Gary L. Sams
Gary L. Sams, 50, of Teays Valley died July 13, 1999, in Memorial Division, CAMC.
He was president and CEO of Phelps Coal and Land Co., a graduate of West Virginia University, and a member of Sleepy Hollow Golf
Club board of directors.
Surviving: wife, Carolyn Morrison Sams; mothers, Freda Wigal Sams of Parkersburg; brothers, Marvin of Belpre, Ohio and Erroll of Toledo, Ohio; sister, Debbie Reed of East Amhurst, New York; six nieces and one nephew.
Service was held July 16, 1999 at Forrest Burdette Memorial United Methodist Church, Hurricane, with the Rev. Ernie Stump and the Rev. Dan Hogan officiating. Burial was in the Wigal family Cemetery, Wadesville. Chapman Funeral Home, Teays Valley, was in charge of arrangements.
Nathan W. Sommerville
Nathan W. Sommerville, 64, of Hurricane, formerly of Elkins, died March 17, 1999, in St. Mary’s Hospital, Huntington, after a long illness.
He was retired from Appalachian Mental Health Center, Elkins. He was a Marine Corps veteran of the Korean War and a member of the Catholic Church of the Ascension, Hurricane.
Surviving: wife, Mary Louise Matko Sommerville; daughters, Tonya Heskett of Scott Depot and Lisa Copeland of Hurruicane; brothers, Dale and Jay Sommerville; sisters, Mabel Nutter, Lucille, Howell, Bernice Miester and Emogene Wamsley; six grandsons.
Service was held Saturday, March 20, 1999, at the Catholic Church of the Ascention with the Rev. J. Stephen Vallelonga officiating. Chapman Funeral Home, Teays Valley, was in charge of arrangements.
Hansford A. Shamblin
Hansford A. Shamblin, 86, of Red House, Putnam County, died March 11, 1999, in Putnam General Hospital, Hurricane, after a long illness.
He was retired from Union Boiler and a member of the Carpenters union and a former concrete finisher. He was a self-employed contractor, rural mail carrier, miner and Tupperware salesman.
He as a former president of North Putnam Little League Baseball and a member of the Putnam County Sportsman Club and Poca United Methodist Church. He was a former member of Faith United Methodist Church.
Surviving: wife, Helen Wolford Shamblin; daughters, Doris Romjue of Queenstown, Md., Janet Gore of Sterling, Va., Karen Wymer of Scott Depot, Debbie Custer of Tallahassee, Fla.; sons, Fred of Kansas City, Mo., Leroy of Liberty, Roger of Ladson, S.C., Charles of Red House, Chester of Cottage Grove, Minn.; sisters, Frankie Elswick of Cedar Grove, Eugenia Bell of Gilchrist, Texas, Audry Shamblen of Detroit; brother, Ray of Charleston, S.C.; 22 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren.
Services were held Sunday, March 14, 1999 at Gatens Funeral Home, Poca with the Rev. Norvell Robertson officiating. Burial in Haven of Rest Memorial Gardens, Red House.
Frances Shamblin
Frances Shamblin, 71, of Bancroft, Putnam County, died Monday, March 15, 1999, in CAMC, Memorial Division, after a short illness.
She was a native of Putnam County, a member of Center Point Community Church, Liberty, and custodian of the church and the church cemetery.
Surviving: companion, Jim Stewart of Bancroft; daughters, Ellen Anthony of Hurricane, Doris Miller of Bancroft, Emmajean Buckalew of Goldtown; sisters, Miza Harrison of Liberty, Dorothy Landers of Lorain, Ohio; brothers, Glenville Ray Bailey of Melbourne, Fla., Franklin Bailey of Liberty; six grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren.
Services were held Wednesday, March 17, 1999 at Center Point Community Church, Liberty, with the Rev. Leroy Meadows officiating. Burial in church cemetery. Gatens Funeral Home, Poca, was in charge of arrangements.
Lillie B. Stover
Lillie Beatrice Legg Stover, 70, of Buffalo died March 2, 1999, in Thomas Memorial Hospital after a short illness.
She was a homemaker.
Surviving: husband, Herbert “Shady” Stover; daughters, Donna Keefer of Pt. Pleasant and Pamela Sergent of Culloden; sons, Michael Stover of Columbus, Ohio and Herbert Stover Jr. of Buffalo; five grandchildren; five great-grandchildren.
Service was held at Raynes Funeral Home, Buffalo, with the Regv. Denver Tucker officiating. Burial was in Buffalo Memorial Park.
William T. Stover
William T. “Smokey” Stover, 60, of Houston, Texas died February 17, 1999, in the VA Hospital in Houston of complications from Lymphoma.
