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justanoutlawfic · 5 years ago

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Rewrite The Stars: An Outlaw Queen/Hood Mills Family Fic

Summary: Resurrected Remix. Regina could never return. The story of their lives in the before and after.

I got the idea for this angsty bugger based on a prompt tweet by @queen-of-the-merry-men who wanted Roland to learn how to do makeup from Regina...but then Regina died, so he did it for Peanut when she went to her first dance.

Now, I could never actually kill Regina Mills, BUT, I can make her family think she's dead. So, here's an AU of probably my most popular OQ verse. It'll flash around to show why she left (it's different this time) and why she can't come back. It'll show their lives before & after. It's angsty, it's got fluff, it's got family, it's got everything. Please don't hate me. I'm fragile. Send prompts, questions and other things to my Twitter/CuriousCat: justanoutlawfic or my Tumblr: findingtallahassee.

Also on AO3

To Roland, there was nothing his mother couldn’t do. She could tend to his scrapes and made them feel all better in just a few minutes, save an action figure from losing its leg, always knew how to make him and Henry were happy with the movie night and somehow, always knew exactly what his baby sister needed to calm down. Yes, to Roland, his mom was truly like a superhero from one of the comic books that Henry would read to him, Wonder Woman or Captain Marvel. She could always save the day and not even break a nail while doing it.

One night, he sat on the floor playing with some toys while his parents got ready for date night. His uncle Will would be by soon to watch them and had made promises of pizza, movies and wrestling. It was going to be so much fun, he could hardly wait.

Regina exited the walk-in closet, wearing a navy-blue dress, her hair curled. She stood at her vanity, opening up a box. Roland didn’t pay much attention at first, until he got a good glimpse of her putting on her makeup. She made it look so easy. He moved closer as she moved onto her eyes, managing to not poke herself with any of the tiny brushes or sticks. Roland watched in awe, his mouth agape.

��How do you do that?” He asked, in wonder.

Regina arched an eyebrow, looking at him in the mirror. “What do you mean?”

“The paint.”

Regina continued to look puzzled and then the realization washed over. “Oh, my makeup.” She smiled and finished up her eye makeup. “Here.” She placed hand on her padded stool, so the 5-year-old knew it was okay to jump up. “I’ll show you.”

She did her blush, explaining exactly where to put it and how she blended it. Then, she found the shades that would be best on him and taught him how to apply it on himself. She did some light lip gloss next, followed by some eye shadow, explaining it every step of the way.

“Why do people wear makeup?” Roland asked as she went to dip the brush in for his second eyelid.

Regina paused. “I guess it’s just something that was always a part of growing up for me. I watched my mother do it, my aunts and cousins after she passed away. But people wear makeup for a bunch of different reasons, just as they do everything. Some do it to cover up things, other do it to for work. Just know, that you never have to do it to improve how you look. Makeup doesn’t make you anymore beautiful than you already are.”

Roland grinned and then watched her select her jewelry. He found a bulky bangle.

“Can I wear this? It looks like treasure.”

“Of course you can.” Regina kissed his nose and Roland beamed brighter, sliding it onto his wrist. Neither noticed Robin standing in the doorway of the bathroom, grinning from ear to ear. “Just make sure you wipe that off before bed, or your face will get infected. I can teach you how to do more as you get older.”

There would be a few more lessons after that. She taught him about looks for different times of the day or occasions. Overall, she taught him that makeup was there to supplement beauty and that it was there to define it. He’d sit by her and watch her do her makeup when he’d catch her doing it, but there’d be a time when he’d wish he had done it more often.

Only six months after the lessons began, Roland was told that his mother had passed away in a car accident. He had no way of knowing the truth, that she had to be sent away for their own protection. If he had known the truth, it probably wouldn’t have changed the pain that it caused their family. It wasn’t hard not to see the change it brought about their dad. He wasn’t the same bright, goofy person he had been for Roland’s whole life. Robin snapped easier and the boys knew that he waited until he thought they were asleep to cry. Henry wasn’t around much; he would skip school or leave the house at night. Even Bryony, as young as she was, seemed to be acting differently. Roland felt sad too, all the time, and he couldn’t laugh. He felt like no one understood how he felt. He couldn’t even talk about his mom without wanting to cry.

Eventually, they fell into their new normal. It took time-and lots of therapy-but they did. Henry slowly stopped running away and his grades picked back up in school. He even made the honor roll. His dad was back to telling jokes and smiling again. There were times he still got a wave of sadness over him, but it was clear that he was a much happier person. Bryony was growing and Roland found that telling his baby sister about her made things a lot better for him. Despite their 5-year age gap, they ended up very close.

Which is why it wasn’t a surprise that Henry texted him an “SOS Peanut” text, when their little sister was 12 years old.

Peanut was the nickname they had coined for Bryony when she was just a baby. She was so small and Bryony seemed like such a mouthful to say for a 5 and 8-year-old respectively, so they came up with that. Now that she was getting older, she tried to argue it, but she would always be that to them-especially when they wanted to get a fun rise out of her.

Roland was already on his way home when he received the text and he figured that his dad wasn’t there, Henry probably would’ve gone to him if he were. Robin and Bryony had a pretty close bond, so there was pretty much no problem that he couldn’t solve. However, their father was probably at work. It wasn’t that Henry and Bryony didn’t get along, but he was 8 years older, home from college for spring break and they were just so different. He was better for playing video games or ice cream rushes. Roland and Robin were the ones Henry texted when she had a crisis.

