The Charlotte Observer from Charlotte, North Carolina (2024)

July 5, 1989

Publication:

The Charlotte Observeri

Location:

Charlotte, North Carolina

Issue Date:

Wednesday, July 5, 1989

Page:

20

Extracted Article Text (OCR)

OW4 WM1111111111111411MIP bb 1 HE CHARLOYTE OBSEM ER Wednesday July 5 1989 bli i HE CHA bb 1 HE CHARLOYTE OBSEM ER Wednesday July 5 1989 Mecklenburg County Mecklenburg County Deaths Antebellum Home Of A Ghost To Stay Open In Body Spirit Mrs Barbara Ann Larry 46 of Nahunta Ga formerly of Charlotte died June 28 1989 at Brunswick Memorial Hospital in Nahunta Funeral is 2 pm Thursday at Grier Funeral Home Burial will be in Ebenezer AME Zion Church cemetery Visitation is 7 to 8 tonight Mrs Larry was a homemaker and a Cabarrus County native Survivors are her husband Brice of Nahunta mother Mrs Mary White brother Robert Morris Jr: sisters Ms Teresa Morris Ms Joann Cannon Ms Mary Springs stepbrothers Fred Wilson Joseph Wilson Perlie Ray Wilson stepsisters Ms Odessa Wilson Ms Perlie Purkus Ms Mamie Thunderburk The family will be at 1823 Wyatt St k- 4 7: ifrtlf 3 1 i44 :1 -1-1 -3 441 A 1 I '141FC114'' Nkti 4-': 4 1 4 ---t A 4:7 i :::::::::::1 3 --1 9e i 14 -c 14 'f i--4 41 di 4''' a 4t IV114 7''''-- Ay 4 A file sit at the Hermitage in 1986 Clarke Willcox and his wife Lillian tours and I found the story of Alice so fascinating as well as the history of the Hermitage itself it wasn't hard to memorize and pick up little tidbits along about the Hermitage and the Murrells Inlet area" The story of Alice is one of South Carolina's most famous ghost tales The teenager part of an aristocratic family had met and been given a ring by a young man successful in the naval stores business When Alice's older brother found out about the romance and saw the ring tied about the girl's neck he took it from her and threw it in the creek Alice fell ill and soon died It is said her ghost still searches for the ring and sometimes visits Hermitage residents and visitors particularly in what was her upstairs room The room is kept as it was at Alice's death The plaster of its blue walls and white ceiling are slightly cracked and the brown wood floors creak but two beds face each other one marked as Alice's Her picture is hung beside the other "There is an air of spookiness about the place" Burgoyne said in a chair before the fireplace in Alice's room "The first night that my son and daughter were here my daughter fell Out of bed She was sleeping here in Alice's bed that bed right there She's fairly convinced that Alice was a little bit upset We just kind of joke with her about it" For Burgoyne what may have been his first encounter with Alice's ghost came in late March the first night he spent at the Hermitage He was in a downstairs room next to Willcox's "The very first night that I was here about 3 o'clock in the morning I was laying in my bed sleeping on the left side facing the wall I heard my bathroom door open I heard footsteps come across the floor and I actually felt something bump into my bed I thought it was Clark's daughter trying to wake me I thought that she had found him ill to a point where she thought she needed me "I rolled over and didn't find anyone there" That night Burgoyne said he didn't think anything of it He wasn't yet familiar with the story "I mentioned it at the table the next day at noon and Clark and his daughter both mentioned the fact that I could have possibly been visited "I do find it awfully unnerving to have to come up here by myself at night and turn a light out in this room after tourists have been here I've had to come up here a couple times I turn the light out and hit the stairs about as hard