy); her brother, Wilbur Morris "Skinny" Smith (Edith); her son-in-law, Mark Anthony "Tony" Davis; and by an infant grandson, William Kyle Davis. Jean was a faithful member of Hobbsville Baptist Church for many years. In her younger years, she taught Sunday School, had served as the Director of both the Women's...

Joyce Gray Wright Guynes, 86, of 1232 Kingsway Drive, died Saturday, January 14, 2023, in her home where she was cared for by her family. Mrs. Guynes was born in Chowan County on April 24, 1936, and was the daughter of the late Kenneth H. and Annie Jay Wheeler Wright. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a sister, Janice Barber, and by her son-in-law, Ronnie Cheatham. Retired from the Accounts Department of Conagra Brands foods, she was a member of the former Great Bridge Church of God, now Kingdom Life. Surviving is her daughter, Tina Cheatham; her sister, Faye Wright; four grandchildren, Kristen Guynes, and Chase, Chandler and Chandlan Cheatham; and a...