ROBERT JONES

Robert E. Jones, 76, of Redbud Place, Lenoir, died Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009, at the residence.

He was born Dec. 16, 1932, in Danvers, Mass., to the late Gordon and Anita Collette Jones. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Gail N. Jones; one brother, Ted Jones; and one sister, Nancy Jones; three grandchildren, Gary Millett, Zachary Millett and Krystal Hughes; a step-daughter, Gael Millett.

Mr. Jones was a retired truck driver and was a member of Littlejohn United Methodist Church. He was also a United States Air Force veteran.

Survivors include two sons, Steven Jones and wife Elizabeth and William Jones, both of Salem, Mass.; four daughters, Mrs. Charlene Blankenship and husband Cliff Sr. of Salem, Mrs. Stephanie Gillogly and husband Ryan of Washington state, Ms. Corey Locke of Gamewell, Ms. Lindsey Jennings Jones of Lenoir; one step-daughter, Ms. Beth Hughes of Morganton; 14 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and five nieces.

Memorial services will be held Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009, at 1 p.m. at Courtney Chapel at Lelia Tuttle Park conducted by the Rev. Elizabeth Graves.

Memorial contributions may be made to Caldwell Hospice and Palliative Care, 902 Kirkwood St., Lenoir, NC 28645, or Charles George VA Medical Center, Volunteer Services, 1100 Tunnel Road, Asheville, NC 28805.

Online condolences may be left at www.greer-mcelveenfuneralhome.com.

Greer-McElveen Funeral Home and Crematory is in charge of arrangements.

LINDA HILL

Linda died Sunday morning, Nov. 22, 2009, after a long, brave battle with MDS and leukemia.

She is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Karen and Nolo Martinez, and Lauren and Jay Bullock; grandchildren Ryan Southard, Kate Southard and Jack Henry Bullock; brother and sister-in-law, Frank “Pancho” and Lyndal Davis; nieces, Dena Alvarez and Wendy Dumas; nephew, Frank Davis.

Linda was born in Beeville, Texas, and raised in Houston. A proud fifth generation Texan, Linda attended Lamar High School in Houston and received her B.A. from Rice University in Houston. She owned a meeting and special event planning business in Dallas where she raised her girls and was a member at St. John’s Episcopal Church. Linda moved to Lenoir, N.C., in 1997 to be closer to her beloved grandchildren. In her new N.C. home, she became an involved member at St. James Episcopal Church and was a dedicated Guardian ad litem in Caldwell County. She then moved to Winston-Salem in 2004 where she joined St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church and was an active board member of her neighborhood homeowner’s association.

The family would like to thank the outstanding and loving nursing staff at WFUBMC Cancer Center, 3rd Floor (you know who you are), the 9th floor Oncology nursing staff, Dr. Leslie Ellis, Dr. Mary Ann Knovich and Jennifer MacLean.

Funeral services will be held Nov. 24 at 4 p.m. at St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, 2575 Parkway Dr., Winston-Salem, with visitation immediately following. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made in her name to the Myelodysplastic Syndromes Foundation (www.mds-foundation.org).

Online condolences may be made to www.salemfh.com.

HAZEL ESTER

Mrs. Hazel Benfield Ester, 87, formerly of Little Bit Lane in Granite Falls, went home to be with her Lord and Savior, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009.

She was born Oct. 13, 1922, in Wilkes County, N.C., to the late James Benfield and Bertha Higgins Benfield.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Lloyd Matthew Ester; one son, Sherrill Ester; five brothers and two sisters.

She is survived by two sons, Ronnie Ester and wife Judy of Hudson, N.C., and Terry Ester and wife Vicky of Dudley Shoals; three daughters, Eldrene Arend and husband Bill of Dallas Texas, Earlene Freeland and husband Dave of Naples, Fla., and Barbara Chester and husband Barry of Cajah’s Mountain, N.C.; two sisters, Georgie Dellinger of Statesville, N.C., and Betty Jo of High Point, N.C.; eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

The family will receive friends from 2-3 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009, at Hudson Church of God. The service will follow at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009 at Hudson Church of God with the Rev. David Thurman and the Rev. Charles Keever officiating. Burial will be at Sunset Hills Cemetery, Granite Falls.

Mackie-High Funeral Home is serving the Hazel Benfield Ester family.

NILA BLEVINS

Nila R. Blevins, 76, of Clingstone Lane, Granite Falls, died Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009, at Camelot Manor Nursing Care.

He was born July 10, 1933, in Johnson County, Tenn., to the late Oscar M. and Victoria Reece Blevins. He was preceded in death by three brothers, Walter G. Blevins, Bruce H. Blevins and Dwight B. Blevins; and two sisters, Grace Reed and Ruby Pickles.

Mr. Blevins was a farmer.

Survivors include numerous nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009, at 6 p.m. at Greer-McElveen Funeral Home conducted by the Rev. Jerry Woodie. The family will receive friends following the service at the funeral home.

