Mary Elizabeth Gibb, 86, of Fargo, North Dakota, passed away Saturday, September 20, 2008, with her family at her side. Mary Elizabeth and her twin sister, Annie Lizzie Moss, were born seconds apart, on February 16, 1922, in Carthage, to Grover Cleveland Moss and Laura Virgie (Evans) Moss. Mary and Annie grew up in Carthage and graduated from Carthage High School in 1941. There, they were each known as “twin” during their star basketball career and were also members of the Girls’ Reserve. After high school, Mary moved to Nashville to attend nursing school, decided nursing wasn’t her future and started work at an aircraft manufacturing plant as a riveter. Mary enlisted in the Marine Corps in May 1944 and served at the Department of the Pacific Headquarters until honorably discharged in September 1945. Mary met a fellow marine, David Gibb, in San Francisco and they were married at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in San Francisco on July 21, 1945. After David’s discharge in October 1945, they moved to Fargo where David joined his father and three brothers in the plumbing business at Robert Gibb and Sons. In 1951, Mary, David and their three children moved to Williston, North Dakota, where David managed a branch of Robert Gibb and Sons. In 1961, the family moved to Moorhead where Mary continued raising her family and David managed various hotel properties for Gibb Realty including the Comstock Hotel in Moorhead. After David’s retirement in 1986, they enjoyed dividing their time between their Fargo condominium and Mulberry, Florida, where they enjoyed golfing and spending time with family and friends, especially Nancy and Ken Pennington. Through the years, Mary enjoyed bowling, golfing and various handicrafts such as ceramics, knitting, crocheting and jigsaw puzzles. Mary was an avid fisherperson, while they had a place on Round Lake, Minnesota, and would spend hours in a boat fishing on the lake. Mary was an active bowler and golfer until retirement years. She was an active member of the Moorhead Country Club for 40 years and enjoyed working with the youth golf program. Mary was an active member of the First Baptist Church and always cherished and enjoyed the opportunities to engage with her friends at church. Mary is survived by her sons, David (Jane) Moorhead, Minnesota, John (Virginia Lenvik) Sacramento, California; and her daughter, Peggy (Barrie) Meissner, Dent, Minnesota; her grandchildren, David III, Woodbury, Minnesota, Elizabeth, Moorhead, Minessota, Joseph (Lauren), Boston, Massachusetts, George, Lakewood, Colorado, Jan Wong, Alhambra, California, Melissa (Mark) Gangnes, Argusville, North Dakota, Jessica Meissner, Fargo, North Dakota; her great-grandchildren: Kristopher, Nicholas and Danica Gibb, Fargo, North Dakota, Paige Raaf, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, Hunter, twins Hannah and Holden Gangnes, Argusville, North Dakota; her twin sister, Annie Lizzie (Moss) Drake, Mulberry Florida; and many nephews and nieces throughout the United States. She was preceded in death by her husband; parents; one sister, Lemoin; and two brothers, William E. and Bobby G. Moss; and her beloved poodle, Beau. Funeral services were held at 2 pm, Thursday, September 25, 2008, at First Baptist Church, Fargo. Interment at Riverside Cemetery, Fargo. Memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church or to the Dakota Medical Foundation Lend A Hand Fund that provides financial assistance to area individuals with catastrophic medical needs. Memorial donations may also be made to the David and Mary E Gibb Youth Golf Fund at Impact Foundation that provides financial assistance to programs promoting area youth golf programs. Hanson-Runsvold Funeral Home, Fargo, North Dakota, directors.

