Mary Riddick Gellner

Mary Jane Riddick Ballard Gellner, 90, of The Mennowood Retirement Community, Newport News, VA, died there on Monday, August 18, 2014. Mrs. Gellner was born in Gates County on June 25, 1924 and was the daughter of the late Oscar and Fornie Stallings Riddick. A graduate of Hobbsville High School, and a former "Miss Gates County", she was a retired engineering technician with General Electric Corp. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Donald William Gellner; a son, Michael Ballard; sisters Ruby Lee Riddick and Lillie Mae Deans; and by brothers, Thurman, Paige, Leonard, Carroll, and Pete Riddick. Surviving are two daughters, Mary Carawan (Buddy) of Kill Devil Hills, NC and Peggy Baxter of Newport News; three sons, Don Ballard (Debbie) of Virginia Beach, Ace Ballard (Val) of Destin, FL, and Bud Ballard (Sharon) of Portsmouth; two brothers, McKay Riddick of Belvidere, NC and Frank Riddick of Georgia; three step-children, Kathy, Donna, and Steven; ten grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be held Saturday at 2:00 p.m. in the chapel of Miller Funeral Home, 304 Main Street, Gatesville, NC. Burial will follow in the Riddick Family Cemetery. Friends may join the family in the social hall of Sandy Cross Baptist Church immediately following the graveside rites. Online condolences may be made by visiting www.millerfhc.com.