Dorothy Anne Walters
Mar 29, 2026
Mrs. Dorothy Anne Lang Walters, 85, of Morganton passed away Sunday March 29, 2026 at Amorem Hospice of Burke County following a period of declining health.
Dorothy was born December 13, 1940 in Brooklyn, NY to the late Anthony Lang and Lillian Ford Lang. She was of the Catholic faith and attended St. Charles Borromeo in Morganton. In her free time,...
Robert Anthony Amaral
Mar 28, 2026
Robert Anthony Amaral, 81, of Hildebran, passed away on Saturday, March 29, 2026 at AMOREM of Valdese following a period of declining health.
Robert was born August 30, 1944 in Bristol, MA, a son of the late Antonio Amaral and Julia Darowski Amaral. He loved to ride motorcycles
Those left to cherish his memory include his spouse, Patricia Amaral; sister, Carol Smith...
Randy Lynn Stilwell Jr.
Mar 25, 2026
Randy Lynn Stilwell Jr, 41, of Valdese passed away following a brief illness on Wednesday, March 25, 2026.
Randy was born June 11, 1984 to Tammi Murray Bryan and the late Randy Lynn Stilwell Sr. He loved to fish in his spare time.
In addition to his father, he is preceded in death by the man that he called dad, Howard “Lewis”...
James William Shoupe, Jr.
Mar 25, 2026
James William Shoupe, Jr., 79, departed this life to his heavenly home on Wednesday March 25, 2026 at Carolina Rehab of Burke following a period of declining health.
James was born on December 20, 1946 in Burke County, to the late James William Shoupe, Sr. and Raney Elizabeth Stewart Shoupe. He worked as a fixer for many years at Drexel Knitting...
Lesa Deann Manus Burleson
Mar 24, 2026
Lesa Deann Manus Burleson, 60, of Morganton, passed away suddenly on Tuesday, March 25, 2026, at home.
Lesa was born July 2, 1965 in Mobile, Alabama, a daughter of the late Clyde Richard Manus, Jr., and Joyce Levon Spence Manus.
In addition to her parents, she is preceded in passing by her husband of ten years, Terry Gene Burleson.
Those left to cherish...
Ernest Bertalot
Mar 23, 2026
Ernest M. “Ernie” Bertalot, 81, of Valdese, passed away on Monday March 23, 2026, at Amorem, Burke Hospice, after a period of declining health.
Ernie was born February 23, 1945, in Burke County, a son of the late Henry and Mary Grill Bertalot. Ernie was a faithful member of the Valdese First United Methodist Church and served his country as a...
Helen Gazda Cline
Mar 23, 2026
Mrs. Helen Gazda Cline, 98, of Valdese, passed away on Monday, March 23, 2026, at UNC-Blue Ridge Morganton.
Helen was born on August 5, 1927, in Taunton, MA, to the late Tytus Gazda and Mary Giza Gazda. She was a longtime member of St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Morganton and was employed for fifty years as a legal secretary for...
Joyce Levon Manus
Mar 22, 2026
Joyce Levon Manus, 81, of Morganton, went to her Heavenly Home on Sunday March 22, 2026 (one day before her birthday) after a period of declining health.
Mrs. Manus was born March 23, 1944, in Mobile, AL, a daughter of the late Timothy Joe and Lillie Howell Spence. Joyce was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and most enjoyed being...
Gladys Costner Spencer
Mar 21, 2026
Gladys Costner Spencer, 96, of Hickory, passed away with her loving family by her side on Saturday March 21, 2026, at Trinity Ridge Medical Park, after a period of declining health.
Mrs. Spencer was born July 28, 1929, in Burke County, a daughter of the late Jake and Annie Brittain Costner. She was a faithful member of Hildebran United Methodist Church,...
Ronald "Ronnie" Alan Carswell
Mar 18, 2026
Ronald Alan “Ronnie” Carswell, 67, of Vale, passed away on Wednesday March 18, 2026, at Carolina Caring Hospice, after a period of declining health.