He pulled into the driveway and headed into the house, finding his older brother sitting at the bottom of the stairs. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know. She came back from the mall and went straight up to her room, she’s acting weird.”

“And that got an SOS text?”

“She just seemed really upset, alright? I tried knocking on her door, but she told me to get lost. Maybe you’ll have more luck.”

Roland nodded, wanting to appease his worrywart of a brother. He definitely got that from their mother. She had been so overprotective; he could remember thinking that at even 5-years-old. He walked up the stairs and knocked on his sister’s door, which had donned a “Keep Out” sign since she turned 10 years old.

“I said go away Henry!”

“It’s not Henry.”

There was a moment of silence. “Roland?”

“You know anyone else this cool?”

Some shuffling, followed by the door clicking and unlocking. While Henry looked more like a mixture of both of their parents (Regina’s dark hair, hazel eyes that were a mix of both of them and Robin’s pale skin) and Roland was pretty much a carbon copy of his mother outside the dimples from his father (thick, curls, eyes the same color as chocolate and Regina’s coloring), Bryony had been the one sibling to inherit the most looks from their father. Her blonde hair fanned out at her shoulders and her arms were crossed over her Storybrooke Junior High Track & Field t-shirt.

“You’re not at all cool,” she told him, matter of fact.

Roland rolled his eyes. “Henry said you were bummed out. What’s going on?”

“Nothing. Henry needs to mind his own business.”

“We live under one roof, and he cares about you.” She didn’t budge. “I mean, if you wanna wait until Dad gets home…”

Bryony huffed, but stepped aside. Roland walked into her room and noticed the transparent garment bag on her closet, containing a purple dress. He tilted his head.

“What’s that for?”

“The school’s having some stupid dance.”

“Oh, you don’t really want to go?”

“I do, it’s just,” Bryony sighed, running her fingers through her hair. “Aunt Mulan took us. She’s going to be helping Greer get ready, all the girls will have their moms to.”

Roland didn’t need her to stay anything else. “And you don’t have a mom to help you.”

Bryony shrugged. “There’s a lot Dad can do, but there’s a lot he doesn’t know too. I just wish I could have Mom here to help me get ready.” She pointed to a shopping bag on her bed. “I mean, I had the sales lady help me find the perfect makeup and I don’t even know how to put it on.”

A small smile poked on the edges of Roland’s mouth. It had been 12 years since his mother’s “passing”, but he could remember her tips like the back of his hand. They had come in handy as he entered middle school, where he ended up having more girl friends than guys anyway and would help them out. He had even looked into YouTube tutorials about hair, so he could be of more assistance in that department.

“Well, I may not know much about dresses or shoes,” he said. “But makeup is my specialty.”

“Huh?”

“Just sit down, I’ll teach you everything I know.”

Bryony skeptically sat down at her desk, which had a mirror on it. Roland grabbed the bag and unpacked the supplies. Luckily, she was right, the sales lady had steered her in the right direction for someone of her complexion and age. There was nothing too extreme about any of it. He started just how his mom had with him, the cheeks.

“You want to spread it out, then blend it,” he explained, as he moved the brush. “The more natural it looks, the better.”

“I was afraid I’d look like a circus clown.”

“It’s common for first time users to make that mistake, but it gets easier with use or if you have a good teacher.” Roland gave her a wink.

Next, he did the lipstick, choosing the more subtle shade of the two. It was then he realized that perhaps he should’ve asked if his dad was okay with sister wearing makeup, but they could cross that bridge later. For the moment, it was important to teach her how to wear it without looking ridiculous. He had seen far too many people make that mistake and he was not about to have his mom haunt his ass. Like Regina had with him, he spoke every step of the way, explaining his process, so she could easily do it again.

As he was getting the eyeshadow ready, Bryony finally spoke up herself. “Where did you learn all of this?”

“From Mom.”

“Seriously?”

Roland nodded, dipping the brush into palette. “When I was 5, I was watching her do her makeup and I was completely mesmerized. It was like…witchcraft or something. I asked her how she did it and Mom just decided to show me.”

“Wow. Most moms probably wouldn’t have done that with their sons.”

“Mom wasn’t most moms,” Roland pointed out. “She really didn’t care what we did or wore.”

“So, like Dad, she wouldn’t have cared about you being bi?”

“I highly doubt it. One year, I wanted to be an angel for Halloween and someone made fun of me. She told me that in the Bible, angels were both male and female.”

The smile on Bryony’s face wouldn’t disappear. “She sounds like quite a lady.”

“She really was, close your eyes,” Roland instructed, feeling himself getting choked up.

He applied the eye shadow, thinking back to those days. What he wouldn’t get for another one of those talks, his then-pudgy hand on her cheek, her warm smile looking down on him. There were days it felt like just yesterday and others, that it felt like a whole other lifetime ago.

When Bryony’s eyes opened again, Roland found himself thinking of Regina’s words from that night. “You know, Mom once told me that makeup isn’t what makes someone beautiful. It doesn’t improve how you look. Beauty is more than the surface. And I want you to remember that, even if you start wearing it now.”

“That’s really cheesy, Roland,” Bryony told him with an eye roll. “Though, I do appreciate it.”

