Fred Junior Maness

Fred Junior Maness, 94, of Graham, NC, passed away on June 30, 2025. Born in Moore County, NC, Fred went from a dirt farmer plowing with a mule to a staff level engineer for IBM. He traveled all around the world with many adventures but loved his family and friends and his larger than life adventures in North Carolina with them. He loved fishing, canoeing, hiking, camping, exploring and busting ghost tales.  In his childhood, he helped work his family’s farm. Starting at a young age hoeing corn to driving mules, cutting wood and building barns. He was in the Coast Guard and was honorably discharged because of a shoulder injury. He thumbed his way to Gaston Tech every week and worked at the school to pay his way through school. He would sometimes serve food to others when he had none himself. He married Juanita Cochran and had a girl, Brenda. He taught Sunday school at Pleasant Hill Methodist Church in Robbins. He ran his own tv shop during the day and movie theatre by night also in Robbins. In his extra time, he planted trees for the future of his children. He moved to Elon College, NC and started working for Western Electric. He and Juanita had two boys, Mark and John. He later went to work for IBM and worked his way up the corporate ladder to staff level engineer. He prided himself in helping others to succeed in life and their career.  He worked on cars with his sons and sent them on great trips around the world and college to help them have a great future. When he wasn’t busy at work or working to improve his farm, he loved spending time with family and friends doing all kinds of exciting things and teaching wisdom to the young and old. He later met Frances Graves and they married and had a wonderful life filled with love. They loved their family and friends. They always helped those in need around them, they missed their 25th wedding anniversary by 20 days. Fred was a joker too! He even met Richard Petty and acted like a poor, backward country boy. He introduced himself as “Clem” and Frances as “Clementine”. He pulled jokes and pranks on family and friends throughout his life. He will be missed so much!

Fred was preceded in death by his father, Pearlie Mae Maness and mother, Annie Tonnie Maness; brothers, Donald, Bernie, Larry, Terry, and Perry; his sisters, Helen, Ellen, and Virginia; his son, John Lewis Maness; his first wife, Juanita Cochran Maness; and his wife Frances Graves Maness.

He is survived by his brother, Ronnie (Barbara); his sisters, Betty Davis (Earnest) and Linda Maness; his children, Brenda McPherson (Clarance) and Mark Maness (Jean); five grandchildren; and ten great grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held at 3:00pm Sunday July, 06, 2025, at the McClure Funeral Home Chapel in Graham with Pastor Travis Bodine. Burial will follow at Mt. Olive Baptist Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service Sunday at the funeral home.

"There are people that make things happen, there are people who watch things happen and then there are people who wondered what happened. Which one do you want to be!" -Fred Maness