Area Obituaries

    Betty A. Soles Butler of Effingham passed away Wednesday, Nov. 19 at McLeod Hospice House following an illness. She was 79.     Mrs. Butler was born April 7, 1935 in Tabor City, daughter of the late Mr. Solan Soles and the late Mrs. Clyde Duncan Soles.     Mrs. Butler retired as a nurse with…

    Pearl Hardee King of Loris passed away Sunday, Nov. 23, at her home following an illness. She was 80.     Mrs. King was born in Loris, a daughter of the late Robert E. Hardee and the late Leitha Housand Hardee. She was a member of Loris First Baptist Church and was the former owner…

    Nedra Strickland Hardee of Loris entered into eternal rest Friday, Nov. 21. She was 82.     Mrs. Hardee was born Sept. 24, 1932 in Conway, a daughter of the late Carlton F. Strickland and the late Ruby Jane Edwards Strickland. She was a member of Springfield Baptist Church and a homemaker.     Mrs. Hardee…

    Herman Eldridge “Ridge” Ward, known by some as “Pa”, of Nakina, died Thursday, Nov. 20 in the Lower Cape Fear Hospice and Life Care Center in Whiteville. He was 89.     Born March 5, 1925 in Columbus County, he was the son of the late Franklin Cromwell Ward and Janice Owens Ward.     …

    Major Claude P. Hardee, Retired Assistant Chief, Whiteville Police Department, died Thursday, Nov. 20 in his Clarendon home. He was 81.     Born Aug. 17, 1933 in Horry County, he was the son of the late Charles Gleaton Hardee and Ruth Powell Hardee.       In addition to his wife, Eloise Gaskins Hardee, he…

    Elizabeth Smith of Tabor City died Sunday, Nov. 16 at UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill. She was 58.     She was the daughter of Andrew James Sr. and Kirrie Bell Williams James.     She is survived by three sons, Robert Miller, Jamey Miller and Joseph Miller; one daughter, Kissy Miller.     Funeral services were…

    Woodrow Smith of Tabor City died Sunday, Nov. 16 at Columbus Regional Healthcare in Whiteville. He was 67.     Mr. Smith was the son of  Nathan J. Smith and the late Annie M. Smith.     He is survived by one son, Calvin Grate; three brothers, Leon Smith, Milton Smith and Luther Ellis, all of…

    Ernest Hewett died Monday, Nov. 17, 2014 in McLeod Loris hospital. He was 84.     Born Dec. 29, 1929 in New Hanover County, he was the son of the late Henry J. Hewett and Anna Milligan Hewett.     In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Hilda Rodriguez Hewett;…

    Hoyt Deleon Vaught of Loris passed away Friday, Nov. 7 at McLeod Loris hospital following an illness. He was 86.     Mr. Vaught was born Feb. 23, 1928 in Loris, son of Mr. Edgar Leffel Vaught and Mrs. Martha Ada Little Vaught.     Mr. Vaught served his country with courage and honor in the…