A few finishing touches and the job was done. Roland did a quick simple braid to show her what he could possibly do the night of and then suddenly got an idea. He rushed down the hall to his room, going through the top drawer of his nightstand. He found what he desired and returned to his sister’s room, handing over the bangle.

“What’s this?”

“It belonged to, Mom,” he explained. “I borrowed it the same night she taught me how to do makeup. When Dad decided to clean out her side of the closet a few years back, I asked him if I could have it. I figured you could wear it to the dance.”

The bangle was bulky, flashy and didn’t at all go with the flowery purple dress that hung on the closet door behind them. Yet, Bryony looked from it, back up to her brother and said, “Of course I will.”

#rewrite the stars verse #outlaw queen #outlaw queen au #dimples queen #dimples queen au #dimples peanut #dimples peanut au

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the-record-newspaper · 5 years ago

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Looking back on those we lost in 2019

Lillie Brewer

Her tombstone reads, “Love is a verb” and the life she lived demonstrated it.

Lillie Dean Bryan Brewer passed peacefully into heaven on March 7, 2019. She had been residing at her home surrounded by those who loved her, and whom she taught to love.

She good-naturedly endured the nickname “Dinky” due to her diminutive size, but her impact on the lives of those around her was anything but small.

She was a lifelong learner, attending Berea College and earning a nursing degree from Rex Hospital and an Education Specialist degree from Appalachian State University. She was a devotee of The Great Courses, enjoying them on her iPad for years.

She was an Emergency Room registered nurse at Rex Hospital and was credited by many young residents for helping them learn their way around emergency medicine. She worked energetically right up until the day she delivered her son, the “miracle baby” she was not supposed to have been able to have due to her thyroid cancer. Soon after her son was born in 1958, the place where she worked became her treatment center. She survived cancer that time and lived another 60 years. Some people credited her boundless energy with the thyroid medication that she had to take every day for the rest of her life. However, her family knew that her vim and vigor pre-existed her illness.

She was a reading and English teacher at Boomer Ferguson Elementary and Woodward Junior High Schools whose students fondly remember her kindness, patience, and ability to increase their reading proficiency in a positive and encouraging environment.

For more than 15 years, she was a legal assistant who advocated tirelessly for the rights of Social Security disability and workers’ compensation clients, as well as medical malpractice, product liability and personal injury cases, at her family’s fourth-generation law firm. When her declining health forced her to leave that position, she did so only after diligently and enthusiastically passing along knowledge of the job to her grandson who replaced her. For more than 50 years, she taught children’s Bible classes at Wilkesboro church of Christ. As a lifelong and devoted student of the Bible, she participated in Bible Study Fellowship for several years.

She served in both the Wilkesboro Women’s Club and the Delta Kappa Gamma honorary society for women educators for many years, parking cars at MerleFest much longer than her rich age should have allowed. When not parking cars, Lillie could be found in either the Traditional Tent watching Wayne Henderson and the Kruger Brothers, or at the Main Stage listening and dancing to the joyful exuberant music of Scythian (her favorite Irish/Gypsy music band).

Mrs. Brewer thought hard work was important, but she thought recreation was just as important. She was the driving force behind what is now known as Cub Creek Park in Wilkesboro, NC. It was important to her that Wilkesboro have a park for everyone to walk, have picnics, play ball and play tennis with their family. She served on the Parks & Recreation Board for 52 years and recently was awarded the key to the Town of Wilkesboro. Once when she presented a program on literacy to the Kiwanis club and read aloud the children’s book, I’ll Love You Forever, grown men dissolved in tears. It was a favorite recollection of her husband and one that never failed to make him chuckle.

Together, Joe and Lillie Brewer regularly took in people like some folks collect stamps: the more varied the backgrounds, histories, and nationalities, the better. The collection of extended family that they kept in their own home (many for years at a time) included a 102-year-old grandmother, a high school senior, a newly released felon, several young cousins, and two international exchange students including a Colombian who remained for six years. Her table was always set for family, friends and strangers, and if you could not come to her home to share a meal, she would bring it to yours. She and Joe also paid or cancelled innumerable debts of others, paid school tuition for extended family and friends, and gave rent free housing to numerous families.

Lillie’s wisdom and good advice were cherished by her family. She was always planning ahead and thinking of the next project. In fact, never wanting to be a burden on her family, she planned and paid for her own funeral in 1994.

She took good care of those around her. She was the impetus for building the house next door to hers where her mother, her father, and her father-in-law spent their last years in comfort, surrounded by family members and compassionate caregivers.

Her circle of caring spread far and wide, extending even to those she did not know personally. When a 2014 newspaper article announced the felony arrests of five young Asians for stealing twelve ears of corn from a field beside Highway 268 West, Lillie lifted her pen in action. She wrote a passionate letter to the editor of the paper, asking if the young people had been referred to local help agencies, asking if they had been informed of North Carolina’s laws, and recounting a time from her childhood when her own father had allowed others to take food from his garden. It was not unusual for Lillie to call for compassion, forgiveness and charity as opposed to persecution. She was a member of the Friends of the Library board who initiated the annual Chocolate Extravaganza. On February 11, 2015, when her husband passed away in her arms at his law office, a grieving but determined Lillie stayed up all night at her home cooking chocolate creations for the library event the next day. One of her last acts was directing her daughter to create chocolate-covered Bugles for the Extravaganza a few short weeks ago. In truth, no one person will ever know all of the good that she did in her lifetime.