as I can go" 1111 East Boulevard 333-6116 A Tradition In Funeral Service Since 1947 Carolyn Dearborn Jim Whittington President President Emeritus I Iankins Whittington and Williants-Dear6om 1111 East Boulevard 333-6116 A Tradition In Funeral Service Since 1947 Carolyn Dearborn Jim Whittington President President Emeritus 1 Mr Jack Bu of 5712 Wallac July 3 1989 at 11 am today at byterian Church member McEwe Charlotte chapel Mr Blanks a ant Tenn wo Jewelry Emporil tired Richmon salesman He wa Army Air Corps Survivors are I sons Jack Blan 'I I Spring Md Thomas Blanks: Beverly Radfo Tenn Mrs Len i 4 ter Mrs Mary I hoa La: eight gi Memorials car gether We Grc Creek Presbyteri 1- Steele Creek Rd 28217 Mr Jody Bu i Sara Dr died Charlotte Memo' neral is 2 pm Grove AME Zic ville where he Burial will be the 4 t- Visitation is 7 Beasley Funeral 0 Mr Burris a tree SC was a Park and Recrea 1 employee Survivors are I Jones of Connor( Blanche Flake 's Kay Dailey brot of Pineville sis Davidson Mrs 5 of Pineville Mrs 0 Anna Perry nir 11 great-grandch 0 The body will church from non the service 4- l' Mrs Pearl 4009 Craig Ave i 4 at Sharon Villagi it 4 ::4 114t4 4 Si ii Ai St Ili 4 It PPS trfi 's v'' a 1'0 i 4 4 Mrs Carroll Union County Sc thea Dix School was a charter met United Methodis member of Un Women Survivors are 1 Carroll of Old Fru Elaine McDaniel 4's Wrape sisters 4 Kannapolis IV I Parker of Wing 0- Long 16 grandch Mrs Willie of 1740 Newland 1989 at Charlott )440 Mrs Cathey charge Mrs Cathey County native worker Survivors are seph son Price Ohio daughter son mother brothers Johnny Barnette sisters lace Mrs Ida children eight dren The body will church from 1 pr the service Mrs Leola 75 of 408 Cherr 1989 at home i Thursday at AME Zion Chun in Rocky Brand cemetery Lancas Visitation is 7 to church Clemons Rock Hill is in cl Mrs Horton Lancaster Count: Hill Baptist Chu' caster County scl ing to Charlotte Tabernacle AME sang in the choir Survivors are Evans of Pagelg daughter Mrs five grandchildre Mr Max Gri I Huntersville died Oakbrook Nursin merville SC Fu Thursday at Mn McConnell Funel ersville Burial wi ville Presbyterial tery Visitation i night Mr Kerns County native re' ern Engineering member of Hunt rian Church cemi can Legion Post Is World War II An Survivors are Helen Clark of SC nephews an Memorials ea Huntersville Pres building fund Huntersville N0 Mr Jack of 5712 Wallace July 3 1989 at 11 am today at Church member Mc Ewen Charlotte chapel Mr Blanks a Tenn Jewelry Emporium Richmond salesman He was Army Air Corps Survivors are sons Jack Blanks Spring Md Thomas Blanks: Beverly Radford Tenn Mrs Lenore ter Mrs Mary I hoa La: eight Memorials can We Grow Creek Presbyterian Steele Creek Rd 28217 1 Mr Jody i Sara Dr died Charlotte Memorial is 2 pm Grove AME Zion ville where he Burial will be the Visitation is 7 Beasley Funeral Mr Burris a tree SC was a Park and Recreation employee Survivors are Jones of Concord Blanche Flake Kay Dailey brother of Pineville Davidson Mrs of Pineville Mrs Anna Perry nine 11 great-grandchildren The body will church from noon i the service 4- Mrs Pearl 4009 Craig Ave 4 at Sharon Village ---mk 4 144 7- I '1-' 104 4 :4: (44'' :4 4 V'It 4 A 11 1 It 641 7 's V'' 4 1 Vto 4 1' Mrs Carroll I Union County thea Dix School was a charter United Methodist member of Women Survivors are 1 Carroll of Old Fort Elaine McDaniel 4 Wrape sisters Kannapolis Parker of Wingate 0- Long 16 grandchildren Mrs Willie of 1740 Newland 1989 at Charlotte i (f )4 10A 14 1---- et 'is 41Yorl Mrs Cathey charge Mrs Cathey County native worker Survivors are son Price Ohio daughter mother Mrs brothers Johnny Barnette sisters Mrs Ida eight The