IN AND AROUND
ROCKY MOUNT
By R. 0. Armstrong
. Funeral services for James ERastus Batts, principal of
Phillips School in Edgecombe County, was conducted from
the Mt. Zion First Baptist Church here Saturday afternoon
with Rev. George W. Dudley, pastor, of the church officiating.
The deceased was a native of Rocky Mount and received his
early education here and received his Bachelor of Science de
gree from North Carolina Central University in Durham.
The Master of Arts degree was awarded to him from Howard
University in Washington, D. C. Batts did further study at
Tuskegee Institute in ' Alabama.
The Rocky Mount educator participated in World War II
serving in the European Theatre and took part in the "Battle
of the Bulge".
He became principal of Phillips High School in 1959 after
having coached at Pattillo High School in Tarboro prior to
entering the armed services.
During the eulogy here Saturday afternoon, Batts was
described as a progressive leader, and a distinguished educator
and administrator. He was affectionately known by his
friends and those in the field of education as "Ras" Batts.
Interment was in Northeastern Cemetery here.
Survivors are his wife, Mn. Temple Braswell Batts, of the
home in Tarboro; one daughter, Mrs. Ann Batts Sye, Virginia
Beach, Va.; two brothers, Roscoe of Rocky Mount and Bennie
of Scarsdale,N. Y.; three sisters, Mrs. Mary Bennett, Mrs.
Queen Paige and Mrs. Dollie Sanders all of New York City
and one uncle, Allen Harrison.
Miss Pattricia D. Tillery of Scotland Neck, was crowned
"Miss Taugadetta of 75" at he eighth annual Taugadetta held
here last Friday night in the OIC Auditorium. The annual
event was sponsored by Chi Chapter of Tau Gamma Delta
Sorority.
The title of the program each year is "The Lady In Pink".
Fourteen young ladies from area schools participated. The
first runner up to the title holder was Miss Doris Taylor of
Whitakers. Her parents are Mr. and Mrs. James Taylor of
Whitakers and the second runner up was Miss Natalie
Denise Whitehead of Rocky Mount, daughter of Officer and
Mrs. Frank Whitehead. Others participating in the colorful
event were Misses Adriene Bryant Ruby Cherry, Delores
Cooley, Kietha D. Lawrence, Cynthia McKnight, Shelia
Perry, Tora Phillips, Jacqueline Phillips, Linda Richardson,
Mary Scott, and Sheri D. Vines.
The officers of Chi Chapter are Mrs. Bessie B. Dancy,
basileus; Mrs. Celopatra Pittman, First Anti-Basileus;
Mrs. Juliaette Nelson, Second Anti-Basileus; Mrs. Dorothy
Pope, Grammeateus; Mrs. Bertha Joyner, Epistaleus; Mrs.
Lelia Macklin, Tamiochus, Mrs. Dozella Bullock, Chaplain;
Mrs. Doretha Walston, Dean of Pledges and Mrs. Liana Joyner,
Parliamentarian. In addition to the officers there are
seventeen members in the chapter.
The observance of Black Business and Professional Week
here scheduled for May 2-8 has been changed and will be
held during the last week of May, it was announced.
A prominent speaker will deliver the principle address
at a banquet which will be the culminating event during
the week-long -observance. The name of the speaker was
not revealed by the spokesman, but it was learned efforts
are being made to engage former Chapel Hill Mayor Howard
Lee to appear. A number of outstanding events relative to
black businesses in this area will be included in the programs
during the week.
Mrs. Hat tie B. Jordan, prominent local beautician and head
of the Rocky Mount Center of Edgecombe Technical Institute
cosmetology department, was named Queen of the North
Carolina Cosmetologists Association during the Association's
annual meeting in Wilmington, last week.
Mrs.Jordan represented Chapter 21 of the local Beauticians
Club several weeks ago when she was crowned Queen of
Chapter 21 and was named "The Beautician of the Year."
