Obituaries

Mary Irene Harless Hedgepeth, age 96, of Lincolnton Rehabilitation, and formerly of Hillside Drive, died on Thursday, June 19, 2014.

Her funeral service will be 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 21, 2014, at Riverview Baptist Church with Pastor Ricky Brown officiating. Burial will follow in the Gainsville Baptist Church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 10:00 until 10:45a.m. prior to the service at the church.

Mrs. Hedgepeth was born May 14, 1918, in Ashe County, to the late Albert M. and Elmer Blackburn Harless. In addition to her parents, she was also preceded in death by her husband Silas Bates Smith, the father of her children, and later Frank Hedgepeth, daughter Roxie Faye Sain, brothers Reeves Harless and Donald Harless, and sisters Margaret McConnell, Myrtle Kiser, Mabel Mosteller, Pansy Boyles, and Dollie Elmore. She worked in textiles.

She is survived by two sons, James “Jim” Milton of Charlotte and Gordon “Mick” Smith of Asheboro; three daughters, Mavin Lail of Columbia, SC, Sue Tutherow of Lincolnton, and Brenda Henderson of Statesville; one sister, Ruby Wyont of Bessemer City; ten grandchildren; sixteen great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, 1901 Brunswick Avenue, Suite 100, Charlotte, NC 28207.