He was born near Buffalo, West Virginia, “on Gobbler’s Knob at the head of Turkey Branch” (Robertsburg). He graduated from Bowling Green State University. He was honorably retired as Lieutenant from the US Naval Air Force, where he served as a navigator/bombardier, with the rare gift of “dead reckoning” with P3A-Orion Squadron VP-45. He played string bass and tuba with jazz quartets and concert bands and Ernie Duffield’s Big Band in Fostoria, Ohio. He was employed as a Trade Show Decorator for Freeman Decorating in Houston and a member of the International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades.
Surviving: wife of 18 years, Phyllis B. “Rusti” Stover; father, William Taft Stover, Sr. of Adrian, Michigan; stepdaughter, Andrea Winans of Houston; brothers, Richard Lee Whittington of Cincinnati and James Stover of Fostoria; sisters, Nellie Ann Shepherd of Bethel, Connecticut and Mary S. Harkey of Adrian; several nieces; lifelong best friend, Wayne Russell of Sandusky, Ohio; hundreds of friends and relatives who loved this good, kind and wonderful man.
Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society of the VA Medical Center, both in care of Robert E. Dean, PO Box 540401, Houston TX 77254-0401. Bellaire Southwest Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Donna Stewart
John Ray Stewart
John Scott Stewart
Donna Hedrick Stewart, John Ray Stewart and their son, John Scott Stewart, of Raymond City died February 22, 1999 of injuries received in a fire at their mobile home.
Donna Hedrick Stewart, 62, was a homemaker.
John Ray Stewart, 67, was a lifelong resident of Raymond City, retired from the Laborers Union, was assistant director of the Hometown Senior Citizens and an Army veteran.
John Scott Stewart, 24, was a lifelong resident of Raymond City and an employee of Lowe’s, Cross Lanes.
Surviving the Stewarts: daughters/sisters, Patricia Ann Youse of Charleston, Kim Riffle and Tammy Walker, both of Poca, and Gloria “Sis” Hughes of Nitro; sons/brothers, Terry and Michael Stewart, both of Poca; mother/grandmother, Nellie Hedrick of Poca; 11 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren.
Also surviving Mrs. Stewart: sisters, Jeanie Bumgardner of Liberty, Phyllis Mallory of St. Albans and Louise Bonnett of Poca; brothers, Robert Hedrick of Texas, Donald Hedrick of Florida and Gordon Hedrick of Tennessee.
Also surviving Mr. Stewart: sisters, Lina Mae Withrow of Ohio, Elizabeth Lucas of St. Albans, Mary Greathouse of Ohio, and Anna Craigo of Ohio; brothers, Dewey Stewart of Dunbar, Denver Stewart of Nitro and Shirley Stewart of Dunbar
Joint funeral service was held at Gatens Funeral Home, Poca, with the Rev. Jeff Arthur officiating. Burial was in Haven of Rest Memorial Gardens, Red House.
Catherine D. Sirbaugh
Catherine Daisy Sirbaugh, 80, of Hurricane, formerly of St. Albans, died February 17, 1999, in Sunrise Nursing Home after a short illness.
She was a homemaker and a member of Calvary Baptist Church, Hurricane.
Surviving: daughters, Lois Casto of Scott Depot and Diana Maggie of St. Albans; sons, Robert G. and Alex, both of St. Albans; brothers, Eugene Sheppard of Pt. Pleasant and George Sheppard of Michigan; sisters, Ruth Withrow, Mary Bowen and Helen Irwin, all of Charleston, and Juanita Fox of North Carolina; 11 grandchildren; eight grandchildren.
Service was held at Snodgrass Funeral Home, South Charleston. Burial was in the Sheppard family Cemetery, Pt. Pleasant.
Oliver W. Starcher
Oliver W. “Woody” Starcher, 83, of Sissonville died February 9, 1999, in St. Francis Hospital, Charleston, after a long illness.
He was a retired welder from FMC with 27 years’ service, a member of Liberty Lions Club and a West Virginia Golden Horseshoe winner.
Surviving: sone, Joseph R. “Joe” of Sissonville; daughter, Nancy Carole Starcher Thornton of Madison, Alabama; brothers, Denver of Charleston, Charles of Melbourne, Florida and Floyd H. of Given; one grandchild.
Service was held at Emma Chapel United Methodist Church, Liberty, with the Rev. Gerald B. Sayre officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery. Cunningham-Parker-Johnson Funeral Home, Charleston, was in charge of arrangements. Memorial donations may be made to Emma Chapel United Methodist Church Building Fund, State Route 34, Liberty WV 25124.
Kathryn A. Steele
Kathryn A. Steele, 74, of Bancroft died February 5, 1999, in Thomas Memorial Hospital after a short illness.