Lillie was preceded in homegoing by the love of her life, Joe Oliver Brewer; her parents, T.R. Bryan, Sr., and Nell Plyler Bryan, and her brothers, Dr. T. R. Bryan, Jr. and Jackson Bryan.

Cherishing her memory and inspired to try to follow her example are her son, Gregory J. Brewer (Lisa) of North Wilkesboro, NC; daughter, Tonya Brewer Osborne (Joey) of Hickory, NC; grandchildren, Joseph Zachary “Zack” Brewer, David Bryan Brewer, Tanner Paige Clifton, Karsen Elizabeth Osborne and Sadie Olivia Osborne; sisters, Rhoda Jean Billings (Don) of Lewisville, NC, Suzie Bryan Wiles (David) of Wilkesboro, NC, and brother, John Q. Bryan (Janet) of Wilmington, NC, as well as a delightful clan of nieces and nephews, and great-nieces and great-nephews. The family wishes to thank Lillie’s skilled, compassionate caregivers: Nena Shepherd, Donna Poole, Emily Poole, Diane Greer, and Polly Nichols.

Per Mrs. Brewer’s wishes, a public memorial service was held on Saturday, March 16, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. at the Wilkesboro Church of Christ located at 1740 Curtis Bridge Road, Wilkesboro, N.C.

Bill Casey

Mr. William “Bill” Eller Casey age 91 of North Wilkesboro, passed away Monday, September 09, 2019 at his home.

Memorial services were held 11 a.m., Thursday, September 12, 2019 at First United Methodist Church North Wilkesboro with Dr. Tim Roberts officiating. The family received friends immediately following the service in the Faith Center.

Bill was born August 30, 1928 in Wilkes County to Andrew Harrison Casey and Vera Eller Casey. He graduated Wake Forest College in 1950 and was an Army combat veteran having served in Korea. He was a Life Insurance Agent. Mr. Casey was a member of First United Methodist Church of North Wilkesboro. He was active in civic and church affairs, Casey served as president of the Winston-Salem Certified Life Underwriter Chapter, president of the North Wilkesboro Kiwanis Club, and held various positions at North Wilkesboro First United Methodist Church, including cook for the Methodist Men for over fifty years. Casey served as Scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 335 for many years and was awarded the Silver Beaver for distinguished service to boyhood by the Old Hickory Council of the Boy Scouts of America in January 1975. Casey, an avid fisherman, enjoyed the outdoors and was a charter member of the OF Hiking Club.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sisters; Lucille Wilson and Mary Ann Sigmon.

Mr. Casey is survived by his wife; Frances Louise Harris Casey of the home, two daughters; Ellen Casey and husband Thomas Hemmendinger of Hope, Rhode Island and Sarah Howell and husband Keith Howell of North Wilkesboro, a son; Andrew Casey and wife Lisa Casey of North Wilkesboro, seven grandchildren; Emily Pardue and husband Joseph, Anna Hemmendinger, William Howell, Molly Casey, Samuel Hemmendinger, Catherine Howell and Barbara Casey and a great grandson; Carson Pardue.

Honorary Pallbearers will be his Former Boy Scouts from Troop 335.

J.C. Faw

Well known Wilkes businessman J.C. Faw died Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019.

Mr. Faw began his entrepreneurial career in the early 1950’s when he acquired his first grocery store in North Wilkesboro. Between the early 1950’s and 1983, his principal efforts were directed toward the development and operations of Lowe’s Food Stores, Inc. When Lowe’s food Stores was sold to Merchant’s Distributors, Inc. in 1983, it had grown to a chain of 75 grocery stores, 25 convenience stores and 12 restaurants doing an annual sales volume of approximately $250 million. Part of Lowe’s Foods’ growth resulted from Mr. Faw developing the real estate and constructing strip shopping centers in certain market areas located in North Carolina and southern Virginia, for a number of the stores in which Lowe’s operated.

In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, Mr. Faw and a business partner built and operated a chain of 11 very successful Hardees franchise restaurants. These restaurants were sold back to Hardees when Mr. Faw and his business partner started the Bojangle’s Restaurant chain. Although he sold his interest in the original Bojangle’s company in the 1980’s, he still owned three Bojangle’s franchises. Other franchise food service operations he owned include Arby’s, Subway and Taco Bell. All of these units are located in the Foothills and Piedmont section of North Carolina.

After the sale of Lowe’s Food Stores, Inc., Mr. Faw formed Fast Track, Inc., a chain of convenience stores located in the Piedmont and Foothills sections of North Carolina. Fast Track currently operates 13 convenience stores and primarily markets Shell petroleum products. In addition to conventional convenience store operations, Fast Tracks also operates co-branded franchise operations with several well known food fanchisers. The real estate for most of the Fast Track stores was developed and owned by Mr. Faw.

In 1984, Mr. Faw started a motel operation which was later incorporated as Addison Properties, Inc., jointly owned by Mr. Faw and his son, James Clayton Faw. Over the years several franchised hotel properties were acquired and later sold.

