Ralph Earl Culbreth, 84, passed Monday, April 20, 2026 at his home in Magnolia, NC.  Mr. Culbreth was born March 18, 1942 in Duplin County, NC to the late Harvey G. Culbreth and Eliza Sutton Culbreth. 

A memorial service will be held 12:00pm, Sunday, April, 26, 2026 at Faith Independent Baptist Church, Magnolia, NC.  Mr. Culbreth will be buried in Magnolia Cemetery.

Mr. Ralph is survived by wife, Betty L. Culbreth of the home; son, Ralph Culbreth and wife, Jean of Kinston; daughter, Lynette Busbee and Ronald Pigott of Magnolia; grandchildren, David Culbreth and Missy, Aaron Busbee, Amie McClure and Amanda Wood and Gregory; great grandchildren, Barrett, GrayLynn, Braxton, and Bryson McClure; and sister, Jewel Hordinski of Willoughby, Ohio.

In additon to his parents, Mr. Culbreth was preceded in death by brothers, Bill and Dewey Culbreth and sisters, Goldie Stoddard and Margaret Culbreth. 

Robert Franklin Taylor, 85, passed away Thursday, April 16, 2026 at The Gardens of Rose Hill.  Robert was born March 14, 1941 in Duplin County, NC to the late Eddie C. Taylor and Pearl Smith Taylor. 

A funeral service will be held 7:00pm, Monday, April 20, 2026 in Community Funeral Home Chapel in Warsaw, with visitation following the service.  A graveside service will be held 11:00 am, Tuesday, April 21, 2026 in Devotional Gardens, Warsaw, NC.

Mr. Taylor is survived by his wife, Myra P. Taylor of Warsaw; sons Eddie Taylor and wife, Karon of Warsaw and Phillip Taylor of Clinton; daughter-in-law, Charity Taylor of Beulaville; fifteen grandchildren and 30 great grandchildren. 

In addition to his parents, Mr. Taylor was preceded in death by sons, Rodney Taylor, Kent Taylor and Jonathan "John Boy" Ryan Taylor; brothers, John Taylor and Alvin Taylor and wife, Barbara; sisters, Eleanor Pope Stevens and Inez Taylor.

Rose Hill, North Carolina — Emma Catherine Brown Usher, 93, of Rose Hill, passed away Sunday, April 5, 2026, at Warsaw Health and Rehab.
Mrs. Usher was born November 14, 1932, in Duplin County to Lawton Brown and Ruth Kissner Brown.
She attended East Carolina University (ECU), where she earned a bachelor’s degree. She had a lifelong love of learning and teaching and spent time as an educator. She especially enjoyed sharing the history of the “Old North State.” She was married to Marvin Usher.
Mrs. Usher will be remembered as a devoted mother, grandmother, and great great-grandmother who had strong faith and found her greatest joy in her family. She had a kind and strong presence, a love for storytelling, and a passion for preserving the history and traditions she held dear. Her warmth, wisdom, and gentle spirit left a lasting impression on all who knew her, and her legacy will live on through the generations she so dearly loved.
Mrs. Usher is survived by her sons, Dr. Timothy Usher (Carolyn) of San Bernardino, California, and Jeffrey Usher of Rayne, Louisiana; her daughter, Mary Albertson of Clayton, North Carolina; her grandchildren, Virginia Usher (Derek Whiting), Christian Usher, M.D, Charlotte Burns, Cherie Mattox (Tommy), Dustin Allen Albertson, Jake Tucker (April), and Samantha Tucker; and her great-grandchildren, Oda Whiting, Audrie Outlaw, Lydia Bonds, Danielle Mattox, Benjamin Burns, Jacob Usher, Taylor Rae Pierce, Melodie Albertson, Mylayla Albertson, Mira Belle Albertson, Malachi Sanders, Madison Tucker, Austin Tucker, and Hunter Tucker. She is also survived by one great-great-grandchild, Piper Fowler, and her sisters, Hilda Fowler and Patsy Brown.
In addition to her parents, Mrs. Usher was preceded in death by her husband, Marvin Usher; her daughter, Reba “Penny” Joyce Tucker; her son-in-law, Robert Tucker; her grandson, Nicholas Usher; her sister, Nella Faye; and her brother, Lawton “L.E.” Brown.
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 11, 2026, at Concord Baptist Church. Visitation will follow the service.