body will church from 1 pm the service Mrs Leola 75 of 408 Cherry 1989 at home Thursday at AME Zion Church in Rocky Branch cemetery Lancaster Visitation is 7 to church Clemons Rock Hill is in Mrs Horton Lancaster County Hill Baptist Church County to Charlotte Tabernacle AME sang in the choir Survivors are Evans of Pageland daughter Mrs five grandchildren Mr Max Grier Huntersville died Oakbrook Nursing SC Thursday at McConnell Funeral Burial will Presbyterian Visitation Mr Kerns County native Engineering member of Church Legion Post World War II Survivors are Helen Clark of SC nephews and Memorials can Huntersville building fund Huntersville NC Mrs Pauline Wallace Stiremalt 79 of Asbury Care Center died July 4 1989 at Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte Funeral is 3 pm Thursday at Linn-Honeycutt Funeral Home China Grove Burial will be in West lawn Memorial Park Visitation is 7 to 8:30 tonight Mrs Stirewalt a China Grove native was a textile retiree and a member of First United Methodist Church in China Grove She was a member of Manic Eller Circle and the ladies' Bible class She also was a Veterans Center volunteer and had attended China Grove schools Survivors are her son John Stirewalt of Lexington NC daughter Mrs Peggy Wangler of Maitland Fla brother Carl Wallace of China Grove sisters Mrs Gertrude Steele of Greensboro Mrs Sadie Brown of Norwood Mrs Catherine Wagner of Kannapolis: three grandchildren Memorials can be made to First United Methodist Church West Church Street China Grove NC 28023 Mr Emmett Leo Tweed 90 of I I 825 Bain School Rd died July 3 1989 at The Oaks nursing -4 home in Hunt- ersville Funeral A is II am Thursday at the 1 chapel of Phila- delphia Presby'' 4 terian Church i Mint Hill where he was a member Burial will be it''''' in Sun me set Memory Mr Tweed Gardens Visitation is 7 to 8:30 tonight at McEwen Funeral Home Mint Hill chapel Mr Tweed a Madison County native was a retired tobacco farmer a retired teacher and a retired plumber He was the oldest member of his church Survivors are his wife Elva of Huntersville sons Robert Tweed of Hogansville Ga Richard Tweed of Matthews William Tweed of Mint Hill daughters Mrs Shirley Hough of Rockford Ill Mrs Louise Parris brother Albert Tweed of Asheville sisters Mrs Hattie Teague of Marshall Mrs Nettie Beaver of Midland Mrs Ann Bigham of Mint Hill half brothers McDonald Tweed of Virginia Beach Va Dan Tweed of Mint Hill 18 grandchildren 15 great-grandchildren Memorials can be made to Philadelphia Presbyterian Church Mint Hill NC 28212 Mrs Peggy Ruth Watson 56 of 2909 1-85 Service Rd died July 2 1989 at Charlotte Memorial Hospital Memorial service is 12:30 pm Thursday at McEwen Funeral Home Charlotte chapel Mrs Watson a Franklin County native was a motel desk clerk Survivors are her daughters Mrs Sherry Hudson Mrs Elaine Skeels both of Jacksonville Beach Fla Mrs Teresa Evans Mrs Deborah Johnson both of Raleigh Mrs Susan Hudson of Anaheim Calif mother Mrs Eva Adco*ck brothers James Franklin of Memphis Keith Franklin of Atlanta Robert Franklin of Indian Trail sister Miss Betty Franklin Mr Freddie Edward McClellan 48 of 1723 Cummings Ave Apartment 2 died June 29 1989 at home Funeral is 1 pm Thursday at Grier Funeral Home Burial will be in Beanies Ford Memorial Gardens Visitation is 7 to 8 tonight at Grier Mr McClellan was a native of Dillon SC and worked for Crowder Construction Co for 12 years Survivors are his wife Margaret son Freddie McClellan daughter Miss Tamara McClellan brother Garfield McClellan of Dillon sister Miss Kathleen McClellan of Dillon Mrs Kathryn Nixon McGinnis 75 of Belmont died July 3 1989 at Gaston Memorial Hospital in 4 