Although Mr. Faw had been involved in new and used automobile operations on a small scale throughout his career, in the late 1980’s he and another individual acquired the dealership for Cadillac, Oldsmobile and other General Motors products located in Elkin. That dealership was operated profitably until it was sold in 1991. Mr. Faw and his partner then acquired the dealership in Wilkes County, that had the franchises for Cadillac, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, GM Trucks, Dodge and Nissan. In 1992, Mr. Faw acquired his partner’s interest in that dealership with his son under the corporate name of Premier Chevrolet Buick, Inc. Mr. Faw also owned Auto USA, Inc., the Wilkes County dealer for Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep.

Mr. Faw’s real estate development endeavors began primarily with strip shopping centers and Lowe’s Food Stores being the anchor tenant, and these activities expanded over the years to include the construction of a number of other commercial and residential properties. These properties include shopping centers, warehouses, restaurants, motels, hotels, residential subdivisions, office buildings, convenience stores and automobile dealerships. This development has been accomplished both through the use of general contractors as well as through the use of sub-contractors with Mr. Faw serving as his own general contractor.

In March 2017, Mr. Faw was selected Citizen of the Year by the Rotary Club of North Wilkesboro.

During his introduction of Faw, club member Joe McMillan said, “When you step back and look at all of Mr. Faw’s accomplishments over the past 60-plus years of doing business here in our great county, it is only fair to say that this man truly, truly is a legend.”

Barry Bush, who has worked for Faw for more than 25 years, spoke of the effect Faw had on his family, long before he ever went to work for him. He recounted a story of his grandfather, Henry Bauguss, who was a printer and sign painter, who for many years painted the window banners for many of Faw’s Lowe’s Food stores. Bush said that his grandfather was always appreciative of that work and his treatment by Faw personally, saying that, the sign work he did for Lowe’s helped him buy a home and educate both his daughters.

Bush went on to detail stories of his longtime relationship in real estate with Faw, stories sprinkled with humor as well as an obviously sincere affection.

According to Bush, some of Faw’s businesses, in addition to grocery stores, Faw had built and operated a wide variety of homegrown and franchised enterprises, including: Pantry Pride, Run-Ins, FastTrack, Hardee’s, Bojangle’s, Shoney’s, Tipton’s, Holiday Inn, Addison Motor Inn, College Park Cinema, Taco Bell, McAlister’s Deli, Drug World, AutoRack, Rather’s Famous Chicken and Biscuits, Movie Max, the Empire auto dealerships, as well as real estate ventures in West Wood Hills, Shannon Park, Ravenwood, Meadowview, Ridgecrest, Fox Run, The Greens, and The Oaks- One, Two and Three.

McMillan said that the variety of businesses Faw has run and his ability to “multitask” made him unique.

He added that he first met Faw when he went to work for a dairy in Wilkes 57 years ago. He was needing a place to live and was told to call Faw.

“I made that call and Faw had just what I needed,” McMillan said.

He said Faw was also community minded.

“As Mr. Faw grew his businesses he did a lot of good things for other communities as well as his own, especially when he took his commercial development enterprises into other cities and states,” McMillan said.

He went on to add that one of the best things Faw has done for Wilkes County is the development along U.S. 421 in Wilkesboro. “Some call it the Miracle Mile,” McMillan said. “All those businesses, just think about what they do for Wilkes County. There are literally hundreds of jobs in all those businesses combined.”

McMillan continued, “To see the gold mine. To see what could take place with some proper development, this man had the expertise to make it happen, and he made it happen. What a success story.”

Joining Faw the evening he received the Rotary Club award was his wife, Judy, son, Jim, and wife, Sandy, daughter, Diane, her husband, Monty Shaw, and two ladies who help Faw: Kenya Bailey and Keeya Gibbs.

After receiving his plaque from Rotarian Charles Bentley, Faw spoke briefly, thanking the club for the honor and reflecting on his more than 60 years in business.

Charles Avery Gilliam

Charles Avery Gilliam, age 88, of Ronda passed away Sunday, June 30, 2019 at his home. Mr. Gilliam was born February 12, 1931 to Don Spurgon Gilliam and Myrtle Clementine Harris Gilliam.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Bobbie Ann Green Gilliam; three brothers, D. Flake and wife Evelyn, Robert, and infant brother Rex; two sisters Norma Casstevens and husband Gray, and Kathleen Pardue and husband Glenn.

Mr. Gilliam is survived by his daughters, Jan Gilliam, Ann Deal and husband Thomas; grandsons, Charles “Chas” Deal and wife Hannah, Christopher Deal; brother-in-law O.L. “Lonnie” Brown and wife Dottie; sister-in-law, Dot Gilliam; several cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Mr. Gilliam served in the US Army in England from 1951 – 1953 and was a lifelong member of Bethel Baptist Church.

Mr. Gilliam ran Ronda Hardware for 46 years. He helped establish the Ronda Fire Department and served as chief for 27 years. He played a supporting role in helping secure the building of the “new” Ronda bridge and bringing a branch of Yadkin Valley Bank to Ronda.

Funeral services were held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, July 6 at Bethel Baptist Church with Dr. Steve Fowler officiating. Burial followed with Military Honors by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10346 Honor Guard in the church cemetery.

Pallbearers will be Charles “Chas” Deal, Christopher Deal, Todd Gilliam, Jeff Pardue, Lonnie Brown, Danny Mathis, Mike Johnson, and Mike Nichols. Honorary pallbearers will be John Drum and members of the Ronda Fire Department.

Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to Bethel Baptist Church, 2178 Bethel Rd., Ronda, NC 27670 or Ronda Fire Department, PO Box 12164, Ronda, NC 29670.

Since Charles was an avid story teller, the family grew up loving stories and would appreciate any memories that others may have of him or his wife Bobbie Ann; Ronda Hardware, the Ronda Fire Department; or life in Ronda. Memories may be sent to the Gilliam Family, PO Box 306, Ronda, NC 28670 or email [email protected]

Junior Johnson

The last American Hero is gone.

NASCAR legend Robert Glenn “Junior” Johnson died Friday, Dec. 20, under hospice care in Charlotte. He was 88.

Junior Johnson, who was born in raised in Ronda, cut his teeth driving fast cars filled with illicit moonshine through the back roads of western North Carolina. He entered racing at an early age.

Mike Staley of Wilkes, the son of Enoch Staley — a charter member of NASCAR and former owner of the North Wilkesboro Speedway — said his father saw potential in the young moonshine runner.

“Junior and Dad were good friends and went way back,” Staley said. “When he (Johnson) was about 16, my dad picked him up. Junior was working in a field, plowing behind a mule. My dad told him they needed a driver for a race. Junior went with him to the track, got in the car and took off.”

Staley added that his father and Johnson remained good friends up until the time of Enoch Staley’s death in 1995

Racing was in Johnson’s blood. His first NASCAR race was in 1953 where he ran in the Southern 500 at Darlington, S.C. His first checkered flag came in 1955 at Hickory Motor Speedway. Appropriately enough, his final victory came at the North Wilkesboro Speedway during the 1965 Wilkes 400.

He ran 313 races over his 14-year driving career, taking a total of 50 wins, 148 top 10 finishes and 46 poles. His last race was in 1966 in the American 500 at Rockingham.

His achievements in the sport of racing include:

Winner of the 1960 Daytona 500;

Six-time Winston Cup Series Owner’s Championship with Cale Yarborough (1976, 1977 and 1978) and Dale Waltrip (1981, 1982 and 1985);

Named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998;

International Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee in 1990;

Motorsports Hall of Fame of America Inductee in 1991;

NASCAR Hall of Fame Inductee in 2010.

About their father’s passing, Junior Johnson’s children wrote:

“Friday afternoon, Junior Johnson passed away peacefully with those he loved nearby. To the world, he was the ‘Last American Hero,’ but to us he was simply Dad. Our time with him barely overlapped with his racing career, but he gave us the last, and greatest, laps of his life. No amount of time, no matter how long, could have ever been enough to spend together. He never missed a night of telling us 'I love you’ before bedtime, or how proud he was that we were becoming the people he’d raised us to be. He was a courageous man, a generous friend, a loving and dedicated husband, and the best father anyone could’ve asked for. He lives on through us, the many lives he touched, and in the sport to which he gave so much. We would like to thank everyone who has reached out or shared a kind story about our Dad, and we are deeply grateful for the overwhelming outpouring of support. It has been a comfort to us all during this difficult time. We love you. Dad, Sissy and Robert.”

NASCAR Hall of Fame Executive Director Winston Kelley said in a statement: “It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Junior Johnson on behalf of the Johnson family. First and foremost, everyone at the NASCAR Hall of Fame offers our most sincere condolences to Lisa, Robert, Meredith and the entire family. We have lost one of NASCAR’s true pioneers, innovators, competitors and an incredible mechanical and business mind. And personally, I have lost one of my dearest friends. While we will miss Junior mightily, his legacy and memory will forever be remembered, preserved, celebrated and cherished at the NASCAR Hall of Fame and in the hearts and minds of race fans around the world. Please join us in remembering and celebrating Robert Glenn Johnson Jr.”

NASCAR CEO and Chairman, Jim France stated: “Junior Johnson truly was the ‘Last American Hero.’ From his early days running moonshine through the end of his life, Junior wholly embodied the NASCAR spirit. He was an inaugural NASCAR Hall of Famer, a nod to an extraordinary career as both a driver and team owner. Between his on-track accomplishments and his introduction of Winston to the sport, few have contributed to the success of NASCAR as Junior has. The entire NASCAR family is saddened by the loss of a true giant of our sport, and we offer our deepest condolences to Junior’s family and friends during this difficult time.”

Mike Staley, as did his father, considered Junior Johnson to be a friend.

“I was invited several times to eat breakfast with him. I enjoyed the time I spent with him. It was great. It was a lot of fun.”

And Johnson never forgot his roots.

Staley said, “He was loyal to Wilkes County and the people who got him where he was.”

Julius A. Rousseau Jr.

The Honorable Julius A. Rousseau Jr., 88, retired senior resident Superior Court judge for the 23rd Judicial District (Wilkes, Ashe, Alleghany and Yadkin counties), died Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019, at Kate B. Reynolds Hospice Home in Winston-Salem.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at noon Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019, at First United Methodist Church of North Wilkesboro, with Dr. Tim Roberts and Dr. William T. Medlin, III officiating . The Rousseau family will receive friends following the service in the Faith Center.

Born in North Wilkesboro on Dec. 3 1930, Judge Rousseau was the son of the Honorable Julius A. and Gertrude Hall Rousseau. Julius A. Rousseau Sr. was an N.C. Superior Court judge from 1935-1958. Combined, the father and son served as N.C. Superior Court judges for more than 50 years.

