Manuel Adkins
CHAPMANVILLE - Manuel Adkins, 72, formerly of Robinette, died Tuesday, June 10, 2003.
Service will be 11 a.m. Friday at Evans Funeral Home, Chapmanville. Friends may call 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
Arrangements by Evans Funeral Home, Chapmanville.
Patricia Sue Ayers
Patricia Sue Ayers, 60, of Harper, died Sunday, June 8, 2003, at Beckley Appalachian Regional Hospital following a long illness.
Born Aug. 20, 1942, in Raleigh County, she was the daughter of the late Eugene Keener and Islet Blake Keener.
Mrs. Ayers was a former LPN at BARH and Pinecrest Hospital, she was a member of Calvary Assembly of God and lived in Raleigh County all of her life.
She was preceded in death by two brothers, Denzil Keener and Raymond Keener.
Survivors include her husband, Gilmer Ayers; a son, Gilmer Adrian Ayers of Harper; two daughters, Mollie Ayers of Harper and Melanie Hinzman and husband, David, of Beckley; three stepchildren, Charles Ray Ayers, Randall Lee Ayers and Lisa Ayers, all of North Carolina; a brother, Carson Keener and wife, Sue, of Richmond, Va.; a sister, Leva Valentine of Bradley; 11 grandchildren; and two sisters-in-law, Patricia Keener of California and Shirley Keener of Beckley.
Service will be 1 p.m. Thursday at Rose and Quesenberry Peace Chapel, Beckley, with the Revs. Shawn Harpel and Kenneth Ayers officiating. Burial will follow in Oak Grove Cemetery.
Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Family and friends will serve as pallbearers.
Condolences may be e-mailed to the family at RandQ@city net.net.
Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Beckley.
Earlene Cooper
Earlene Cooper, 75, of Coal City, died Tuesday, June 10, 2003, at her home following a long illness.
Born Aug. 1, 1928, in Davison, Tenn., she was the daughter of the late Gaston Hargis and Audie Lowhorn Hargis.
Mrs. Cooper was a former cook for the Raleigh County Board of Education at Stoco Junior High School.
She had attended Lillybrook Freewill Baptist Church.
Survivors include her husband of 54 years, Gene Cooper; four sons, James "Butch" Cooper and wife, Joetta, of Coal City, John Cooper of Coal City, Gary Cooper and wife, Ersie, of Danese and Gene Cooper Jr. and wife, Kim, of Hagerstown, Md.; a daughter, Patricia Sanger and husband, Frank, of Midway; a brother, J.L. Hargis of Stanaford; four sisters, Alice Adkins of Harper, Allie Bowers of Coal City, Christine Farley of Horse Creek and Vella Bowers of Virginia; 13 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Service will be 11 a.m. Thursday at Rose and Quesenberry Peace Chapel, Beckley, with Pastor Duane Pease officiating. Burial will follow in Sunset Memorial Park, Beckley.
Friends may call one hour before service Thursday at the funeral home.
Grandsons will serve as pallbearers.
Condolences may be e-mailed to the family at RandQ@city net.net.
Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry, Beckley.
Edward Paul Hardesty
ALDERSON - Edward Paul Hardesty, 76, died Monday, June 9, 2003, at Greenbrier Valley Medical Center, Fairlea, following a short illness.
Born May 19, 1927, in Fairchance, Pa., he was the son of the late Frederick Carlton Hardesty and the late Mary Adeline Frazee Hardesty Honaker.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a son, Frederick Spencer Hardesty; two brothers, Ronald and Carl Hardesty; and a brother-in-law, Emmett Pinnell Jr.
Mr. Hardesty was a retired paving supervisor, having retired in 1988 from the West Virginia Department of Highways after 25 years of service. He was a 15-year employee of the West Virginia State Fair as a ticket seller and also worked in the Treasurer's Office. He was a former employee of Lewisburg Wholesale, where he had worked for 11 years, and was also a theatre manager in Ronceverte and Alderson.
Mr. Hardesty joined the Merchant Marines as a teenager and was a U.S. Air Force veteran, having served during World War II and in Nagoya, Japan. He was a 45-year member of The Old Greenbrier Baptist Church, Alderson, where he had served as a deacon since 1993, served as the superintendent of Sunday school for many years, was a Sunday school teacher and served on various other committees over the years.
