Carroll Witt
Carroll Witt, 50, of Liberty died November 9, 2001, at home.
He was a carpenter superintendent for Wiseman Construction with 14 years’ service and a member of the Carpenter’s Union Local 1207, Nitro Moose Lodge and the Dunbar Bowling League.
Surviving: wife, Patty Long Witt; daughter, Sherry Witt of Liberty; mother, Mrs. Lenida Witt of Poca; sister, Yvonne Absten of Poca; brothers, Alvie Witt, Nyle Witt and Linden Witt, all of Charleston, Timmy Witt of Poca, and Davit Witt of Liberty; grandson, Austin Lewis.
Service was held Tuesday, November 13, 2001, at Gatens Funeral Home, Poca, with the Rev. Billy Casto and the Rev. Paul Arthur officiating. Burial was in Center Point Cemetery, Liberty. Gatens Funeral Home, Poca, was in charge of arrangements.
Betty Lawhon
Betty Lawhon, 66, of Barboursville, went to be with the Lord on Thursday, November 8, 2001. Funeral services were conducted at 2 p.m. Sunday, November 11, 2001 at Gethsemane Baptist Church by the Rev. Zachary Bills and the Rev. Carlos Gibson. Burial was in Ridgelawn Memorial Park, Huntington. She was born August 19,1935, in Cabell County, a daughter of the late Tracy and Nellie Bailey Berry. She was also preceded in death by one brother, Arden Berry and one sister, Ellen Kolodzik. She was a member of Gethsemane Baptist Church. She is survived by her husband, William Lawhon Jr.; one daughter and son-in-law, Kelley and Brian Curry of Barboursville; four sons and two daughters-in-law, David and Brenda Lawhon, Rod and Denise Lawhon, Jeff Lawhon and Greg Lawhon all of Barboursville; two sisters and brothers-in-law, Nyoka and Mike Gibson and Sandra and Ed VanderMeer, all of Huntington; a special brother-in-law, Donald “Blackie” Kolodzik; seven grandchildren, T.J. Lawhon, Kari Burdick and her husband Jeff, Sarah Lawhon, Joshua Lawhon, Jessica Lawhon, Mary Lawhon and Madison Curry; and special nieces and nephews, Reagan Berry, Scott Berry and Cindy Noe. Wallace Funeral Home, Barboursville, was in charge of arrangements.
Maxiedean Adkins Taylor
Maxiedean Adkins Taylor, 68, of Huntington, W.Va, died Wednesday November 7, 2001, at home after a long illness. Funeral services were held Saturday, November 10, 2001 at Beard Mortuary with the Rev. Mark Stapleton officiating. Burial in Spring Valley Memory Gardens, Huntington. She was born April 12,1933, at Wolf Creek in Wayne County, W.Va., the daughter of the late Harvey and Elender Davis. She was also preceded in death by one sister, Susie Irene Blair. She was retired from C&O Railroad. She is survived by her husband Bill Taylor; one daughter and son-in-law, Brenda and Roscoe Linthicum of Barboursville, W.Va.; one grandson, Steven Linthicum of Huntington; one sister and brother-in-law, Delcie and Bill Elkins of Ceredo; one brother and sister-in-law, Jessie and Clara Davis of Mentor, Ohio, four nephews, David James, Noah Simpkins, Clyde Blair and Donnie Elkins; two special nieces, Deborah Young and Denise Howard; great-nieces and nephews; and special friends who helped when needed, Alice Cremeans and Susie Albright. Beard Mortuary was in charge of arrangements.. Condolences may be extended to the family at www.beardfuneralhome.com
Azel G. Turley
Azel G. Turley, 78, of Ona, husband of Maxine Turley, died Saturday in St Mary’s Hospital. He was a retired State Farm agent Also surviving are three sons, Mark Turley of Milton, David Turley of Okinawa, Japan and Dana Turley of Huntington; and one daughter, Martha Vickers of Ona; Heck Funeral Home, Milton was in charge of arrangements.