nia Funeral is --t 11 am Friday ck Thir at Hankins "4A Whittington 1 l' ill born Funeral Home Burial will be in Berry- 44 '-I 1 hill Baptist Church ceme- 3174 tery Visitation Mrs McGinnis is 7 to 9 pm Thursday Mrs McGinnis a Charlotte native was a retired licensed practical nurse and had done private-duty nursing She attended Gastonia Seventh-day Adventist Church Survivors are her son Ernest Payne of Belmont brothers Kay Nixon of Belmont Troye Nixon sisters Mrs Margaret Brown of Belmont six grandchildren: 10 great-grandchildren Memorials can be made to American Heart Association 1300 Baxter St Suite 101 Charlotte NC 28204 or to American Lung Association 5315 Greenbrook Dr Charlotte NC 28205 Mrs Edith Polk 69 of Route 1 Box 892 Indian Trail died July I 1989 at home Funeral is 2 pm today at Lakeland Memorial Park Monroe McEwen Funeral Home of Monroe is in charge Mrs Polk was a retired Meadowview Steak House waitress and a Greene County native Survivors are her sister Mrs Emma Sturgis of Kannapolis half sister Mrs Virginia Bogey of Burrow Blanks 70 Neal Rd died home Funeral is Steele Creek Presbyterian where he was a Funeral Home is in charge native of Trezevant worked for Perry's and was a retired Brothers Co a World War veteran his wife Marine Jr of Silver Philip Blanks daughters Mrs of Bartlett Berryhill sis Kent of Tangipa- grandchildren be made to Together fund Steele Church 7407 Charlotte NC Burris 73 of 4008 June 30 1989 at Hospital Funeral Thursday at China Church Pine was a member church cemetery to 8 tonight at Home native of Kings former Charlotte Department his son Richard daughters Mrs of Concord Mrs Moses Burris sisters Mrs Rosie Sarah Cloud both Marie Fair Mrs grandchildren lie in state at the Thursday until Carroll 91 of died July 4 1989 Nursing Home Funeral is 2 pm today at Wilson Funeral Home Burial will be in Sharon Memo- rial Park talon is follow- ing the burial Mrs Carroll a Union County native was a homemaker and had attended schools and Dow of Nursing She member of St John's Church and a United Methodist her son Charles daughter Mrs brother Hoyle Mrs Pat Moore of Mrs Katherine Mrs Ruth Mae Cathey 59 Rd died July 2 Memorial Hos- pita Funeral is 2 pm Thurs day at Friend- ship Baptist Church where she was a mem- her Burial will be in York Me- mortal Park Visitation is 7 to 8 tonight at the church Beasley Funeral Home is in a Mecklenburg had been a textile her husband Joseph Cathey of Dayton Mrs Mary Wilson Mary Grier Barnette Samuel Mrs Ella Wallace Rivers 14 grandchildren great-grandchildren lie in state at the Thursday until Massey Horton St died July 1 Funeral is 1 pm Myers Tabernacle Burial will be Baptist Church County SC 9 tonight at the Funeral Home of charge born and raised in attended Sand and the Lancaster schools After moving she joined Myers Zion Church and her stepson Bruce SC foster Stephany Jones Kerns 67 of July 4 1989 at Home in Summerville Funeral is 11 am Almond Raymer Home Huntersville be in Huntersville Church cemetery is 7 to 8:30 tonight a Mecklenburg retired from Southern Co He was a Huntersville Presbyterian cemetery and American No 321 He was a Army veteran his sister Mrs Moncks Corner nieces be made to Presbyterian Church PO Box 313 28078 By DAVID HILL knight-UMW Nowspapors MURRELLS INLET SC For 150 years the Hermitage has stood watch over Murrells Inlet from its early rice-plantation beginnings until today when traffic pours through daily on the restaurant-lined highway The fate of the picturesque white house with its wide front porch and veil of lush cedar trees however was in doubt when its longtime owner Clarke Willcox died June 12 at 93 For decades Willcox had welcomed tourists