Howard Harding Riddle

Howard Riddle,  97, of the Pensacola Community, Burnsville, went to be with the Lord on Monday, September 2, 2019, at the Charles George VA Medical Center in  Asheville.   A native of Yancey County, he was a son of the late James S. and Orpha Ray Riddle.  He was also preceded in death by his beloved wife of 71 years:  Geneva Honeycutt Riddle, who passed away in 2012; his son:  Franklin Riddle; brothers:  Walt, Charlie, Gene, Ray and Bob L.; and sisters:  Jonsie, June, Opal and Dora.

Mr. Riddle was a WW II U S Army Veteran, and worked at Glen Raven Mills for 12 years.  In the years following his retirement, he tended the family farm, along with Geneva and his horse, Pearl.  He enjoyed horses, gardening, farming and getting wood.

In his later years, he was happy to share stories of the olden days, when he and others logged the mountains with cross cut saws and drug trees out with horses; about a peddler who rode his horse up Rocky Fork peddling pots, pans and other wares; about riding a horse for a two day journey to Asheville; and many more.  He will be dearly missed by his family.

Surviving are his daughters: Joyce Hensley and Janice Hooper of Burnsville and Judy Arrowood and husband, Jim, of Old Fort.  15 grandchildren, 23 great grandchildren, and 6 great, great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 7 P.M. Thursday, September 5, in the Chapel of Holcombe Brothers Funeral Home.   Rev. Philip Garland will officiate.  A graveside service will be held at 11 A.M. Friday in the Howard Riddle Family Cemetery on Rocky Fork.

The family will receive friends from 5 until 7 P.M. Thursday, prior to the service at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made to the Gideons International, P O Box 264, Burnsville, NC 28714.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Howard Harding Riddle, please visit our floral store.