Mrs. Jordan will represent North Carolina at the National
Convention this summer in Nassau, Bahamas. If successful
there she will receive an all-expense paid trip to Paris, France.
The clean-up project initiated several months ago at Unity
Cemetery here continued to claim the attention of City
Officials last week when City Manager Cyrus Brooks had a
reply from Congressman L. II. Fountain in regard to federal
aid to get the job done.
Brooks had made contact with Congressman Fountain
several weeks ago while he was visiting Rocky Mount for
the dedication of Tri-County Industries. In his reply,
Congressman Fountain, pointed out as far as he could
ascertain, there were no funds available for such projects,
but lie would continue his efforts to help Rocky Mount
with a bad situation.
Unity Cemetery is a privately owned burying site
for blacks here. The City operates and maintains the
Northeastern Cemetery, but does not provide for the
upkeep of the privately operated Unity area.
Nobody knows who is responsible for anything and
because of that situation, the area has become an "eye
sore" and a possible crime area.
During a recent study by City Engineers it was
estimated it would take approximately $100,000 to
get the job done. The City Attorney has ruled the
site cannot be declared an abandoned cemetery because
burials still take place there, plus the fact, many of Rocky
Mount's older citizens are buried there.
Many of them keep their plots in good condition,
but there are many who could care less. It is a bad
situation any way you look at it and the only
remedy in sight now is some help from the federal
government through Congressman's efforts.
Miss Ozella Hudson was named "Miss U. N. A. A."
(Universal Negro Improvement Association) during
a recent pageant staged here in the OIC Auditorium.
Miss Hudson is the fourteen year old daughter of
Mrs. Susan Hudson of Rocky Mount and Ozell Hudson of
Spring Lake. The first runner up in the pageant was Miss
Lucretia Whitehead of Tarboro. She is the daughter of
Mrs. Selesta Whitehead. The second runner up was Miss
Venus Joyner, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Joyner
of Elm City. The third position went to Miss Robin
Armston of Battleboro. Her mother is Mrs. Linwood
Armston.
A young Rocky Mount Man, Henry Williams, presented
part of his graduate study research findings at the annual
meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in Atlantic
City, N. J. Tuesday, May 4.
Members of the society include last year's Nobel Prize
Laureate in the field of physiology and medicine..
Williams' presentation dealt with the recovery of a unique
SAT., MAY 9, 1978 THS CAROLINA TWgS-fl
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"GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD" - Ttw pemta play which wDI bt presented at Whltt Rock
Baptist Church, Sunday, May 23, 8:00 p.m. under the direction of W. F. Shelly, assisted by John
H. Gattis, organist; Mrs. Luvenia Parker, pianist and Mrs. Virginia Alston, narrator. This is a scene
from the IV. F. Shelly production.
WRITERS FORUM
I By George B. Russ
Nature has set the mother
upon such a pinnacle, that our
infant eyes are first uplifted to
it; we cling to it in manhood;
we almost worship it in old
age.
The mother-image of other
generations have taken on a
different aspect in this
industrial-age of liberation, but
the basics of motherhood
remain unchanged. She
remains the "Divinity of
Infancy." Her smile is the
sunshine, her words the
mildest law of childhood, no
matter how goes the tidal-wave
in the affairs of men when her
loving care is no longer desired.
Mothers constitute the only
universal agent of civilization.
Nature has placed in her hands
both infancy and youth. The
vital interest of America hangs
largely upon the influence of
mothers. One says "largely"
because one would not fail to
given proper credit to other
influences. The public schools
are the great assimilative force
of the nation. But even back of
the public' scfidols s the
mother's influence. The
mother takes man's whole
nature under her control. So
intense is the power of
motherhood that the mere
rememberance of a praying
mother's hand laid on the head
of infancy, has held back many
a son from guilty acts when
passion had grown strong. The
often times scoffed truism
"the hand that rocks the cradle
rules the world" expresses the
feeling of universal human
nature. Therefore, it is no
wonder that Mother's Day is
one of the most
widely-accepted observance to
man king that we have.