Mr. Horace Young of the Pea Ridge community at Chestnut Mound, died at 3:54 p.m., Friday afternoon, September 26, 2008, at the Smith County Health Care Center in Carthage where he had made his home since May 27, 2005. He was 90. Funeral services were conducted Tuesday morning at 11 a.m. from the Carthage Chapel of Sanderson Funeral Home by Bro. Dickie Johnson and Bro. Comer McGuire. Interment followed in the Gordonsville Cemetery with Bro. George Reed officiating. One of nine children of the late Sam Ditty Young and Virginia Frances Waller Young, he was born James Horace Young in the Enigma community on April 17, 1918. Mr. Young was preceded in death by a brother, Ray Young, and three sisters, Christine Watts, Norma Cardwell and Kathleen Myers. Mr. Young was united in marriage on November 22, 1936 at Chestnut Mound to the former Vallie Irene Winfree by the late Justice of the Peace Duard Wyatt. He was a well known carpenter, home builder and longtime farmer. Mr. Young was a member of the Jack Apple United Methodist Church at Enigma. Surviving in addition to Mrs. Irene, his wife of almost seventy-two years, are two daughters, Carolyn Denney and husband, Donald, of Pea Ridge and Barbara Harville and husband, Kenneth, of South Carthage; sister, Reba Nell Ensor of Nashville; three brothers, his twin Richard Morris Young of Nashville, Solon Price “Bill” Young of Riddleton and Lester K. Young of Sparta; five grandchildren, Steven Denney of Cookeville, Rachel Denney of Nashville, Sarah Baines and husband, Harold, of Pea Ridge, Jennifer Cowan and husband, David, of Carthage and Paden Bain of Pea Ridge; great-grandchildren, Ava Grace Baines, Corinna Elizabeth Cowan and Parker Lee Baines. Sanderson of Carthage.

Mr. Marvin “Buster” Barnes, of the Riddleton community, died at 1:30 a.m., Saturday morning, September 27, 2008, at his Dixon Springs Highway home following a lengthy illness. He was pronounced dead at Riverview Regional Medical Center in Carthage at 3:50 a.m. Funeral services were conducted by Eld. Barney Allison and Bro. Scott Nesbitt at 3:00 p.m. Monday from the Carthage Chapel of Sanderson Funeral Home. Burial followed in the Smith County Memorial Gardens. The last surviving child of the late Robert Levi and Anna Marie Givens Barnes, he was born Marvin Richard Barnes in the Daysville community of Roane County on October 6, 1924 and was one of their seven children. Siblings preceding him in death were Eugene, Morris, Jack and Robert Barnes, Ruby Medley and Marie Barnes. On June 6, 1951 in Indiana, Mr. Barnes was united in marriage to the former Veneda Patricia Hodge, also of Daysville. They were preceded in death by a daughter, Shelia Maxine Barnes Meador, who died at the age of 21, along with her husband Terry Wallace Meador, as the result of a motorcycle accident on June 3, 1984 in the Monoville community on Highway 80. Mr. Barnes was a retired construction worker and served our country with the United States Army during World War II. He was of the Baptist faith. Surviving in addition to his wife of over fifty-seven years are four children, Ricky Barnes and wife, Violet, of Lebanon, Patty Schmidt of Donelson, Eugene Barnes and wife, Cindy, of Elmwood and Charles Barnes and wife, Dianne, of Defeated Creek; caregiver, Barbara Hodge of South Carthage; seventeen grandchildren; thirty great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. Sanderson of Carthage.

Mrs. Stella Kunickis, age 86, a resident of Happy Hollow Lane at Pleasant Shade, died at 7:10 p.m. on Thursday evening, September 25, 2008, at the Bethesda Health Care Center in Cookeville following an extended illness. Graveside services were conducted Monday afternoon, September 29, by Bro. Frank Bratcher. Burial followed the 1 p.m. services in the Sanderson Cemetery at Pleasant Shade. Mr. Kunickis was born Stella Okul on July 13, 1922 in Greenport in Suffolk County, New York and was the daughter of the late Wasul and Helen Okul. Her husband of thirty years, Edward Joseph Kunickis of Brooklyn, to whom she was married June 21, 1947, preceded her in death on May 4, 1978. Mrs. Kunickis graduated in 1940 from the Brooklyn High School and was a retired New York elevator operator. She was of the Roman Catholic faith. Mrs. Kunickis relocated from Fairfax, Virginia to Pleasant Shade in 2001 to live with her daughter. Surviving is her daughter, Diane Kunickis-Trapp and husband, Joe, of Pleasant Shade; son, Ed Kunickis and wife, Sheryl, of Fairfax, Virginia; three grandchildren, Jayme and James Barnard of Cookeville and Kevin Shaw of Grand Prairie, Texas. Sanderson of Carthage.

