Area Obituaries

1930 – 2022      Rachel Ward Gore of Clarendon died Tuesday, May 24, in UNC Health Southeastern, Lumberton. She was 92.      Born in Columbus County, she was the daughter of the late Esmer Elmer and Rachel Aline Ward.      She was the widow of the late William Thomas Gore.      She is survived by one son, Jeff T.…

1976 – 2022      Michael Scott McKeithan of Nakina died Friday, May 20, 2022 in Duke Medical Center, Durham. He was 46.      He was the son of Rev. Henry Vernon McKeithan and Cathy Diane Holbrooks McKeithan.      In addition to his mother, he is survived by one daughter, Ashley Nicole McKeithan of Nakina; two sisters, JoAnn McKeithan Reaves…

1989 – 2022      Courtney Nicole Ward of Loris died Monday, May 23, in the MUSC Medical Center, Charleston. She was 32.      Born June 28, 1989 in Columbus County, she was the daughter of Tammy Cribb Jones and Carson Ward, Sr., both of Loris.      In addition to her parents, she is survived by her husband, Derek…

1945 – 2022      James Edward Coleman of Chadbourn died Monday, May 23, in Regency Hospital of Florence. He was 76.      Born June 26, 1945, he was the son of the late T.C. Coleman and Nolie Woodell Coleman.      He was a veteran of the United States Army.      He is survived by one daughter, Melissa McPherson of…

1949 – 2022      Lloyd Paul Ward of Whiteville died Wednesday, May 18, in the McLeod Seacoast hospital, Little River. He was 73.      Born May 9, 1949 in Columbus County, he was the son of the late Solon Elmore Ward and Sadie Spivey Ward.      He is survived by his wife, Jane Tart Ward of the home;,…

1946 – 2022      Ronald Devon “Ronnie” Williams, Sr. of Chadbourn passed away Friday, May 13, in Columbus County Regional Healthcare. He was 75.      He was born Aug. 7, 1946 in Columbus County, a son of the late Thomas Andrew Williams and Lottie Mae (Mercer) Williams.      Ronnie was an auto mechanic for more than 55 years,…

1957 – 2022      Taunya Starr Lowe Norris of Tabor City passed away on Wednesday, May 11, following injuries sustained in an automobile accident. She was 64.      Taunya was born July 5, 1957, to the late Johnny Thurman and Saundra Amerylis Reavis Lowe. She was also preceded in death by her husband, David Dewey Norris; her daughter,…

1977 – 2022      Teva Maria Norris of Tabor City passed away on Wednesday, May 11, following injuries sustained in an automobile accident. She was 44.      Teva was born May 14, 1977, to the late Dewey David Norris and Taunya Starr Lowe Norris.      She is survived by her loving children, Hannah Norris of Cerro Gordo and…

1928 – 2022      Richard “Dick” Franklin Taylor of Lumberton passed away peacefully of natural causes at this home on May 11, surrounded by his wife and family. He was 94.      Mr. Taylor was born on February 24, 1928, in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. Mr. Taylor, whose father was an insurance executive, moved frequently as a child, ultimately…

1950 – 2022      Samuel Thomas Inman of Leland died Friday, May 6, in Lower Cape Fear LifeCare Center, Wilmington. He was 72.      Born Jan. 10, 1950, in Horry County, he was the son of the late Thomas Varser Inman and Pearl Cox Inman.      He is survived by his wife, Gayle Fowler Inman of the home;…