He was a member of the Alderson Lions Club, where he had served as past president and held other offices over the years. He was the recipient of the Leonard Jarrett Award this past December and was very involved with the Christmas Tree sale each year. He was a member and served as trustee of Tri County Memorial VFW Post No. 6723, Alderson, was a charter member of the Fairlea Ruritan Club, served as president of the Renaissance Building when first established, was a board member of the Alderson Main Street Committee and bowled with the "Over the Hill Gang" Bowling League.
Mr. Hardesty loved life, especially his family, church and town. He was interested in anything to help the youth of the town of Alderson. He helped build the Alderson Little League from a T-Shirt League with four teams to what it is today. He was proud of his teams, the Pirates and the Cubs. He served on the Alderson Little League for 40 years and was a past president and held several other positions over the years. He started the first league for girls in Alderson.
Mr. Hardesty wanted a Fourth of July in Alderson like his home town of Terra Alta and was co-chairman the first year of the Alderson Fourth of July Celebration and had served in many ways for the past 42 years helping to make it West Virginia's largest Independence Day celebration. He was an avid hunter and loved growing tomatoes in his garden.
Survivors include his wife of 53 years, Clara Pinnell Hardesty; a daughter, Rebecca Anne Pence and husband, Boyd, of Alderson; a sister, Sarah H. Costa and husband, Lewis W., of Myrtle Beach, S.C.; two brothers, Joseph Ray Hardesty of Akron, Ohio, and John C. Hardesty and wife, Margaret E., of Canadian, Okla.; his mother-in-law, Flossie Pinnell of Alderson; brother-in-law, Richard Pinnell of Alderson; sister-in-law, Kay Hardesty of Fairlea; daughter-in-law, Joanne Hardesty Lightner of Alderson; three grandchildren, Kristina Pence Schoonover and husband, Darryl, of King George, Va., Kenneth Paul Pence of Greenville and Sidney Jo Hardesty of Alderson; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Service will be 11 a.m. Thursday at The Old Greenbrier Baptist Church, Alderson, with the Revs. Alvie Edwards, John Lares and Gary Baker officiating. Burial will follow in Alderson Cemetery.
Friends may call 7 to 9 p.m. today at Lobban Funeral Home, Alderson, and one hour before service Thursday at the church.
Family and friends will serve as pallbearers.
Honorary pallbearers will be the members of the Alderson Lions Club and the members of Tri County Memorial VFW Post No. 6723, Alderson.
Military graveside rites will be conducted by the Tri County Memorial VFW Post No. 6723, Alderson.
Contributions of sympathy may be made to the Alderson Little League or to The Old Greenbrier Baptist Church, Alderson.
Arrangements by Lobban Funeral Home, Alderson.
Bessie E. Hatfield
COAL MOUNTAIN - Bessie Elizabeth Hatfield, 92, died at 4 a.m. Tuesday, June 10, 2003, at Logan Regional Medical Center.
Born Dec. 16, 1910, at Four Pole (Litwar), she was the daughter of the late Tom Wallace and Nancy Jane Browning Wallace.
Mrs. Hatfield was a homemaker and a member of the Freewill Baptist faith.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Noah Hatfield; four brothers, Richard Wallace, Bob Wallace, George Wallace and Johnny Wallace; and three sisters, Edna Wallace, Dicie Hatfield and Ida Hatfield.
Survivors include three sons, Arnold Hatfield and wife, Geneva, of Coal Mountain, Gary Hatfield and wife, Kathy, of Coal Mountain and Ozie Hatfield and wife, Joyce, of Hanover; 14 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; nine great-great-grandchildren; a sister, Bertha Kennedy of Coal Mountain, and a brother, Jimmy Wallace of Coal Mountain.
Service will be 1 p.m. Thursday at Mounts Funeral Home Chapel, Gilbert, with the Revs. David Johnson and Beatrice Staten officiating. Burial will follow in Palm Memorial Gardens, Matheny.
Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Pallbearers will be great grandsons.
Arrangements by Mounts Funeral Home, Gilbert.
Mary R. Kees
LYNCHBURG, Va. - Mary R. Kees, 71, formerly of Oak Hill, died Tuesday, June 10, 2003.