Maggie Mae Boliek
Maggie Mae Boliek, 98, of Mt Alto, W.Va, formerly of Huntington passed away November 10, 2001 in Pleasant Valley Rehabilitation Center. Graveside services were conducted at 1 pm Tuesday, November 13, 2001 at Woodmere Memorial Park, by the Rev. Craig Coster. She was born May 1, 1903, in Cabell County, a daughter of the late George Frank and Viola Jane Burcham Wentz. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Cecil I. Boliek, two sisters, Pearl Childers and Myrtle Hazelett; one brother, Irvin Wentz; one son, Carl Boliek; and two daughters, Roseann Esque and Cecilia Miller. She is survived by one daughter and son-in-law, Lois and Elbert Hall of Mt Alto; 10 grandchildren, Joann Adkins, Donald Esque Jr., Steve Miller Jr., Joey Miller, Johnny Miller, Janet Cowan, and Kenneth, Daniel, Richard and Sharon Hall; 10 great-grandchildren; and several great-great-grandchildren. Wallace Funeral Home, Barboursville, was in charge of arrangements.
Tennessee Lois Wright
Tennessee Lois Wright, 59, of Huntington, formerly of Milton, died Thursday, November 8, 2001 in Saint Mary’s Hospital, Huntington. She was the daughter of the late Sherman and Lillie Mullens Goodman. Graveside services were held 1 pm Tuesday, November 13, 2001 at Grandview Memorial Gardens, Bluefield, WV. With Dr. I. Mark Conner officiating. Burial followed at the cemetery. She is survived by a daughter, Lillie Diane Watts of Minot, N.D.; Two sisters, Helen Trimble of Hurricane, and Doris Moreland of Saint Albans. Special Companion, Carl Adkins of Huntington. Several Nieces and Nephews. There was no visitation. Heck Funeral Home, Milton, was in charge of arrangements.
Luther Watson Lewis
Luther Watson Lewis, 82, of Barboursville, W.Va, passed away November 5, 2001, at home. Funeral services were conducted Friday, November 9, 2001 at the Wallace Funeral Home & Chapel, Barboursville, by Pastor Carl Merritt. Burial in White Chapel Memorial Gardens, Barboursville. He was born November 14, 1918, in Cabell County, a son of the late Griffin and Gay Cyrus Lewis. He was a retired employee of Columbia Gas. He was a Deacon and past Superintendent of Sunday School and former Trustee of Hebron Baptist Church. He was preceded in death by one daughter, Beverly Ann Lewis. He is survived by his wife, Elma Yvonne Bledsoe Lewis; three daughters, Loretta Cooper, Clara Chapman and Deborah Beckelheimer, all of Barboursville. Also surviving are 10 grandchildren, Lisa Kauffer, Steve Cooper, Susie Nicely, Timmy Cooper, Kris Cooper, Kristi Cooper, Melody Cooper, Sandi Lusher, Darin Steven’s and Dustin Beckelheimer; and several great-grandchildren. Honorary pallbearers were Sherman Fry and James Dillon
Lewis F. “Lew” Burns
Lewis F. “Lew” Burns, 68, died November 6, 2001, in Grand Strand Regional Medical Center. Born in Milton, W.Va., Mr. Burns retired from Owens-Illinois Glass Corp., in Toledo, Ohio, after 33 years. He was a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va., where he played basketball. A member of the Elks Lodge #2679 in Calabash, N.C., a member of Bay Tree Men’s Golf Association, the Bay Tree Blazers and the Grasshoppers. Survivors include his mother, Theodosia Burns of Milton, W.Va.; his wife, Donnette Burns of North Myrtle Beach; daughters, Charlene Bias and her husband Greg of Chesapeake, Ohio, Rhonda Sheffield and her husband Joe of Johnson City, Tenn., and Renee Riffe and her husband Bill of Gaeta, Italy; a son, Lewis F. Burns Jr. and his wife Gayle of Holland, Mich.; one brother, Fred Burns of Barboursville, W.Va.; three sisters, Linda Kearns of Winter Park, Fla., Mary Black of Milton W.Va, and Karen Arbaugh of Elyria, Ohio; and six grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Red Cross, 2795 Pampas Drive, Myrtle Beach SC 29577. Lee Funeral Home of Little River/North Myrtle Beach, was in charge.