The younger Judge Rousseau was also an emergency Superior Court judge, a part-time position appointed by the governor, from 1999-2015. He first became a judge when named to fill the unexpired term of Resident Senior Superior Court Judge Robert M. Gambill in 1972. He was subsequently elected to eight-year terms in 1974, 1982, and 1990. He had the longest tenure of any Superior Court judge in the state when he retired in late 1998.

He and the former Gary Maxwell were married in August 1955, and they had one son, Julius A. Rousseau III, an attorney in New York City, who is married to Sharon Campbell Rousseau. The couple lived in Wilkesboro until they moved to Arbor Acres United Methodist Retirement Community in Winston-Salem a few years ago.

Judge Rousseau is survived by his wife, son and daughter-in-law, adopted grandchildren; Daniel, Jay and Stephanie Shinaman, Neal and Jackson Smith and special friends; Dr. and Mrs. Brad Shinaman and Mr. and Mrs. Brian Smith.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by three sisters, Nelle Rousseau Bailey, Frances Rousseau Alspaugh and Nancy Rousseau Kern.

Judge Rousseau graduated from North Wilkesboro High School in 1949, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (where he played football as a walk-on) with an undergraduate degree in 1953 and from the UNC School of Law in 1956.

He had a solo law practice in North Wilkesboro from 1956-1962, and was a partner in Moore & Rousseau in Wilkesboro from 1963 until 1972, when he became a Superior Court judge. Judge Rousseau was chairman of the Wilkes County Democratic Party Executive Committee from 1961-1968.

Judge Rousseau was a lifelong member of the First United Methodist Church of North Wilkesboro, where he served on the church’s board of trustees and was a member of the Men’s Bible Class. He also was a member of the North Wilkesboro Kiwanis Club and North Wilkesboro’s Elks Lodge.

He served for about 20 years with other trial judges on the state’s Pattern Jury Instruction Committee, a volunteer body that creates annual supplements to judges’ instructions to juries, based on changes in statutory and case law. He also was president of the N.C. Conference of Superior Court Judges.

He was a member of the committee that designed the current Wilkes County Courthouse in Wilkesboro, which opened the same year he retired as a senior resident Superior Court judge.

N.C. Supreme Court Justice Sarah Parker presented Judge Rousseau the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, one of top awards given by the governor, in 2012.

In a newspaper interview in late 1998, Judge Rousseau said he simply wanted to be remembered as fair. He continued, “I’ve tried to be the best judge I know how….to do what is right regardless of who or what a person was. I made some people mad in the process, but I have been able to put my head down and go to sleep each night.”

The family request that in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to Wilkes ADAP PO Box 968 North Wilkesboro, NC 28659, First United Methodist Church of North Wilkesboro Memorial Fund PO Box 1145 North Wilkesboro, NC 28659 or to the Donor’s Choice.

Conrad Shaw

Conrad Shaw, a well known educator, civic leader and WWII Marine Corps veteran died on Saturday, Aug. 31.

The following is his obituary.

Dr. Conrad Aldean Shaw, Sr. age 94, went to be with his Lord and Savior on Saturday Aug. 31, 2019.

He was born on Nov. 30, 1924, in Alleghany County. He was preceded in death by his parents, Martin H. and Recie McKnight Shaw, and his brother, Dwight M. Shaw.

He is survived by his wonderful wife of 73 years, Elizabeth (Lib), who he met at Appalachian State University and married on Dec. 21, 1945; son, Conal, and Annette Shaw of Roanoke, Va.; daughter, Cathy, and Steve Snipes of North Wilkesboro; granddaughter, Catherine, and Mac Marlow of Roanoke, Va.; grandson, Jonathan, and Stacie Shaw of Richmond, Va.; granddaughter, Laura, and David Brooks of Wilkesboro; granddaughter, Rachel, and Eric Sutphin of Concord; great grandson, Nathaniel Marlow of Roanoke, Va.; great granddaughter, Olivia Marlow of Roanoke, Va.; great granddaughter, Caroline Shaw of Richmond, Va.; great grandsons, Connor and Corbin Brooks of Wilkesboro; foster great grandbaby, Isabella; a sister, Wynnogene Day of Savannah, Ga.; a brother, Kyle, and Barbara Shaw of Houston, Texas.

Dr. Shaw was a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, having served three years, two of which were in the South Pacific (New Calidonia, Gudalcanal, and Okinawa).

Dr. Shaw and his wife, Elizabeth, and son, Conal, moved to North Wilkesboro in August 1948 to teach business subjects at North Wilkesboro High School. After four years in that position, Dr. Shaw became principal of North Wilkesboro Elementary School (grades one through eight) in 1952 as North Wilkesboro and Wilkesboro High Schools merged into Wilkes Central High School. He served as principal for 14 years.

When Wilkes Community College opened its doors for multi-classes on July 1, 1966 in the Wilkesboro Primary School Building, college President Dr. Howard Thompson invited him to join him in the position of Business Officer for the college. The responsibilities consisted of accounting and budgeting of finances, and plant and grounds management. The new college facilities, consisting of three buildings, were completed in April 1970. Dr. Shaw oversaw growth of the college. It went from zero to eight buildings, 2,200 students, and 90 acres of land.