Arrangements by High Lawn Funeral Chapel, Oak Hill.
Helen Mae Milam
ARISTA MOUNTAIN - Helen Mae Milam, 88, died Tuesday, June 10, 2003, at her home.
Born July 10, 1914, in Narrows, Va., she was the daughter of the late Kale Howerton and Bertha Hale Howerton.
Mrs. Milam was a member of Garwood Church of God. She loved the Church of God and worked in the church for over 70 years. She worked in every office of the church, as Sunday school teacher, pianist and choir director. She and her husband were instrumental in the building of Clark's Gap Church of God in 1949.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Aubrey Milam in 1984; a son, Paten Louden Milam in 1940; and two brothers, Fount Howerton and Harold Howerton.
Survivors include two sons, Denver Milam and his wife, Geneva, of Oklahoma and Avery Milam of Princeton; two daughters, Norma Delp and her husband, Dillard, of Lashmeet and Joyce Bullins and her husband, Charles, of Arista Mountain; two sisters, Pauline Walters of Lake Shawnee and Kathern Robinette of California; 16 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
Service will be 11 a.m. Thursday at Rowland H. Bailey Funeral Chapel of Bailey-Kirk Funeral Home, Princeton, with the Revs. Johnny Gray, Ricky Shrewsbury, Charles Bullins, Kenneth Abram and L.A. Farmer officiating. Interment
will follow in Roselawn Memorial Gardens, Princeton.
Friends may call from 6 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Grandchildren will serve as pallbearers.
Arrangements by Bailey-Kirk Funeral Home, Princeton.
Pauline H. Nichols
Pauline H. Nichols, 86, of Beckley, died Tuesday, June 10, 2003, in a Beckley hospital following a short illness.
Arrangements by Melton Mortuary, Beckley.
Irene Ellen O'Dell
QUINWOOD - Irene Ellen O'Dell, 74, died Tuesday, June 10, 2003, at her home following a short illness.
Born Aug. 11, 1928, in Birmingham, England, she was the daughter of the late Walter and Elizabeth Machin.
Mrs. O'Dell was a retired employee of the Greenbrier County school system, where she worked as school secretary for Crichton School for 25 years.
She was a homemaker and of the Baptist faith.
She was preceded in death by four sisters, Lucy Machin, Evelyn Shock, Eva Ward and Jane Walker.
Survivors include her husband of 58 years, Lester R. O'Dell; a daughter, Evelyn Carroll and husband, Charles, of Quinwood; a son, Brent O'Dell and wife, Donna, of Clintonville; five grandchildren, Mark Carroll of Proctorville, Ohio, Jason Carroll and wife, Sandy, of Charleston, Melanie Shaffer and husband, Michael, of Elkins, Jamie Beth Carroll of Quinwood and Jonathan O'Dell of Clintonville; and two great-grandchildren, Ethan and Zachary.
Service will be 11 a.m. Friday at Wallace & Wallace Chapel, Rainelle, with the Rev. Houston Boothe officiating. Burial will follow in End of The Trail Cemetery, Clintonville.
Friends may call 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
Arrangements by Wallace & Wallace Funeral Home, Rain-elle.
Betty Phillips
WINSTON SALEM, N.C. - Betty Phillips, formerly of Beckley, died Monday, June 9, 2003, at a North Carolina hospital.
Arrangements by Ritchie and Johnson Funeral Parlors, Beckley.
Ruth Ellen Smith
Ruth Ellen Smith, 86, of Fairdale, died Sunday, June 6, 2003, in a Beckley hospital following a long illness.
Born March 11, 1917, in Savannah, Ga., she was the daughter of the late Samuel and Ida Mae Sanger Guthrie.
Mrs. Smith came to Raleigh County at a very young age, settling in Glen View, and she had been a resident of Fairdale for the past 55 years. She was the oldest living charter member of Bolt Church of God.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Edward E. Smith on Dec. 7, 1978; a daughter, Thelma June Smith; a grandson, Michael Hawley; two brothers, Roy Walter and Earl Mosley Guthrie; and two sisters, Mary Ashley and her twin, Ruby Craghead.