Floyd Howard Harless
Floyd Howard Harless, 73, of Salt Rock went to be with the Lord Sunday, November 4, 2001. Funeral services were conducted Wednesday, November 7, 2001, at the Wallace Funeral Home and Chapel by Pastor Kim Stone and the Rev. James Jobe. Burial in the Floyd Harless Family Cemetery. He was born May 24, 1928, in Cabell County, a son of the late Boyd and Disa Mae Kirk Harless. He was also preceded in death by one brother, Talmadge Harless, and one granddaughter, Tracy Lynn Harless. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, serving in World War II, and was Baptist by faith. He is survived by his loving wife of 52 years, Phyllis Belie Jobe Harless; three loving sons and daughters-in-law, Terry and Freda Harless of Barboursville, Gregory and Kathy Harless of Salt Rock and Larry and Sharon Harless of Salt Rock; two sisters and one brother-in-law, Marie and Ted Wallace and Belva Walls, all of Huntington; and nine loving grandchildren. VFW Post #9738 Guyandotte conducted military graveside rites. Grandchildren served as pallbearers. The would like to thank Lincoln Primary Care Hospice, Dr. Mehta and Dr. Kimmey for their care.
John B. Lavery
John B. Lavery, 49, of Huntington, died Saturday, November 3, 2001, at St. Mary’s Hospital. Graveside service was conducted Wednesday, November 7, 2001, at Spring Hill Cemetery by the Rev. Kenneth Nolan. He was born October 20, 1952, in Charleston, W.Va., a son of the late John S. and Sarah “Sally” Bolton Lavery. He was also preceded in death by his grandparents, Squire Bolton and Reba Bolton Bowen, and a brother, Terry Bolton Lavery. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army, a member of Camp H-15th Alabama Infantry, the Guyandotte Civil War Days Inc., vice commander of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Camp Garnette and past member of the 36th Virginia Infantry - Company A. He was involved with grade school and high school living history on soldier camp life during the Civil War. He is survived by three uncles, Ralph E. Rogers of Huntington, Walter Rogers Jr. of Newport, Mich., and Bill Lavery of Connecticut; his adopted mother, Joyce McClure of Barboursville; several cousins and many friends from the Civil War re-enactors. Wallace Funeral Home & Chapel, Barboursville, was in charge of arrangements.
Elma Lillian King Roberts
Elma Lillian King Roberts, 78, a life-long resident of Milton, WV, died early the morning of November 3, 2001, at the home she shared with her children in Boise, ID. A memorial service was conducted by the family on Thursday, November 8, 2001 at Heck Funeral Home, followed by internment.at White Chapel Memorial Gardens Mausoleum, Barboursville. Elma Lillian, born April 26, 1923, was the youngest daughter of Charles and Charlotte King, of Milton. She attended Milton schools and graduated from Milton High School with honors in 1940. Although she was offered several scholarships to attend college—including one in mathematics at the University of Chicago—her loving and protective father insisted she stay close to home, and thus, she attended business school in Huntington, WV, but then moved to Baltimore, MD, in 1942, to be near her high school sweetheart, Ford Roberts, and to work alongside him and many others at Glen L. Martin Aircraft. In 1944, she and her daughter, Marsha, returned to Milton to live with their many relatives while Ford went to Europe as a member of the U.S. Army. Many of you may remember Elma Lillian as the beautiful, young woman who worked at the Milton Post Office at the corner of Smith and Main during that time. Upon Ford’s return to the states, he and Elma Lillian purchased a home at 1505 W. Main Street, Milton, where they lived until 1998. Their second daughter, Kitty, was born in 1947 and their only son, Kimran, was born in 1951. Elma Lillian reared her children to be adventuresome, responsible, and inquisitive—all qualities she exuded throughout her own life.
Her contributions to the community were many and varied. She was bookkeeper for Happy Hall Lumber company, a postal clerk who was know to arise on Christmas morning to make sure packages found their home on time, and after she retired, she went to work for herself as a tax consultant! She was a life-long member of the American Legion, Post 139 Auxiliary, in Milton. Like many women in Milton, she was an excellent cook who shared her many delectable creations with the community. For many years she was known as the “popcorn ball lady” at Halloween, and when hot dog sauce was needed at a football game or at an American Legion function, she made it by the gallons. Her cakes and cookies and pies — many from the recipes of her mother’s — found their way to many a pot luck table, not to mention several foreign countries and a multitude of states. Although she did not begin knitting and crocheting until after her “first retirement”, many a new baby wore her booties and slept wrapped in her hand-made blankets. Her handiwork was exquisite and she left to the world many tangible ways to be remembered. Although Elma Lillian suffered from a plethora of health problems in her last years, she continued to travel and to enjoy one of her many passions, horse racing. During her last year she traveled to Las Vegas, NV, Page, AZ, and Sarasota Springs, NY. In the last week of her life she placed her bets on the world’s best horses at the Breeders’ Stakes and calculated potential earnings with the astuteness and accuracy of a professional handicapper. Whether it was figuring income taxes, a complicated set of gambling odds, of Tiger Woods’ standing in the current golf tournament, her ability to “do the math” never left her.