A funeral service will also be held Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009, at noon at Harmon Christian Church in Shady Grove, Tenn. The family will receive friends from 11 a.m. to noon, one hour prior to this service at the church. Interment will follow at Blevins Family Cemetery in Shady Valley, Tenn.

Online condolences may be left at www.greer-mcelveenfuneralhome.com.

Greer-McElveen Funeral Home and Crematory is in charge of arrangements.

BOBBY MOORE

Bobby Joe Moore, 74, of Bee Mountain Ridge Road, Lenoir, passed away Nov. 21, 2009, at his residence.

Mr. Moore served in the Navy and was a retired truck driver.

He was born Dec. 8, 1934, in Caldwell County to the late Charles Roscoe Moore and Carrie Prestwood Moore. He also is preceded in death by four brothers, Charles Rodney Moore, Walter Hill Moore, Carroll Moore and William Frank Moore.

Bobby is survived by his loving wife, Minnie Setzer of 30 years, who will love him always and forever; three sons, Robert (Sonny) Joseph Moore of Asheville, Douglas Hamilton of the home and Robert Cook of Morganton; four daughters, Wanda Cook of the home, Nicole Hodge of Clover S.C., Martha Ann Bibey of Florida and Loretta Cook of Marion; three sisters, Mary Williams and husband Michael of Lenoir, Helen Hass and husband Dyksie of Hudson, and Joyce Triplett and husband Troy of Happy Valley. Mr. Moore also is survived by numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren and nieces and nephews.

Memorial services will be held at Nazareth Advent Christian Church, Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009, at 10:30 a.m. with the Rev. Rodney Raby and Pastor Travis Tripplet officiating. Burial will be in the Moore Family Cemetery.

Online condolences for Mr. Moore may be placed at www.pendrysfuneralhome.com.

Pendry’s Funeral Home & Crematory is honored to be serving the Moore family.

JOHN AUSTIN

Mr. John Russell Austin, 83, died Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009, in Templeton, Calif., after a short illness.

Mr. Austin was a 30-year U.S. Navy and Air Force veteran who served in WWII and Vietnam. He was born in Granite Falls, N.C., in 1926.

He was preceded in death by his ex-wife Elizabeth Alleman Austin; wife, Mazelle Jetton Austin,; his daughter, Pattie Austin; his parents, a sister and two brothers.

He is survived by his children, daughters, Sarah Austin DeLong (Ron) of Gilbert, Ariz., Deborah Austin English (Jim) of Templeton, Calif.; sons, James Russell Austin (Joann) of Yucaipa, Calif., and John Robert Austin (Cori) of San Diego, Calif.; seven grandchildren, Stephanie Wright (Harold), Michael DeLong, James DeLong, Savanna Austin, James Austin, Alayne Austin and Jacob Austin; three great-grandchildren, Bailey, Austin and Emma Wright. He also is survived by his brother, Bobby Austin (Betty); and a niece, Lela Austin Teague (Roger) of Granite Falls, N.C.

A viewing was scheduled for 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009, at Los Osos Valley Memorial Park in Los Osos, Calif., and military funeral services followed at 1:30 p.m.

Internment will be at Los Osos Valley Memorial Park.

Obituary courtesy of Mackie-High Funeral Home

JEANETTE PIPES

Jeanette Bowman Pipes, 92, of Lenoir, passed away Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009, at Caldwell Memorial Hospital.

Mrs. Pipes was born in Avery County to the late George Marshall Bowman Sr. and Pantha Freeman Bowman. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Fred Vernon Pipes; brothers, George Washington Bowman, Boyd Bowman and Eugene Bowman; a sister, Cedren Robbins. She was a homemaker and a member of Buffalo Cove Baptist where she was a member of the choir.

Survivors include her sons, Fred Vernon Pipes Jr. and Harold Dean Pipes, both of Lenoir; her daughters, Edna Sue Pipes Wilcox of Lorton, Va., and Mildred Pipes Moore of Vilas, N.C.; her brothers, Cecil Bowman of Montross, Va., and George Bowman Jr. of Lenoir; her sisters, Roxie Hamlet, Florence Balderson, Reba Alverson, all of Montross, Va., and Betty Sue Kirby of Lenoir. She also is survived by 10 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren, and seven great-great-grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009, at Buffalo Cove Baptist Church with the Rev. Joe Helton and the Rev. Gurney Robbins officiating. The body will lie in state 30 minutes prior to the service. Burial will follow the service in the McCloud Family Cemetery. The family will receive friends Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009, at Pendry’s Funeral Home from 6 until 8 p.m.

The family requests that memorials be made to Caldwell Hospice and Palliative Care, 902 Kirkwood Street, Lenoir, NC 28645.

Pendry’s Funeral Home is honored to be assisting the Pipes family with arrangements.

Online condolences may be placed at www.pendrysfuneralhome.com.

J.D. HOOD

Mr. J.D. Hood, 54, of Granite Falls, died Monday, Nov. 23, 2009, at his residence. Funeral arrangements are pending and will be announced later by Evans Funeral Service and Crematory of Lenoir.