A well known Carthage resident is dead at the age of 71. Mr. Billy Middleton, a longtime worker with the town of Carthage sanitation department, died Sunday afternoon, September 28, 2008, at Smith County Health Care Center following a brief illness. He was pronounced dead at 2:51 p.m. at Riverview Regional Medical Center in Carthage. Mr. Middleton is at the Carthage Chapel of Sanderson Funeral Home and his brother, Bobby Middleton, and sister-in-law, Jean Middleton, were scheduled to make funeral arrangements a 1:30 p.m. on Monday afternoon. Complete arrangements will be published in next week’s edition of the Courier. Sanderson of Carthage.

Mrs. Virginia Hackett Forgy of Cincinnati, Ohio and a Smith County native, died at the age of 92 at 2:50 p.m. Thursday afternoon, September 18, 2008, at her Twin Towers Retirement community home following a battle with cancer. Graveside services and interment were conducted on Saturday afternoon, September 27, at the Cowan-Montgomery Cemetery in Cowan. Bro. Harold Ray officiated at the 1:00 p.m. services. The daughter of late Henry Oscar Hackett and Mallie Lee Kemp Hackett, she was one of four children and was born Virginia May Hackett in the Kempville community on July 25, 1916. She was preceded in death by two brothers, Alan Hackett and Burnice Gray Hackett. On February 14, 1947, she was married to George Ward Forgy, Jr. of Cowan . He preceded her in death. Mrs. Forgy was a 1934 graduate of Carthage High School and had been a resident of Cincinnati and an area realtor since 1943. At the time of her death, she was Senior Sales Vice-President for Coldwell Banker West Shell Realtors. Mrs. Forgy was a member of the Monfort Heights United Methodist Church in Cincinnati. She is survived by a sister, Sarah Hackett Huffines, of Tanglewood, and her two children, Phillip Huffines and wife, Myrna, of Tanglewood and Fay Huffines Ray and husband, Bro. Harold Ray of Hixson; a niece, Ann Hackett and husband, Roy, of Nashville; a nephew, Lloyd Hackett and wife, Carol, of Nashville. This notice provided as a courtesy to the Forgy family. Sanderson of Carthage.

Mr. William Henson Bennett, age 88, of Lakeland, Florida died Saturday, September 27, 2008 at Consulate Heath Care Center in Lakeland. Mr. Bennett was born September 3, 1920 in Lancaster, the eighth of twelve children born to the late Daisy Jones and Tom Bennett. He was preceded in death by his siblings; Wesley, Aubrey, Carmack, Alonzo, Mai Belle and Joe Bennett, Vernie Shoemake, Lillie Apple and Ruth Hix. He was married to Floy Woodard on February 6, 1944 and she preceded him in death. They moved to Lakeland in the 1940’s and he was a fruit buyer for Lakeland Packing Company for many years and was a member of the Abundant Life Church of God. Mr. Bennett is survived by a sister, Martha Jones of Lancaster; sisters-in-law, Frances Bennett of Gordonsville, Mildred Still O’Mary, Cora Woodard and Ester Woodard all of Lakeland, FL.; brothers-in-law, Dan Apple of Elmwood and Curtis Woodard of Temperance Hall; several nieces and nephews also survive. Funeral services for Mr. Bennett were held on Monday night, September 29, 2008, at Lakeland Funeral Home and Interment was in Lakeland Memorial Gardens on Tuesday. The family requests memorials be made to the Bennett Cemetery in Lancaster c/o Sue Jones, 564 Lancaster Highway, Hickman, TN. 38567. Bass Funeral Homes, Gordonsville Chapel, directors.

Mr. Harold Lee Smith, age 74 of South Carthage, died Sunday, September 28, 2008, at Riverview Regional Medical Center. Mr. Smith was born February 1, 1934 in Buffalo Valley, the son of the late Lou Ella Upchurch and Benjamin Wince Smith. He was preceded in death by his siblings; Jewell Hurd, Dorothy Smith, Anna Hancock, Ed Smith, J. T. Smith and Willard Smith. He served in the United States Army from March, 1953 to February, 1956. He was married to Joyce Jane Otter on June 21, 1965. He worked as a clerk in the retail industry. He was a member of the Gordonsville Church of Christ. Mr. Smith is survived by his wife of 43 years, Joyce Otter Smith of Carthage; two daughters and sons-in-law, Princetta and Gary Scott of Indianapolis, IN and Karen Leigh and Joe Armando of Indianapolis IN.; six grandchildren and six great grandchildren; sister, Louise (Gale) McDonald of Gordonsville. Funeral services for Mr. Smith were held at the Gordonsville Church of Christ on Tuesday, September 30, 2008, with John Griffin officiating. Interment was in Gordonsville Cemetery. Bass Funeral Homes, Gordonsville Chapel, directors.