Writers Forum has selected
a wonderful person as its
mother-of-the-year: Mrs. Annie
C. Smith.
Mrs. Annie Carlton Smith,
the wife of Howard Smith,
resides happily at 1019
Chanticleer Drive. A tine
upstanding Christian women
who firmly believes that the
'heart and hearth" revolves
around the father-image. Her
Funeral services were
held Sunday, May 2 for Mrs.
Mildred Jenkins at the Geth
semane Baptist Church, with
Rev. V. E. Brown, officiating.
Mrs. Jenkins, the
daughter of the late Evander
and Lula Carter was born
August 4, 1913. She joined
Gethsemane early in life.
She is survived by five
sons: William Jenkins, Leon
McClary of Durham, Joseph
Lett, Evander Lett, David
Lett, of New York; two
daughters, Mrs. Louise
Craig of Durham and Mrs.
Marie Hannah of Mebane;
one brother, Raymond
Carter of Wueene, N. Y.,
twenty-one grandchildren
and thirteen great-grandchildren.
Burial was in the
Beechwood Cemetery.
Courtesy of Scar
borough and Hargett
Memorial Chapel and Gardens.
great spirit and robust energy
is equal to her mildness of
temperament and patience;
MRS. ANNIE C. SMITH
honesty is her greate character
preponderant. Second however
to her love and care for her
family. Her immediate family
is small in number, therefore,
each member shares a
double -portion of giant size
love and tender-loving care
from ''mama " or
' drammama." Mrs. Smith has
one son, Wayne; two
grandsons, Melvin and Brian;
and, last, but decidely hot
least, is Matricia, her
daughter-in-law, whom she
loves dearly.
The Smith family, all three
generations are active members
at Northeast Baptist Church.
Aside from a busy schedule of
efficient home management
which includes caring for
"papa's many farm
pets: "sheep, cows, pigs 'n
hogs; chickens, turkeys, ducks;
up-dating the deep-freezer,
smoke house and larder, Mrs.
Smith sings with the Northeast
Senior Choir; teacher of a
Primary Class in the Sunday
School Department; presently,
the church's official announcer
and services the Bullentin
Board regularly, she performs
her duties as deaconess.
The Carltons, Annie's
paternal-family, have been
actively involved in the
Northeast Baptist Church
affairs all of their lives. Now
the Smiths are making their
presence felt through
consistent, feverent services to
the church.
Annie, her three brothers
and three sisters, grew up in
the Oak Grove township. Here,
Annie attended the County
public schools; Union, Pearson.
She graduated from Hillside
High School. She graduated
from high school a much wiser
young woman, the winner of
two medallions; one in
Mathematics, the other in
English, but she had no wish to
go to college. So, finding a job
was place fust on her agenda.
With her usual business
acumen, Annie shopped
around for a job, but jobs were
hard to come by in those days
therefore she accepted a job as
maid at F. W. Woolworth, The
East Main Street Store, Here,
she applied her knowledge of
housekeeping to being a good
department store maid. Within
a few months, she was
transferred to the Lunch
Counter.
While working on the
Lunch Counter, she made the"
acquaintanceship of the tall,
dark, handsome bus-boy,
Howard Smith. If it was love at
first sight, one isn't sure,
however, he didn't carry her
lunch tray for very long: The
tinkle of wedding bells inside
Annie's pretty head made her
eyes sparkle and add a certain
glamour to her work. And
within a few months, Annie
and Howard were married.
Mrs. Smith accepted the
responsibilites with her usual
brisk businesslike apolmb. And
when the time arrived, she
took a leave of absence and
gave birth to a fine, bouncing
boy, Wayne, who is now a fine
young man, employed by the
city of Durham as an engineer.