He was born April 28, 1958, in Burke County, a son of the late Mack Carswell and Beatrice Carswell Shepherd. Ronnie retired as a truck driver with Salem Leasing, transporting goods. He was a loving father, grandfather,...
Marty Joe Bryan
Mar 18, 2026
Mr. Marty Joe Bryan, 47, of Stony Point, passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.
Marty was born on April 15, 1978, in Iredell County to the late Roger Meredith and Sonja Bryan, and was raised in Alexander County. He was a member of Freedom Baptist Church and was employed as an auto mechanic for many years. He was a...
Marty Joe Bryan
Mar 18, 2026
Mr. Marty Joe Bryan, 47, of Valdese, passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.
Marty was born on April 15, 1978, in Iredell County to the late Roger Meredith and Sonja Bryan, and was raised in Burke County. He was a member of Shining Light Baptist Church and was employed as an auto mechanic for many years. He was a...
Kristen Elise Gath
Mar 16, 2026
Kristen Elise Gath, 41, of Drexel, North Carolina, passed away on Monday, March 16, 2026, after a sudden and unexpected illness.
Born May 31, 1984, in Burke County, Kristen was the beloved daughter of Kenneth and Karen Lingafelt Gath. She was a woman of faith and attended Living Hope Church. As a trained CNA II, she devoted her life to caring...
Sherri Lynn Foreman
Mar 16, 2026
Sherri Lynn Morgan Foreman, 75, of Lenoir, passed away on Monday, March 16, 2026, at her residence, following a period of declining health.
Sherri was born on December 29, 1950, in Springfield, IL to the late Robert Henry Morgan and Mary Alice Buzick Morgan. She was a retired teaching assistant in the public school system. She enjoyed writing and journalism and...
Ruby Smith Gibby
Mar 16, 2026
Ruby Smith Gibby, 85, of Morganton, passed away on Monday, March 16, 2026 at her residence following a period of declining health.
Ruby was born January 20, 1941 in Burke County, the only child of the late James Elbe Smith and Vernie Pritchard Smith.
In addition to her parents, she is preceded in passing by her husband, Jerry Herbert Gibby and a...
Danny Gene Huffman
Mar 15, 2026
Danny Gene Huffman, 66, of Connelly Springs, passed away on Sunday, March 15, 2026 at his home following a period of declining health.
Danny was born August 3, 1959 in Burke County, a son of the late Billy Burgin and Sylvia Jean Franklin Huffman. He owned D&T Automotive in Connelly Springs, and he spent many years working there as a mechanic....
Nita Rose Smith
Mar 15, 2026
Nita Rose Smith, 88, of Connelly Springs, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at UNC Health Care, Blueridge.
Mrs. Smith was born December 27, 1937, in Burke County, a daughter of the late Rex and Ila Lail Smith.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Ray Smith and a son, Jerome Smith.
A lifelong...
Effie Mae Stilwell
Mar 13, 2026
Effie Mae Stilwell, 91 of Hildebran, went home to be with Jesus, peacefully at the home of her daughter on March 13th, 2026 after a period of declining health.
Born August 20, 1934 in Burke County, NC, she was the daughter of the late Edgar Cicero Stilwell and Ollie Mae Godfrey Stilwell.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death...
Dixie Rae Dowler McKenzie
Mar 12, 2026
Dixie Rae Dowler McKenzie, 72, of Morganton, passed away on Thursday, March 12, 2026 at Grace Heights following a period of declining health.
Dixie was born August 26, 1953 in Fulton County, IL, a daughter of Virginia Smith Dowler and the late Raymond Dowler. She was a graduate of Canton High School class of ’71 and worked at the Valdese bakery...
Margaret Ingle Cook
Mar 8, 2026
Margaret Marie Ingle Cook, 103, of Henry River Road, Hickory, passed away on Sunday, March 8, 2026, at Hickory Falls Health and Rehabilitation of Granite Falls after a period of declining health.
Margaret was born on February 23, 1923, in Burke County, NC, a daughter of the late John and Nellie Shuffler Ingle. She was the oldest of eleven children. She...