Mrs. Shirley Gursky, age 72, of Brush Creek, died Monday, September 29, 2008, at her residence. Mrs. Gursky’s remains are at the Gordonsville Chapel of Bass Funeral Homes. A complete obituary will be in next week’s Courier. Bass Funeral Homes, Avant Chapel, Alexandria, directors.

Mrs. Ruby Baker, age 81 of Carthage, passed away Sunday, September 14, 2008 at her home. She was preceded in death by her husband, Albert Baker who passed away on October 2, 1991; parents, George and Nettie Brown; brothers, B.P., J.B., Poe and Mack Brown; sisters, Josephine Brummett, Rose Ling and Georgia Craig. She is survived by two sons and daughters-in-law, Albert Baker Jr. of Carthage and Howard W. and Joann Baker of Warren, MI; daughters and sons-in-law, Jeanetta and James D. Houston of Sweetwater, Joane and A.C. Beard of Pleasant Shade, Loretta and Danny Windsor of Camden, Betty Jo Baker of Dixon Springs; grandchildren, Albert Baker III of Michigan, Bobbi Lynn Dean of Ohio, Howard W. Baker Jr., Cecilia Marie Baker, and Rhonda Sue Baker of Alabama, Joseph Robert Baker of Michigan, Larry Martin Hatmaker, Nonna Lynn Adams, Damon Troy Loftis, Donnie Jason Windsor and Danny Jo Windsor of Tennessee, Jennifer Leigh Smith, Michael James Huck and James Patrick Huck IV of Michigan; 14 great grandchildren; brothers, George F. Brown of IN and Dave Brown; sisters, Ann Howard, Eula Napier and Sue Craig all of KY; several nieces, nephews and a host of other relatives and friends. Funeral services were held on Tuesday night , September 16, 2008 in Martin Wilson Chapel with Rev. Delmus Bruce officiating. Interment was on Wednesday in Valley View Cemetery. Condolences may be made at www.martinwilsonfuneralhome.com/www.martinwilsonfuneralhome.com. Martin Wilson Funeral Home, Lafollette, TN. Bass Funeral Homes, Gordonsville Chapel, directors.

Mrs. Lana Winfree, age 66 of Gordonsville, died Tuesday, September 23, 2008, at Riverview Regional Medical Center.Mrs. Winfree was born May 22, 1942 in Havannah, Arkansas, the daughter of the late Drucilla Walker and Noel Gustavius Powell, Jr. A sister, Kathleen Burrows, preceded her in death. Mrs. Winfree is survived by two children, Kim Winfree and Jason Winfree both of Crossville; two grandchildren, Megan Luffman and Joseph William Lane Winfree; five nieces and four nephews. Memorial services for Mrs. Winfree were held on Friday, Sept. 27, 2008, at the Carthage Full Gospel Church with Bro. Jackie Dawson officiating. Bass Funeral Homes, Gordonsville Chapel, directors.

Mr. Jimmy Darrel Bush, age 60, of New Middleton, died Sunday, September 21, 2008, at his residence on New Middleton Highway. Mr. Bush was born September 30, 1947 in Lebanon, the son of Sina Smallwood Bush and the late Jesse Clyde Bush. He was a 1968 graduate of Smith County High School. He was a veteran of the Vietnam War serving in the United States Army from August, 1968 to August, 1970. He worked at the Smith County Help Center. He was Baptist in belief. Mr. Bush is survived by his mother, Sina Smallwood Bush of New Middleton; three brothers, Harold and his wife, Jean of Brush Creek; Johnny and his wife, Sherry of Lebanon and Jerry and his wife, Debbie of Statesville; sister, Shirley Allen and her husband, Mike of Auburntown; three nieces, three nephews, two great nieces and a great nephew. Funeral services for Mr. Bush were held at the Gordonsville Chapel of Bass Funeral Homes on Wednesday, September 24, 2008, with Elder Charles Allen Gentry officiating. Interment, with military honors, was at the Brush Creek Cemetery. Bass Funeral Homes, Gordonsville Chapel, directors.