When she returned to work,
Mrs. Annie C. Smith began
where she had left off, this
time with deep seated plans to
do her best to forge ahead at
top speed. Her reasons were
obvious, the more help she
gave her spouse, the faster they
could build a home, plan for
Continued On Page 18f
mmmmmmunmm ifiilBwr,rwYn'r iWrtiW
MRS. MILDRED JENKINS
Funeral services for Mrs.
Matilda Lloyd Black were
held at the Saint John Bap
tist Church Tuesday, May
4, with Rev. L. M. Gooch,
pastor, officiating. A native
of Durham Mrs. Black was
born the daughter of the late
Jimmy and Jennie Lloyd,
March 1, 1898, and departed
this life in New York City.
At an early age she
joined the White Rock Bap
tist Church. She was
-married-to John W. Black,
in 1916 and to this union
were bom eight children.
She is survived by
three sons, John and Holland
of Durham, Nathaniel of
Miami, Fla; three daughters
Teresa Hyman of Wyandanch,
Long Island, Ruby Black of
New York City and Dorothy
Corbett, of Atkinson.
Seventeen grandchildren,
twenty great-grand-children.
Burial was in the Glenn
view Memorial Park.
Courtesy of Scarborough
and Hargett Memorial Chap
el and Gardens.
MRS. MATILDA L. BLACK
DAVIS - Funeral ser
vices for Miss Louisa Davis
will be held Saturday at the
Markham Chapel Baptist
Church by the Rev. L. M.
Gooch. Burial will be in
Beechwood C e m etery.
Courtesy of Scarborugh
and Hargett Memorial Chapel
and Gardens.
A POTPOURRI OF RECENT EVENTS
-By George B. Russ
A Mother's Day Special:
May 9, at 5 o'clock, the Union
Baptist Anniversary
Committee will present the
Professor E. C. Council and the
"New Hope Musical Choir" in
a musical extravaganza. This
65 voice choir is made up of 7
church choirs, in the New
Hope Association, and has as
many directors plus a charming
pianist, Mrs. Etta C. Couch.
The gracious Mrs. Couch, is
one of the professorsdaughters.
The New Hope Musical
Convention Choir is different,
but it is one of the finest in its
field and as updated as this
season's shirt colors - the best
of the old and new.
Mrs. Margie C. Laney,
another member of the
Council clan, is at her singing
3
best this busy season for the
New Hope Musical Choir. The
recent Singing Convention,
held at Markham Chapel, was a
bell-ringing success. Sunday,
May 2, was Anniversary time
for the New Hope Musical
Convention Choir. This year
will mark its 78th Birthday.
Additional bows will be
given when this amalgamations
of singers appear at Union
Baptist on May 2. They will
sing your old favorite songs
and new tunes to keep your
feet tapping. Prof. Robert
Laney will be present to sing
his speciality, "Old Time
Religion" and Prof. Lucille
Jones will add her unique
arrangement of "Just Inside
the Gate."
'' 4 r
if
bacterium from coastal sea waters in Maryland. The young
Rocky Mount man is currently on leave from his position at
the University of Maryland to pursue his doctorate degree
in microbiology. Williams is the son of Rev. and Mrs.
Henry Williams, Sr.,of 716 Atlantic Ave., in Rocky
Mount. He and his family live in Severn, Md.
PROF. E. C. COUNCIL
The Seniors Ushers 57th
anniversary celebration was a
huge success. The Senior Board
was all there and . "looking
good." Ms. Irene Hall had
selected winners to sky-rocket
the occasion therefore she left
tire business' of orbiting to the
persons in charge. The Black
Ensemble, under the baton of
LARRY D. BULLOCK
Final rites for Larry
Douglas Bullock were held
Sunday, May 2 at the Red
Mountain Baptist Church
in Rougemont, Rev.
Nealie Harvey, pastor,
officiated.
A native of Durham
Larry was the son of the
late Albert and Vera Bullock.
He was born March 3, 1951.
