Hallie May Davis Owensby Hallie May Davis Owensby, 82, of Kannapolis, N.C., died Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2002 at NorthEast Medical Center, Concord, N.C., after seven months of declining health. A funeral service was held at 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 18 from Whitley's Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Curtis Parker and Keith Allen officiating. Burial followed in Carolina Memorial Park. Born in Chesterfield County, Mrs. Owensby was a daughter of the late Weldon and Matilda Hurst Davis. She was a graduate of Chesterfield High School and was employed with Cannon Mills Co. Plant 31 as a warp counter for over 40 years. She was a member of Memorial United Methodist Church. Surviving are two daughters, Sharon (Leonard) Wingler and Brenda (Curtis V.) Wood Sr., all of Kannapolis, N.C.; seven grandchildren, Kelly E. (Billy) Ledbetter, Donna (Danny) Robie, Tracy (Wayne) Tyson, Michael (Sheri) Wingler, Brian (Michele) Wingler, Curtis V. (Catherine) Wood Jr., and Kevin (April) Wingler; 10 great- grandchildren, Meredith Miller, Ashley Tyson, David Tyson, Blake Wingler, Joshua Wingler, Matthew Robie, Brantlee Wingler, Brenden Tyson, Keethen L. Wood and Justin Wingler; one great-great-granddaughter, Madison Miller; and a number of nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by two brothers, Weldon L. Davis and Bert C. Davis. Whitley's Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Willie Rogers Ratliff Willie Rogers Ratliff, 77, of Cheraw, died Friday, Jan. 11, 2002 at Chesterfield Convalescent Center in Cheraw. A funeral service was held at 3 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 17 from Bethel United Methodist Church. Born in Richmond County, N.C., Mr. Ratliff was a son of the late Henry and Annie Kay Ratliff. Surviving are his wife, Gladys M. Ratliff of the home; three sons, Robert (Rebecca) McKay of Charlotte, N.C., William (Kathy) Ratliff of Wallace, and James E. Ratliff of the home; seven daughters, Dora (John Henry) Dockery of Wallace, Annie M. Davis of Warner Robins, Ga., Olivia Johnson and Mary E. Ratliff of Cheraw, Bobbie Jean Ratliff and Shirley Ann Ratliff of Wallace, Betty A. Coit of Bronx, N.Y., and Holly Short of Trenton, N.J.; 28 grandchildren; 36 great-grandchildren; two great-great- grandchildren; and a host of other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by a child, one brother, and two sisters, Grooms Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ John W. Sowell John W. Sowell, 77, of Pageland, died Sunday, Jan. 20, 2002 in Pageland. A funeral service was held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 22 from Pageland United Methodist Church. Burial followed in Rose Hill Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Pageland United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 25, Pageland, S.C. 29728. Born in Pageland, Mr. Sowell was a son of the late Henry B. and Jessie Blakeney Sowell. He had been Treasurer of Chesterfield County since 1976. He was a member of Pageland United Methodist Church, a Mason, a WWII Navy veteran, and former Business Administrator of The Chesterfield County Hospital for 16 years. Surviving are a son, John W. Sowell Jr. of Pageland; a daughter, Libby (Donnie) Benton of Pageland; a brother, Reece Sowell of Pageland; four sisters, Pearl S. Arant and Rachel S. Carraway both of Pageland, Elsie S. Graham of Newberry and Kathleen Huey of Columbia; and two grandchildren, Clay and Beth Benton. He was preceded in death in 1981 by his wife, Dorothy. Sutton Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Raymond Russell Blakeney Raymond Russell Blakeney, 41, died Monday, Jan. 14, 2002 at Union Regional Medical Center, Monroe, N.C. A funeral service was held at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 18 from Rose Hill Baptist Church. Burial followed in the church cemetery. Born in Chesterfield County, Mr. Blakeney was a son of Mavis Blakeney and the late Hazel Blakeney. He graduated in 1978 from Central High School and was a member of Rose Hill Missionary Baptist Church. He was employed with Springs Industries of Lancaster and later by Bloomsburg Mills of Monroe, N.C. Surviving are his mother of Pageland; five brothers, James W. (Pearlie) Blakeney, Randolph (Hollis) Blakeney, George (Barbara) Blakeney of Pageland, and Lannie Blakeney of Monroe, N.C.; five sisters, Delores Baker, Willie Mae (James) Threatt, Dallas (James) McCain, Nettie (Carson) Threatt and Maggie (Gene) Funderburk, all of Pageland; and a number of other relatives and friends. Flemming Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Carolyn Miller Kempson Carolyn Miller Kempson, 42, of Charlotte, N.C., died Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2002 at her home. A funeral service was held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19 from St. James A.M.E. Zion Church in Chesterfield. Born in Charlotte, N.C., Mrs. Kempson was a daughter of Mary Watson Bittle and the late Lonnie Miller Sr. She was a member of Mission Church of the Lord Jesus Christ and had attended the public schools of Chesterfield County. She had been employed with several nursing homes as a dietitian and was currently employed with Spratts in Charlotte, N.C. Surviving are her husband of two years, John Darrell Kempson; a stepson, John Darrell Kempson Jr.; a stepdaughter, Jessica Denise Kempson; her mother; her stepfather, Thurmond Bittle; four brothers, Lonnie Miller Jr., Eldred Miller, Larry Miller and Dennis Bernard Miller; a stepbrother, Demetrius Bittle; six sisters, Lonnette Cox, Patricia Ann Miller, Mary Louise Barringer, Sadie Denise Ratliff, Earlene Miller and Charlene Jones; a stepsister, Dana Messingberg; three brothers-in-law, Freddie Cox, Samuel W. Barringer and Harvey Lavern Ratliff; four sisters-in-law, Cassandra Miller, Judy Miller, Sabrina Kempson and Tamy Kempson; nine uncles, 12 aunts; and a host of other relatives and friends. Flemming Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.