Survivors include two sons, Ivan Smith and his wife, Vernie, of Fairdale and Ernest Clay Smith and his wife, Caretta, of Thomasville, N.C.; two daughters, Joyce Hawley and her husband, Kenneth, and Eleanor Ann Hawley, all of Beckley; 15 grandchildren, Ronald Ivan, Tina Louise, Carolyn Jean, Mark, Marvin, Randall, Ernie, Kathy, Brenda, Mark, Cheryl, Carla, David, Crystal and Steve; 20 great-grandchildren; a great-great-grandchild; a sister, Lois Mae Bragg and her husband, Floyd, of Cooksville, Tenn.; and a sister-in-law, Edna Mae Smith of Santee, S.C.
Service will be 1 p.m. Thursday at Melton Mortuary Chapel, Beckley, with the Revs. Randall Pugh and Stollie Parsons officiating. Burial will follow in Sunset Memorial Park, Beckley.
Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Grandsons will serve as pallbearers.
Arrangements by Melton Mortuary, Beckley.
Ida Cora Bever
CRAIGSVILLE - Ida Cora Bever, 88, died Wednesday, June 11, 2003, in Summersville Memorial Hospital after a long illness.
Mrs. Bever was a member of Chestnut Flat United Methodist Church, Crupperneck Road, Craigsville. She was a resident of Nicholas County Health Care Center since 1997.
Survivors include two sons, Dale and wife, Juanita Bever, of Canvas and Dennis Bever of Craigsville; a daughter, Becky Bragg of Richwood; six grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Service will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Simons-Coleman Funeral Home, Richwood, with the Revs. Robert Dick and Richard Brown officiating. Interment
will follow in Russell Cemetery, Crupperneck Road, Craigsville.
Friends may call 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Arrangements by Simons-Coleman Funeral Home, Richwood.
Charles Lee Blake Sr.
KANNAPOLIS, N.C. - Charles Lee Blake Sr., 52, formerly of Beckley and Mount Hope, died Wednesday, June 11, 2003.
Service will be 2 p.m. Sunday at Whitley's Funeral Home Chapel, 1748 Dale Earnhardt Blvd., Kannapolis. Friends may call 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home.
Memorials may be made to Hospice of Cabarrus County, P.O. Box 1235, Concord, N.C. 28026 or St. Jude's Children's Hospital, 501 St. Jude's Place, Memphis, TN 37501.
Arrangements by Whitley's Funeral Home, Kannapolis.
Seldon P. Clemons
Seldon P. Clemons, 92, of Helen, died Wednesday, June 10, 2003, following a short illness.
Born Sept. 27, 1910, in Hazard, Ky., he was the son of the late Alvin and Stella Manning Clemons.
Mr. Clemons was a retired coal miner. He was of the Baptist faith and a member of Mountain Lodge No. 156, Admiral Chapter 50, Bluefield Command No. 19 and Beni Kedem Temple, Charleston.
Mr. Clemons was preceded in death by four brothers, Forrest, Clifford, James and Alvin Clemons; and two sisters, Hattie Meadow and Oletta Cook.
Survivors include his wife of 64 years, Ethel Bowles Clemons; a daughter, Barbara Martinez and her husband, Raymond, of Fort Worth, Texas; two grandchildren, Shane Robinson of St. Petersburg, Fla., and Karen Robinson of Raleigh, N.C.; and three great-grandchildren, Leslie, Tyler and Cayden Robinson.
Service will be 1 p.m. Saturday at Williams-Blue Ridge Funeral Home Chapel, Sophia, with the Revs. Connie Bowles and Danny Bowles officiating. Burial will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley.
Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Masonic graveside services will be conducted by members of Mountain Lodge No. 156, who will also serve as pallbearers.
Arrangements by Williams-Blue Ridge Funeral Home, Sophia.
Ronald 'Ron' Copeland Sr.
Ronald Lee "Ron" Copeland Sr., 58, of 708 Ragland Road, Beckley, died Wednesday, June 11, 2003, at Raleigh General Hospital following an apparent heart attack.
Born July 1, 1944, at McAlpin, he was the son of Mildred Kirby Brooks of Rogersville, Tenn., and the late Harold Lee Copeland Sr.
Mr. Copeland was employed by Weatherby Processing at Slaughter Creek in Kanawha County as an electrician. He was a member of the Beckley model airplane club.