and locals into his home on Friday and Saturday afternoons to hear his tales and to go up to Alice's room where the ghost of a young heartbroken girl Is said to dwell But now it appears the Hermitage and its 8 acres will remain open and cared for and that its tales will still be told Willcox's four surviving daughters have agreed to let Bob Burgoyne taken on this spring to aid their father in his ill health become the live-in caretaker storyteller and tour guide "I count myself very privileged to live here" said Burgoyne now living at the Hermitage with his wife Sheila: I3-year-old son Jason and 9-year-old daughter Julia Burgoyne 40 had been living in Aynor working as an aide for the elderly When Willcox's health began to fail Burgoyne was hired in March to move into the house and to care for him "He wanted to die in the Hermitage" Burgoyne said "His mother and father they passed here and of course Alice passed here and a lot of the Flagg family members passed away here" Upon Willcox's death his family was unsure what would happen to the Hermitage No immediate family members live nearby: Willcox's daughters include Rose Cogswell and Mary Moore Phillips of Houston Norma Bradley of Albuquerque and Barbara Thomas of Columbia Burgoyne was invited to move himself and his family in to become caretakers "The main thing is in a nutshell it will continue as it is" Thomas said "Bob and his family are going to carry on and keep things the way Daddy would have wanted them and that's the important thing" Because of the distances between them the daughters have not made permanent plans for the Hermitage Thomas said The house which offers a view of the Murrells Inlet marsh and Garden City Point is on the National Register of Historic Places It almost had been decided before Willcox died that the tours would be stopped Burgoyne said "But I had spent so much time with Clark while he was giving Ron McNair Memorial Being Planned Associated Press LAKE CITY SC Residents of Ron McNair's hometown hope to raise $300000 during the next three years to build a memorial to the Challenger astronaut McNair was one of seven as- tronauts killed in the January 1986 explosion of the space $4 tot shuttle He was 35 An official fund ra ising campaign began Monday Although a site has not been de- McNair cided organizers of the Ronald McNair Memorial and Scholarship Campaign said they hope to build the park on the Lake City boulevard named for the astronaut McNair is buried in Lake City Organizers said the park will feature a life-size bronze statue of the astronaut in front of a wall containing a model of the space shuttle The wall will be inscribed with quotations from speeches McNair made after his first space mission in February 1984 "I think it's a great idea" said Cheryl McNair his widow "I'm sure Ron would be very honored to know the people of his hometown of his state and of the nation want to erect this in his memory" Cheryl McNair who lives in Houston with the couple's two sons was in Lake City on Monday for the kickoff McNair graduated from NC State University in 1971 and went on to earn a doctorate in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology He was one of the first blacks selected for the NASA space program Members of McNair's family say he had planned to leave the space program after the Challenger mission and had considered joining the faculty at the University of South Carolina Some of the money raised by the town will establish a memorial scholarship said James Hyman superintendent of Florence County School District 3 Mayor RL co*ckfield said the scholarship would be awarded to students showing the kind of promise McNair did Mrs