THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 18, 1996 TAG: 9607180286
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B7 EDITION: FINAL
DATELINE: WANCHESE LENGTH: 27 lines
Willie Gus Saunders Sr., 85, died Tuesday, July 16, 1996, in his residence.
Mr. Saunders was born in Wanchese and was a commercial fisherman. He was a member of the Manteo Masonic Lodge (NU)521 A.F. & A.M., the Scotish Rite, a Shriner, Tidewater Chapter ``Hog'' Member of Virginia Beach, and captain and owner of the ``Sea Rambler.'' He was a veteran having served in the U.S. Coast Guard. He was the son of the late Willie Calvin Saunders and the late Della Montague Saunders and the husband of Thalia ``Datie'' Sawyer Saunders of the home.
Besides his wife, he is survived by six daughters, Peggy Rogers and Diane Pledger, both of Wanchese, Donna Brown of Lakeland, Fla., Brenda Butler of Manns Harbor, N.C., Jeanie Midgett of Manteo and Winifred Saunders of Mineral, Va.; four sons, Gus Saunders Jr., Calvin Saunders and David ``Pedro'' Saunders, all of Wanchese, and Frank Saunders of Chesapeake; two sisters, Lucille Minton of Norfolk and Madge Frye of Chesapeake; 40 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren; and five great-great-grandchildren.
A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday in Bethany United Methodist Church with the Rev. Tom Clark and the Rev. Charles Etheridge officiating. Burial will follow in Cudworth Cemetery, Wanchese. A visitation is scheduled for today in Twiford's Colony Chapel, Manteo, from 7 to 9 p.m.
KEYWORDS: DEATH OBITUARY by CNB