He departed this life April
29 after having been
wounded while on duty
with the Durham Police
Force.
Survivors include his
Mrs. Brenda Bullock; his
mother, Mrs. Vera Bullock;
three sisters, Mrs. Josephine
Peaks, Bahama, Mrs. Linda
Vanhook, Hampton, Va.,
Mrs. Vercy Harris, Rouge
mont; two brothers, Linwood
and Bennie, Durham, eight
nieces and ten nephews.
Burial was in the Church
cemetery.
Courtesy of Scarborough
and Hargett Memorial Chap
el and Gardens.
REV. ROSA GAINES
Final rites for Rev. Mrs.
Rosa Gaines were held at the
United Holiness Church
Rev. R. L. Walker, officiating.
Rev. Gaines was born in
Commerce, Ga., the daughter
of the late Harrison and
Emma Hunter. In Georgia
she was a member of the
Jonah's Chapel Baptist
Church, later becoming a
member of the New Covenant
Holy Church, where she was
later called into the ministry .
She served her churct
faithfully. She was Mother of
the Church and President oi
the Missionary Department.
She is survived by her
husband, John; one daughter
Linda Gaines, of the home,
one son; Gilbert of Bronx
New York; one sister, Mrs.
Charity Strickland ol
Thomasville; and one grand
child. Burial was in Gleenview
Memorial Park.
Courtesy of ScarDoruiii,
and Hargett Memorial Chap
el and Gardens.
Thanh You!
From Marion I. Williams
1905 S. Roxboro Strait Dirt am, N.C.
To my church, St. Joseph's, members and many, many
friends: You were so kind to me during the passing of my
sister, Mrs. Rebecca Gregory, Freeport, L. I., N. Y., mem
ber and organist of The Church of God. My family wishes
to express their profound gratitude to each of you for your
kindness, condolences and prayers. May God bless each of
you.
Marfan BrrVHtiams and Family.
Ms. Cloyce Lassiter was loaded
with beauty and talent and
Miss Lassiter made it a point oi
seeing to it that the Ensemble
hoaded none of it from its
listening audience. Pianist, Mrs.
Francine R. Cummings;
Organist, Ricky McMillian. The
Mount Zion Baptist Gospel
Chours didn't have Orin Marsh,
pianist, present to accompany
them, but they were at their
singing best as J. G. Bradley
led the group up the gospel
ladder to the stars. Ms. Irene
Hall expressed great joy in
having another program
success to add to her long list
of successes, however, she was
somewhat indifferent to the
praises showered upon her by
wcllwishers. President Claude
H. Walker praised seniors for
their "loyalty to the board"
and their "wondrous
cooperation to its leadership,"
for "achievements at home and
abroad as well-trained, sincere
ushers." Other persons
contributing to the success of
Senior Ushers 57th
Anniversary Celebration were:
David Turner, Rev. Essex
Fields, Mrs. Beatrice McQueen,
Historian, and Mrs. Lee Etta
Braswell, Mrs. Addie Mack,
and the Hospitality
Committee.
Scarborough & Hargett
Memorial Chapels
RIKEIAl DIRECTORS
PHONE 682-1171
"A DIGNIFIED SERVICE IN A SYMPATHETIC WAY'
BURIAL PROTECTOR PLAN
Attend the Church oi Your Choice
306 S. ROXBORO ST.
DURHAM, N. C.
"HVhife Rocfi Baptist m
Church
3400 Fayetteville St.
Durham, N. C.
Rev. Lorenzo A. Lynch, Pastor
SUNDAY
MAY 9, 1976
9:30 A. M. - CHURCH SCHOOL
10:55 A. M. -- WORSHIP - Sermon The Rev. H. P.
Sharper, Pastor, Abyssinian Baptist Church,
Newark, N. J.
The Lady Ushers ushering.
The Senior Choir leading the singing Mr.
John H. Gattis, Organist-Director