Gene Owens

Eugene "Gene" Owens, 78, of Sedalia Drive, Clemmons, died Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007, at Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem after an illness of two months. The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Davidson Funeral Home, Lexington Chapel, by the Rev. Noah Frye and Pastors Randy Johnson and Terry Coats. Burial will be in Forest Hill Memorial Park. Mr. Owens was born June 6, 1928, to Claude Scott Owens and Viola Koontz Owens. He was the retired owner of Owens Construction. He was a faithful member of Marler Road Baptist Church in Hamptonville and a member of the Auditorium Sunday School Class for six and a half years as long as his health permitted. Prior to that, he was a member of Spruce Street Baptist Church in Lexington for some 30 years with Brother Noah Frye and went on mission trips with him to Haiti. He enjoyed gardening, camping and gospel singing, especially with his special friends, the Primitive Quartet and the Narrow Way Quartet. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Nellie Mae Williams Owens; two grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. Surviving are his wife, Elsie George Owens of the home; two sons, Kenneth Gene "Kenny" Owens and his wife, Debbie, of Thomasville and Paul Wayne Owens and his wife, Jeannie, of Asheboro; two daughters, Diane Owens Myers and her husband, Ken, and Pamela Owens Sipes, both of Thomasville; six stepsons, Larry Merritt and his wife, Lynn, of Clemmons, Michael Merritt and his wife, Linda, and Tony Merritt, all of King, Jimmy Merritt and his wife, Diane, of Advance, Ronnie Merritt of Winston-Salem and Donnie Merritt of Walnut Cove; one stepdaughter, Susan Goad of Clemmons; eight grandchildren; 10 stepgrandchildren; 18 great- grandchildren; two stepgreat-grandchildren; four brothers, Donald Owens and his wife, Joan, of High Point, Ronnie Owens of Fuquay-Varina, Gary Owens and his wife, Darlene, of Thomasville and Danny Owens and his wife, Candi, of Lexington; and three sisters, Daisy Mae Proctor and her husband, Ronnie, of High Point, Shirley Comer and her husband, Steve, of Lexington and Margaret Kanoy and her husband, Roy, of Thomasville. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 Monday at Davidson Funeral Home, Lexington Chapel, and other times at the home of his son, Kenny Owens, at Fairfield Court, Thomasville. Any memorials may be directed to the donor's choice.