Harriet Elizabeth Butner Alford, 82, of Carolina Springs, died Tuesday at UNC Hospitals.

She was born in Orange County to Raymond and Mahler Lloyd Butner. She was widow of the late John Alford. She was preceded in death by her two brothers, Harrell Eugene Butner and Robert Borden Butner.

She had operated daycares in the area for many years and up until retirement was a school crossing guard for 26 years. She was a member of the Carrboro United Methodist Church. She was a very loving mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and she loved the many cats she had raised over the years.

Surviving are her children and their spouses, Stanley Alford (Mary) of Asheboro; Rachel Waller (Billy) and Denise Kennedy (Kevin) both of Pittsboro; one grandson, Dean Graham, five step-grandchildren, and five step-great-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews.

A graveside memorial service was held Friday at the Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery by the Rev. Claire McKeown and the Rev. Dr. Jan Hill.

Memorial donations may be made to the Orange County Animal Shelter, 1081 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Chapel Hill, NC 27514.

www.brooksandwhite.com.

Wilma "Billie" Johnston

Wilma "Billie" Johnston, 92, died peacefully, surrounded by family, at Carolina Meadows Health Center Feb. 13.

Wilma graduated from St. Mary's High School in 1933 and received a bachelor's degree in home economics in 1938 from Kansas State University. In 1937 she married James L. Hollis and moved with him to Cincinnati, where three children were born, then to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where their fourth child was born. In 1953 the family moved to Silver Spring, Md., where Mr. Hollis died in 1970. In 1972 Billie married Thomas F. Johnston and became mother to four stepchildren. The Johnstons moved to Carolina Meadows Retirement Community in 1990. Wilma was an active member of Carrboro Methodist Church in Carrboro.

Wilma was preceded in death by her parents, her husbands, and a brother, Merle Draper. She is survived by four children: Ardith Roddy (Richard) of Littleton, N.C.; Philip Hollis (Carolyn Jean) of Tucson, Ariz.;, Barbara Anderson (Claude) of Knoxville, Tenn.;, and Donna Hollis of Durham; grandchildren Richard W. Roddy, Jr (Christin) of Waxhaw, N.C.; Erika Roddy Woodard (Stephen) of Raleigh; Kimberly Hollis Bussey (Matt) of Phoenix, Ariz.; Deborah Hollis Avery (Jim) of Dallas, Texas; Aldea Jones Misenheimer (Wes) and Kanah Jones Wilhoit (Tommy) of Knoxville, Tenn.; great-grandchildren: Joshua, Madeline, and Hannah Roddy, Ian Woodard, Caitlin and Danika Bussey, and Talan Misenheimer. She is also survived by a sister, Lolita Chrans and a nephew, Vaughan Chrans, of Los Angeles, Calif.

A celebration of Wilma's life was held Saturday at Carolina Meadows. Her ashes will be interred during a family gathering in June at the Lake Gaston Baptist Church cemetery, Littleton, N.C. Memorial contributions may be made to the Durham Rescue Mission, PO Box 11858, Durham, NC 27703, or to a Food Bank or other charity of your choice.