Survivors include his wife, Linda Ondo Copeland; two sons, Lee Copeland and Richard Copeland, both at home; two daughters, Sherry Copeland of Beckley and Melissa Monk and husband, Weston, of Princeton; four brothers, Gary Brooks of Bulls Gap, Tenn., Wendall Copeland of Charlotte, N.C., Keith Copeland of Keystone Heights, Fla., and H. Lee Copeland of Keystone Heights; three sisters, Ann Funderburg of Fayetteville, Ark., Orma "Sissy" Bowie of Greenwood, S.C., and Beverly Brooks of Rogersville; a stepbrother, Tommy Brooks of Greenwood; and three stepsisters, Bonnie Palmer of South Carolina, Betty Long of Virginia and Darlene Owens of Broken Arrow, Okla.
Graveside rites and burial will be 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Grandview Cemetery with the Rev. Dwayne Hite officiating.
Friends may call 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Beckley.
Co-workers will serve as pallbearers.
Condolences may be e-mailed to the family at RandQ@citynet.net.
The family respectfully requests that flowers be omitted.
Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Beckley.
Robert Lee Curtis
HIGHLAND SPRINGS, Va. - Robert Lee Curtis, 60, of 114 N. Elm Ave., formerly of Hinton, died Wednesday, June 11, 2003, at St. Mary's Hospital, Richmond, Va., following a short illness.
Born Sept. 21, 1942, in Hinton, he was the son of the late Connye Clifton and Ruth Irene Bailey Curtis.
Mr. Curtis retied as a letter carrier for the United States Postal Service after 29 years of service. He was a member of New Bridge Baptist Church, Highland Springs.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Rebecca Hite Curtis on Nov. 21, 2000.
Survivors include a son, Daniel Curtis of Highland Springs; and a daughter, Beverly Bruce and husband, Chip, of Sandston, Va.
Service will be 2 p.m. Saturday at Central Baptist Church, Hinton, with Pastor Grover Morris officiating. Burial will follow in Restwood Memorial Gardens, Hinton.
Friends may call 6 to 8 p.m. today at Pivont Funeral Home, Hinton.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Diabetes Association.
Arrangements by Pivont Funeral Home, Hinton.
Beulah L. Holliday
ANSTED - Beulah L. Holliday, 68, died Wednesday, June 11, 2003.
Service will be 2 p.m. Saturday at Wallace & Wallace Chapel, Ansted. Friends may call noon until time of service Saturday at the funeral home.
Arrangements by Wallace & Wallace Funeral Home, Ansted.
Luther M. Mann
NORFOLK, Va. - Luther Malcolm Mann, 79, formerly of Alderson, died Monday, June 9, 2003, at his home in Norfolk, Va., following a short illness.
Born July 24, 1923, in Alderson, he was the son of the late Luther Hinton "Lute" Mann and Tena Cirilla Morgan Mann.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Frances Hall Mann; two brothers, Curtis Mann and Otho Karl Mann; and three sisters, Carmen Fawcett, Nellie Disharoon and Patricia Spence.
Mr. Mann graduated from Alderson High School and was the owner and operator of Mac's Snack Shack in Alderson for 10 years.
He lived in Alderson until he was 30 years old. He married Frances Hall on May 18, 1952, and they moved to Norfolk in 1954.
Mr. Mann was a retired machinist, having retired from civil service duty with the Navy after 24 years of service. He was a member of Cornerstone Baptist Church, Norfolk.
Survivors include four children, Darrell L. Mann, Ronald H. Mann, Tena V. Moran and Anita E. Tapia; a brother, Robert M. Mann; a sister, Rita N. Brown; 15 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
Service was 2 p.m. Thursday at Cornerstone Baptist Church, Norfolk.
Graveside service and burial will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Alderson Cemetery with the Rev. Alvie Edwards officiating.
Arrangements by Lobban Funeral Home, Alderson.
Bertha Hypes McClung
SUMMERSVILLE - Bertha F. Syner Hypes McClung, 96, died Wednesday, June 11, 2003.
Service will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Summersville Presbyterian Church. Friends may call 6 to 8 p.m. today at White Funeral Home, Summersville.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Summersville Presbyterian Church, 427 Waters St., Summersville, WV 26651.
Arrangements by White Funeral Home, Summersville.
