Vera Blake Samuels

Vera Pauline Blake Samuels, 83, of Hickory Street, died Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2006, at Lexington Memorial Hospital. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Coggins Memorial Baptist Church, which she attended, by the Rev. David Shaffer. Interment will be in Forest Hill Memorial Park. Mrs. Samuels was born in Baltimore, Md., on June 21, 1923, to Charles Blake and Grace Vuncunnon Blake. She was a retired employee of Dacotah Cotton Mill. In addition to her parents, preceding her in death were her husband, Norman J. "Catfish" Samuels; a brother, Roland E. Blake; and a stepdaughter, Lilly Wilson. Surviving are two daughters, Teresa Nifong and her fiancé, Andy Gaddis, of Trinity and Shirley A. Swicegood and her husband, Flynn, of Lexington; one son, James R. Samuels and his wife, Laura Ann, of Lexington; one brother, Kenneth Blake of Lexington; eight grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; five stepgrandchildren; and six stepgreat-grandchildren. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Piedmont Funeral Home and other times at their respective homes. Memorials may be made to Coggins Memorial Baptist Church, 1306 S. Main St., Lexington, NC 27292