Marvin Stephens

Marvin J. Stephens died Friday, June 8, 2018 in Cape Fear Valley Medical Center at the age of 58.
He was born September 22, 1959 to Belton and Lucy Stephens of Rockfish.
In addition to his parents he is preceded in death by a brother, William Stephens.
Survivors include a brother, Vernon Stevens and his wife Cindy, a sister, Wanda Sue Williams and her husband, Roger, all of Raeford; and his extended family, Carl Taylor and sons Wayne and James. 
A Memorial Service will be announced at a later date.
Online condolences may be made at www.crumplerfuneralhome.com

Marian Sumner

Marian Eva Gibson Sumner of Lumber Bridge passed away on Wednesday, May 30, 2018 in the FirstHealth Hospice House at the age of 92.
She was born in Robeson County on May 27, 1926 to Merritt Simpson Gibson and Ethel Deaton Gibson. She was past president of the Ladies Auxiliary at the Lumber Bridge Fire Department and a member of the Lumber Bridge Baptist Church. She was a graduate of Flora Macdonald College and worked in Civil Service at Ft. Bragg. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Sidney E. Sumner; her granddaughter, Kimberly McMillan Porter; her brother, Jeptha David Gibson; and her sisters, Margery Miller, Louise Freeman.
She is survived by her daughters, Faye McMillan of Raeford, and Pamela Lewis (Ricky) of Lumber Bridge; her son, John E. Sumner of Las Vegas, Nevada; her grandchildren, Kristy Newton (David) of Raeford, Sidney Lewis (Christina) of Vass, Richard Lewis of Lumber Bridge, Selena Stoney (Carlton) of Charleston, South Carolina, John Sumner (Rachel) of Summerville, South Carolina, and Angela Sumner of Lopez Island, Washington; her great-grandchildren, Cody Porter (Mary Lou) of Austin, Texas, Dylan and Coleton McMillan, both of Raeford, Lizzy and Abbey Newton both Raeford, Sidney, Riley Ann and Sawyer Lewis, all of Vass, Addison, Ellison and Piper Stoney all of Charleston, and Destiny Underwood and Darius Burris both of Fayetteville; great- great-grandchildren, Emma and Brodie Porter of Austin; and her brother, Merritte Gibson (Sherry) of Carolina Beach.
The visitation will be 1-2 p.m. at Crumpler Funeral Home on Tuesday, June 5, 2018, with the funeral at 2 p.m. in the funeral home chapel with Pastor Wayne Sanderson officiating. Burial will be in the Raeford Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family request memorials be made to: First Health Hospice House, 150 Applecross Rd, Pinehurst, NC 28374.

Bessie Patterson

Bessie Kate Joyce Patterson, age 97, born December 25, 1920 in Stokes County, North Carolina, passed peaceably in her home in Raeford, on May 30, 2018. She was married for 73 years to Herman Lindsay Patterson (Pastor of the Spray Primitive Baptist Church in Eden). She was the eighth of 14 children in the family of Joseph Hardin Joyce and Hettie Eugenia Shaffer.
She graduated valedictorian of her class at Stoneville High School. She lived her life placing God and family first. From self-sacrificing mother to business manager she always gave her best; she was always there—a wonderful example.
She is survived by her three children, Lindsay Patterson and wife Judy of Cave Creek, Arizona, Linda and husband Benny McLeod of Raeford, and Dr. Joseph Patterson and wife Gwynn of Sierra Vista, Arizona; seven grandchildren, Lindy, Laura, David, Beth, Michael, John, and James; 11 great-grandchildren; and a great-great grandson.
She was preceded in death by her husband, brothers and sisters.
A graveside sService will be held in her memory at Overlook Cemetery, Eden on Saturday, June 9 at 1 p.m.

Doroth Tarleton

Dorothy Mae Melton Tarleton, age 97, passed from this world to Heaven Friday, 1 June 2018 at Lumberton Health and Rehabilitation in Lumberton. A graveside service was held in the Raeford (Hillcrest) Cemetery in Raeford on Sunday, 3 June at 2 p.m.
She was born in 1920, the oldest daughter of Roy Boyd Melton and Hattie Meeks Melton of Wadesboro, and granddaughter of Wade Hampton Melton and Nancy Allen and Harvey Meeks and Minnie Pigg. She and her nine siblings grew up in Wade Mill Village, Wadesboro, and attended the Baptist church there. Called "Polly" by kin, she married and raised her family in Wadesboro, then Rockingham, and finally in Raeford. While there, the family attended Raeford Baptist Church and she worked in the offices of Para Thread and U.S. Rubber. She moved from Raeford to Ft. Pierce, Florida in 1968, where she retired after working 15 years in the offices of the Fort Pierce Utilities Authority. She moved to Lumberton in 1996.
Preceding her in death are brothers William F. Melton and wife Nancy of Jefferson, Bernest G. Melton and wife Ruth of Scaly Mountain, and Franklin Leroy Melton of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and sisters Vonnette Melton Mullen of Youngstown, Ohio, and Esther Melton Zabala of Fort Pierce.
She is survived by brother Richard H. Melton and wife Priscilla of Fort Pierce, and sisters Irene Melton Kandill of Fort Pierce, Betty Melton Rogers of Wadesboro, and Nancy Melton Sizemore of Box Springs, Georgia.
Her three children currently live in Lumberton. They are Sylvia Jean Tarleton Niven and husband Julius Judson Niven Jr. whose children are David Jonathan Niven and Lisa Renee Niven Daniel; Marilyn Joyce "Lynn" Tarleton whose children are Michael Wesley Pond and Robert Eugene Pond; and Alfred McInnis "Mac" Tarleton Jr. and wife Sarah Marie Leach whose children are Brian Gregory Tarleton and Angela Denise Tarleton Oncul. She has 16 great-grandchildren and eight great-great-grandchildren.