She was a lifelong resident of Bancroft and a member of Bancroft Church of God Mission.
Surviving: husband, Lovell S.; daughters, Mary Arthur and Deborah Lewis, both of Bancroft; son, Jerry W. of Poca; seven grandchildren; five great-grandchildren.
Service was held at Gatens Funeral Home, Poca, with the Rev. James B. Legg and the Rev. John Taylor officiating. Burial was in Schowen Cemetery, Bancroft.
Alejandra M. Santillan
Amanda Marie Parsons
Amber Nickole Parsons
Amanda Marie Parsons, 10, Amber Nickole Parsons, 7, and Alejandra M. Santillan, 4, of Nitro died March 16, 1999, in a fire at their home.
Amanda and Amber were students at Rock Branch Elementary School and members of the Girl Scouts. The three girls were all members of Kelly’s Dance Studio in Cross Lanes. Amanda was a member of her school’s choir.
Surviving: stepfather and mother, Hector M. and Anna M. Santillan of Nitro; father of Amanda and Amber, Williams Parsons of St. Albans; maternal grandparents, David and Shawn O’Brien of Culloden, Edna and Frank Humphreys of Sissonville; paternal grandparents of Amanda and Amber, Williams and Bernice Parsons of Nitro; paternal grandparents of Alejandra, Alejandro and Alejandra Santillan-Sigala of Mexico; maternal great-grandmother, Regina O’Brien of Charleston; maternal great-great-grandmother, Minnie Harper of Sarasota, Florida.
Joint service was held Saturday, March 20, 1999, at Lighthouse Baptist Church, Hurricane, with Pastor Garry White officiating. Burial was in Cunningham Memorial Park, St. Albans. Chapman Funeral Home, Teays Valley, was in charge of arrangements.
Ralph L. Staats
Ralph L. Staats, 81, of Bancroft died March 10, 1999, at home after a short illness.
He was a retired first mate for Ohio River Co., with 35 years’ service.
Surviving: wife, Josephine; daughters, Grace Tanner of Lexington, Kentucky and Lou Neal of Christiansburg, Virginia; sons, Barry of Bancroft and Wayne of Detroit; stepdaughter, Paula Samples of Hometown; stepson, Stephen Neal of Bancroft; brother, Charles E. of Pt. Pleasant; three grandchildren; three great-grandchildren.
Graveside service was in Schowen Cemetery, Bancroft, with Pastor Michael Hanna officiating. Gatens Funeral Home, Poca, was in charge of arrangements.
Mary Iris Stone
Mary Iris Stone, 72, of Red House died February 13, 1999 in Teays Valley Nursing and Rehabilitation Center after a long illness.
She was a lifelong resident of Putnam County, a former schoolteacher with the Putnam County Board of Education, a former employee of Fletcher Enamel, Dunbar, The Hosiery Mill, Eleanor, and DeMure Bra Factory, Hamlin. She was a member of Rock Branch Independent Church, where she was a member of Senior Saints Sunday School Class.
Surviving: daughters, Jackie Rollins and Teresa Gooch, both of Red House; son, Bill of Eleanor; sisters, Irene Beller of Canal Winchester, Ohio, Emma Barnett and Donna Pennington, both of Obetz, Ohio; brother, Dennis Smalley of Paradise; five grandchildren; one great-grandchild.
Service was held at Gatens Funeral Home, Poca, with Pastor Delbert Hawley and Pastor Jim Davis officiating. Entombment was in Haven of Rest Memorial Gardens Mausoleum, Red House.
Edward Lee Sowards
Edward Lee Sowards, 68, of Hurricane died January 10, 1999, in Sunrise Nursing Home after a long illness.
He was a retired farmer and a lifelong resident of Hurricane.
Surviving: son, Jimmy of Hurricane; daughter, Sandy Sowards of Hurricane; sister, Betty Woodard of Milton; four grandchildren.
Service was held at Allen Funeral Home, Hurricane. Burial was in Kingrey Cemetery, near Hurricane.
Frances Slater
Frances “Teetie” Slater, 89, of Hurricane died January 12, 1999, in Teays Valley Nursing and Rehabilitation Center after a long illness.
She was a former employee of Nu-Way Cleaners, Charleston, and was of the Nazarene faith.
Surviving: stepdaughter, Phyllis Sayre of Dunbar; brother, Orville E. Bayes of Lubbock, Texas; sister, Faye Hatcher of Teays Valley; several stepgrandchildren.
Service was held at Good Shepherd Mortuary, South Charleston, with the Rev. Wade Austin officiating. Burial was in Cunningham Memorial Park, St. Albans.
Raymond L. Shafer
Raymond L. Shafer, 69, of Scott Depot died January 18, 1999, in Memorial Division, CAMC, after a short illness.