In 1972, Dr. Shaw and four other Community College Business Officers and the State Community Director of Finance were the founding officers of the Association of Community College Business Officers, ACCBO. The ACCBO meetings throughout the state enabled the officers to learn more as the new North Carolina Community College System progressed. Dr. Shaw served as president of ACCBO in 1974-75.

Dr. Shaw’s educational career spanned 47 years, all of which were in Wilkes County. He earned a Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts from Appalachian State University, and a Doctor of Education from Nova University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He also took courses at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Florida State. In 1994, Dr. Shaw was chosen as the Outstanding College Business Officer of Region XI, which included North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Virginia.

Other life contributions included service at First Baptist Church of North Wilkesboro as Sunday School teacher, Sunday School Superintendent, President of the Men’s Brotherhood, Director of the Baptist Training Union (BTU), Deacon beginning in 1952, Chairman of the Board of Deacons several times, Chairman of the Building Renovation Committee for the educational building, and was named Deacon Emeritus in 2017. He loved the church and loved serving the Lord.

The North Wilkesboro Lions Club was Dr. Shaw’s civic love, having almost 100 percent attendance since 1952. He served in a number of positions including the office of president in 1973-74 and 2000-2001. He was named the Rotary Club’s Citizen of the Year in March of 2019. His hobbies included collecting antique radios, and he and Mrs. Shaw were members in the western square dance club, the Tory Oak Twirlers for 31 years. He enjoyed traveling throughout the United States and to many other countries with friends since his retirement from the college in 1995.

The family received friends from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 1, 2019, at Reins Sturdivant Funeral Home. Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 2, 2019, in the sanctuary of First Baptist Church of North Wilkesboro, with Dr. Bert Young and Rev. Steve Snipes officiating. A private burial was held at Scenic Memorial Gardens.

Tracy Walker

Former Wilkes County commissioner, school board member and N.C. representative Tracy Walker, died Monday, Oct. 14, 2019.

He passed away at N.C. Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem.

Walker, of Wilkesboro, was born July 27, 1939, to the Rev. Frank and Margie Walker. He was a Republican who represented the state’s 94th House district, including constituents in Wilkes County, in 1998, and again from 2001 to 2008.

He served on the Wilkes County Board of Education from 1972 to 1976 and on the Wilkes County Board of Commissioners from 1978 to 1996.

He was a retired human resources manager at Chatham Manufacturing in Elkin.

With ties to Elkin and eastern Wilkes because of his position at Chatham, Rebel Good, publisher of The Tribune in Elkin, said that many residents of eastern Wilkes considered Walker as being “their” commissioner.

In 1996, Walker was the Republican nominee for North Carolina Commissioner of Labor but lost the election to incumbent Harry Payne, a Democrat.

Walker also served for several years on the Wilkes Economic & Development Commission, beginning in 2001.

Walker was in the U.S. Air Force from 1955 to 1959, rising to the rank of Airman 2nd Class.

Walker is survived by his wife, Nena of the home, and sons Kirk Walker of North Wilkesboro, and Randy Walker of Wilkesboro.

At press time, funeral arrangements were not available. Check our website at http://www.therecordandthursdayprinting.com/ for updates. Reins-Sturdivant Funeral Home is assisting the Walker family.

The following is the formal obituary

Mr. R. Tracy Walker, age 82 of Wilkesboro passed away Monday, October 14, 2019 at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

Funeral services were held at Reins-Sturdivant Chapel with Rev. Steve Smith officiating. Burial with Military Honors by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1142 will be in Mtn. Park Cemetery in Wilkesboro. The family will received friends at Reins-Sturdivant Funeral Home.

Mr. Walker was born July 27, 1937 in Wilkes County to Charles Frank. Sr.and Margie Lou Adams Walker.

Mr. Walker had 30 years of public service. He served 8 years in Raleigh in the NC House of Representatives and was a Wilkes County Commissioner for 18 years. He also served on the Wilkes County School Board for 4 years. He was retired Personnel Manager at Chatham Manufacturing and a member of Wilkesboro Baptist Church and First Light Church.

In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by a grandson; Ryan Thomas Walker and a brother; Charles Frank Walker, Jr. (Pee-Wee).

He is survived by his wife; Nena Watkins Walker of the home, two sons; Randy Walker and wife Shannon of Wilkesboro and Kirk Walker and wife Kim of North Wilkesboro, four grandchildren; Chad Walker and wife Megan, Caitlin Walker, Brandon Walker and wife Ashley and Whitney Nolan and husband Chris and six great grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to First Light Church, PO Box 2071, North Wilkesboro, NC 28659 or Donor’s Choice.

On Line condolences may be made at www.reinssturdivant.com

Patricia Lynn Worth

Patricia Lynn Worth, age 59, of Sparta, N.C., passed away Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019 at Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem, N.C.

She was born Nov. 5, 1959 in Ashe County, N.C., to June Weaver Worth and the late Will Allen Worth. She was a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in Journalism.

Lynn is survived by her mother, June Weaver Worth of Jefferson, N.C.; two brothers: Thomas Worth and wife Cynthia of Oak Ridge, N.C., Phil Worth and wife Les of Grassy Creek, N.C.; a special niece, Ellen Worth of Arizona; a special nephew, Andrew Worth of South Korea; her furry canine kids: Punky, Belle,and Red along with Tux the cat and his buddies of the home.

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