To whom it may concern: Ralph Eugene Strickland, Msgt. USAF, Ret. Married to Louise Simmons Strickland, passed away January 21, 2002. "Well Done MY Good and Faithful Servant!" Funeral Services will be at Spring Branch Baptist Church, January 24, 2002 with full MILITARY HONORS. Ralph will be laid to rest in the Strickland Family Cemetery on the Strickland Farm on Hwy. 904, Fair Bluff, NC. Meares Funeral Home, Fair Bluff. NC (910) - 649 7920, will be handling visitation, and is located at 795 Main Street, Fair Bluff, North Carolina, Columbus County. Ralph's parents, Gordan (Dan) and Vertie Lee FAIRFAX Strickland are also resting in peace in the Strickland Family Cemetery. Vertie's parents were Jack and Addie Florence HAYES Fairfax, and they are resting in peace in the Powell Cemetery, Fair Bluff, NC, Columbus County. Ralph's FAIRFAX Great-grandparents, Hugh J. and Evelyn Caroline HINSON Fairfax, are resting in peace in the Hammond [ Enzor ] Cemetery on Spring Branch Road, Horry County, South Carolina. Ralph's FAIRFAX GG-grandfather was Pvt. Elias FAIRFAX, 36th Regiment, Artillery, 2nd Company "A", CSA [ Confederate States of America ], 1862 - 1865, Fort Fisher, North Carolina. Ralph's FAIRFAX GGG-grandparents were Elias Needham FAIRFAX, Sr. and Rebecca STRICKLAND Fairfax. Needham was a Private in the War of 1812 in the 3rd Regiment of the Continental Army, North Carolina. Neeham/Nedom FAIRFAX was mentioned as a Cousin in Whitmel JERNIGAN's will of 1793, Bladen County, North Carolina. We believe Needham/Nedom Fairfax's parents were Macaijah FAIRFAX, 1800 Bladen County, NC Census and ukn JERNIGAN Fairfax. Ralph and Louise Strickland welcomed me with major family hospitality whenever I would "show up at their door steps" at their farm in Columbus County, NC looking for ancestral information, since I started researching in 1996. Columbus County, North Carolina has experienced a SIGNIFICANT loss of a "Good ole' Boy" and a great American Citizen and Soldier! SALUTE!!!! Sincerely and Respectfully - Dan Fairfax, 2629 Somerset Drive, Nashville, Tennessee 37217 - [email protected] Copyrights are released for distribution of this information. - dsf. 1/22/2002. =====================================================================