He was a retired owner of Compro Systems, St. Albans, a member of Elk Hills Presbyterian Church, a lifelong resident of the Kanawha Valley and an Army veteran of the Korean War.
Surviving: wife, Jacqueline Shafer; son, Mike of Winfield; grandchildren, Kayla Amos of Hurricane, Christopher and Kelly Shafer, both of Winfield; one great-grandson.
A private memorial service was held at Compro Systems. Chapman Funeral Home, Teays Valley, was in charge of arrangements. The family suggests memorial donations be made to the American Heart Association, 1319 Quarrier Street, Charleston WV 25301.
Raymond D. Stetser
Raymond David Stetser, 79, of Buffalo, formerly of DeLand, Florida, died January 19, 1999, in General Division, CAMC, after a long illness.
He was retired as supervisor of property maintenance for the city of Hollywood, Florida. He was a Protestant, a Marine Corps veteran of World War II and the Korean War and a member of Masonic Lodge 269.
Surviving: wife, Mary Matthews Stetser; granddaughters, Kristen St. Clair of Statesville, North Carolina and Kendra Stetser of Ridgefield, Connecticut; two great-grandchildren.
Service was held at Raynes Funeral Home, Buffalo, with the Rev. Mike Tucker officiating.
Hazel Smalley
Hazel Ice Smalley, 88, of Hometown died January 25, 1999, in Moss Golden Years Personal Care Home after a long illness.
She was the first director of Hometown Senior Citizens Center, a member of Putnam County Homemakers Club, a member, former Sunday school teacher and choir member of Wilkinson Memorial United Methodist Church and delivered Meals-on-Wheels.
Surviving: son, Harold Wilson of East Lake, Ohio; sister, Thalia Carney of South Charleston; brother, Robert Ice of Virginia; five grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; five great-great-grandchildren.
Service was held at Gatens Funeral Home, Poca, with the Rev. Larry Walker officiating. Entombment was in Haven of Rest Memorial Gardens Mausoleum, Red House.
Clyde I. Taylor
Clyde I Taylor, 77, of Scott Depot died November 23, 1999, in Putnam General Hospital after a short illness.
He was a member and custodian of Teays Valley Missionary Baptist Church. He was retired from Avtex Fibers, Nitro, with 38 years' service. He was a 37-year resident of Scott Depot.
Surviving: wife, Eula M.; daughter, Sharon Carpenter of Scott Depot; sons, James W. and Larry W., both of Scott Depot; sisters, Virginia Simms of St. Albans and Bernice Rice of Hurricane; five grandchildren; six great-grandsons.
Service was held November 27, 1999 at Teays Valley Missionary Baptist Church with Pastor John Smith and Pastor Bruce Young officiating. Burial was in Forest Memorial Park, Milton. Chapman Funeral Home, Teays Valley, was in charge of arrangements.
A.M. Tully
A.M. “Laurie” Tully, 74, of Hurricane died November 17, 1999, in the emergency room at Putnam General Hospital after a sudden illness.
She was a retired nursing director from the West Virginia Handicapped Children Services, a consultant and former director of nursing at Kanawha Valley Hospital. She was a member of Forrest Burdette Memorial United Methodist Church, Sleepy Hollow Golf Club, Women of the Moose Chapter 2098, Milton, and the Huntington Cotillion Group. She received a registered nursing degree from the Medical College of Virginia, a bachelor's degree in nursing education from Duke University, and a master's degree in counseling and guidance from Marshall University.
Surviving: husband, William F. “Bill” Tully; daughter, Deborah Ardenia Lipscomb of Charlotte, North Carolina; son William Douglas of Pittsburgh; sister, Dorothy Mae Pond of Ettrick, Virginia; two grandchildren.
Memorial service was held November 20, 1999 at Forrest Burdette Memorial United Methodist Church with the Rev. Dan Hogan officiating. Chapman Funeral Home, Teays Valley, was in charge of arrangements. Memorial donations may be sent to Forrest Burdette Memorial United Methodist Church Building Fund, 2848 Putnam Avenue, Hurricane WV 25526.
Henry G. Taylor
Henry G. “Teeny” Taylor, 53, of Hurricane died November 1, 1999, at home after a long illness.
He was a former employee of Claxton Smith Concrete, was a Chrsitian and a lifelong resident of Putnam County.
Surviving: brothers, William “Earl” of Avon, Ohio, Charles “Merrell,” Harold “Willis” and James “Darrell,” all of Hurricane.
Service was held November 4, 1999 at Chapman Funeral Home, Teays Valley, with the Rev. Paul Spence officiating. Burial was in Pine Grove Cemetery, Fraziers Bottom.