Vera Louise Whisnant Little 70 of Charlotte died July 3 1989 at Presbyterian Hospital Funeral is 11 am Thursday at Mc Ewen Funeral Home Charlotte chapel Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery Visitation is 7 to 9 tonight Mrs Little a native of Clover SC was a retired photographer for Jones-Presnell Studios Survivors are her daughters Mrs Judith Cook of Mooresville Mrs Carolyn Hathco*ck brothers Whisnant George Whisnant sister Mrs Madeline Cline of Ocala Fla half brother Harry Whisnant of Fayetteville half sister Mrs Kay Whisnant stepmother Mrs Addle Whisnant: three grandchildren four great-grandchildren three step-grandchildren Memorials can be made to Hickory Grove United Methodist Church building fund 6301 Hick ory Grove Rd Charlotte NC 28215 The family will be at Mrs Hathco*ck's home 8815 Robinson Church Rd The following obituaries were incomplete: Mrs Catherine Vera Holland 66 of 2008 Mecklenburg Ave died July 4 1989 at Mercy Hospital Mc Ewen Funeral Home Charlotte chapel is in charge Mr Kermit Smith 75 of 1801 Rice Planters Rd died July 4 1989 at Presbyterian Hospital Hankins Whittington Williams-Dearborn Funeral Home is in charge North Carolina ABERDEEN Mrs Mary Williams Barefield 74 ALBEMARLE Mrs Nancy "Nola" Morton Cur lee Mr Walter Smith Poplin 67 BESSEMER CITY Mrs Eloise Ballard Nob lett BISCOE Mrs Connie Medlin Maness 76 BLOWING ROCK Mr Roby Clint Coffey 69 CHINA GROVE Mr Basil Bernard Deal 65 CONNELLY SPRINGS Mrs Eva Amelia Hood Smith 85 CROUSE Mrs Connie Louise Stipe 87 FOREST CITY Mrs Minnie McDaniel 95 GASTONIA Mr Elbert Noah Ashe 89 GRANITE FALLS Mrs Regena Cozart Le Fevers 69 HICKORY Mr James Robert Holsclaw 80 HILDEBRAN Mr Virgil Paul Mosteller Jr 45 KINGS MOUNTAIN Mrs Mary "Peggy" Stone Adams 71 Mr Fred Davis 69 LENOIR Mrs Elsie Daire Townsend 80 LINCOLNTON Bishop Willy Louis Cunningham 69 MONROE Mr Albert Steve Gordon 83 Mrs Mary Craig Jarmon 75 MOORESVILLE Mrs Minnie Lee Miller Hembree Mr William Duke Peeples MORGANTON Mr Marion Ray Orr 44 NEWTON Mr Robert Lewis Wilson 51 NORTH WILKESBORO Mr Sibley Lee Turner 73 ROCKINGHAM Mr Roger Morrison Riggan Jr 60 Mr Shirrell Short 24 SALISBURY Mrs Elma Jacobs Gardner 85 SHELBY Mr Joe Allen Teasley 69 SPINDALE Mrs Annie Mae McDaniel 88 Mrs Florence Seubert Winker 82 STATESVILLE Mr Hunter Dewitt Black 65 Mrs Cal lie Dishman 56 Mrs Hazel Winnie Hall 82 Mrs Elizabeth Holler Pipkin 82 Miss Laura Grace Mills 67 WADESBORO Mr Floyd Dennis Dotson 45 ISouth Carolina I CHESTER Mrs Catherine Grace Smith Far low 50 Mrs Ola Roof Holt 89 CHESTERFIELD Mrs Sarah "Sally" Gulledge Lee 92 HICKORY GROVE Miss Maggie Bell Castles LANCASTER Mr William Marr Coleman 63 Mr Daniel Rodgers Faulkenberry 75 Mr Bunyan Stevenson Threatt 73 ORANGEBURG Mrs Juanita Brown Dellinger 85 ROCK HILL Mrs Eura Phillips Carter SPARTANBURG Mr Leonard Elwood Lee 70 YORK Mr Robert Miller Gilfillan 61 imm Q-- A 4t' a- rin Atg ir 0 td "WEE UNC-Charlotte is offering a Newspaper In Education graduate course this summer Teachers taking the course will receive three hours of credit toward a graduate or undergraduate degree three hours of certificate renewal credit or continuing education credit The course will be held weekdays 8:45 am to 1:30 pm Monday July 17 through Friday July 28 at The Charlotte Observer building 600 Tryon St Charlotte The cost: $12450 The program is designed to provide teachers with background and methodology in using the newspaper as a teaching tool FOR MORE INFORMATION: Phone Carolyn Thomae Observer Educational Services Coordinator 379-6730 toll-free NC 1-800-432-6010 SC 1-800-532-5351 (ext 6730) sate narlotte Observer.

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