James R. "Jim" Whisnant

James R. "Jim" Whisnant, 71, died unexpectedly, Friday, Oct. 31, 2008, of natural causes. He was born in Burke County on June 13, 1937, and was a son of the late Ernest "Humdinger" Whisnant and Mary Sue Cope Whisnant. In 1999, Jim retired from Henredon Furniture Company where he had worked for 43 years. He was also a hard-working farmer and still used some horse drawn equipment for his farming. He had a deep appreciation of nature and the outdoors and maintained his land on Johns River for family gatherings. Surviving are his wife, Linda Lackey Whisnant, of the home; his son, Mike Whisnant, of Morganton; his daughters, Arlene Freeman, Darlene Crotts and her husband, Mike, and Regina Whisnant-Roper and her husband, Vince, all of Morganton, and Brenda Whisnant and her husband, Harry Poovey, of Hickory; grandchildren, Tana Freeman, Matt Crotts, Parker Whisnant, Jaxon Whisnant, Grayson Roper, and Wade Roper; great-grandchildren, Kendall and Baylee Freeman; his brothers, W. G. "Bud" Whisnant and Richard Whisnant, both of Morganton, David Whisnant of Jonesboro, Tenn., Winfred Whisnant of Granite Falls, and Gene Whisnant of Connelly Springs; and his sisters, Gladys Allman, Lucille Allman, Gertrude Clontz, Lib Norville, Sadie Whisenant, and Frances Stamey, all of Morganton. In addition to his parents, Jim was preceded in death by his brother, Bona Whisnant. The funeral will be at 2 p.m. on Monday at Victory Chapel Baptist Church with the Revs. John McCarty and George Patton officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends at the church on Monday from 12:30 until 2 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to Victory Chapel Baptist Church Building Fund, 425 Lost Corner Road, Morganton, NC 28655. Sossoman Funeral Home is assisting with arrangements.