Elma Lillian is survived by her children, Marsha L. Roberts and Kimran L. Roberts, both of Boise, ID, and Kitty L. Roberts of Page, AZ; grandchildren, James Patrick Harshbarger of Wilmington, DE, Samuel David Harshbarger and his wife, Jill Piro Harshbarger of Sarasota Springs, NY, and William Patrick Roberts of Seattle, WA; two great grandsons, David Moore Harshbarger and Paul Louis Harshbarger. She was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Ford L. Roberts.
Curtis E. Pelfrey
Curtis E. Pelfrey, 78, of Huntington, W.Va., died Sunday, November 4, 2001, at his residence. Funeral services were conducted Thursday, November 8, 2001, at Henson Mortuary by the Rev. Sue C. Jarrett. Entombment in Ridgelawn Memorial Park Abbey of Devotion. He was born February 19, 1923, in Olive Hill, Ky., son of the late James Pelfrey and Eva Porter Pelfrey. He was a retired signal engineer for CSX Transportation. Mr. Pelfrey was a member of Pea Ridge United Methodist Church, Masonic Lodge F&AM #195 of Louisa, Ky., and the Hump Pilot Association, C.B.I. Group. He was a World War II Army Air Force veteran, serving overseas in the China, Burma-India Theatre as a radio operator with the Air Transport Command, making 78 round trips over the Hump from India-Burma to China. For his service there, Mr. Pelphrey was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal and other general theatre medals. He was a charter member of the WVKY Basha, which is the only active chapter of the C.B.I. Veterans’ Association. Mr. Pelphrey is survived by his wife, Irene Potter Pelfrey; son and daughter-in-law, Danny and Linda Pelfrey of Los Angeles, Calif.; daughter and son-in-law, Sandra and Paul Sargent of Huntington; a grandson and his wife, Eric and Amy Sargent; two great-granddaughters, Corey and Cagney Sargent; and three sisters, Wilma Maish of Portage, Ind., Doris Eakers of Seattle, Wash., and Lillian Olson of Florida. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Heart Association.
Pauline Emily Rife
Pauline Emily Rife, 80, of Glenwood, wife of Carl Douglas Rife, died Monday, November 5, 2001, in St. Marys Hospital. She was a homemaker. Also surviving are one daughter, Sharon Sue Watkins of Lesage; one son, Dale M. Rife of Glenwood; and four grandchildren, Kim Sydenstricker and Lisa Bird, both of Steve Rife of Ona and Andrea Watkins of Lesage. Funeral services were conducted Thursday, November 8, 2001 at Chapman’s Mortuary, Huntington; burial in Greenbottom Memorial Park.
Paul S. Thomasson
Paul S. Thomasson, 86, of Hurricane died October 31, 2001, at home after a short illness.
He was retired from Union Carbide and was a Navy veteran.
Surviving: wife, Elizabeth; sons, Robert of Scott Depot and Jeffrey of Hurricane; sister, Mildred Hanson.
Service was held Saturday, November 3, 2001, at Keller Funeral Home, Dunbar, with the Rev. Charles Hendricks officiating. Burial was in Cunningham Memorial Park.
Arta B. Twaddell
Arta Belle Dotson Twaddell, 85, of Buffalo, formerly of Malver, Pennsylvania, died October 31, 2001, after a short illness.
Born October 28, 1916 in Boone County, she was preceded in death by her husbeand, Roland J. Twaddell on December 1, 1999; parents, John and Shara Dotson of Red House; brothers, Bernie, Walter, Harry, Jack and Gene; sister, Rosenell.
She was a member of United Brethren Independent Church in Red House.
Surviving: sisters, Eloise Prince and Laura Whittington, both of Arizona.
A memorial service was conducted in Pennsylvania. A memorial service in West Virginia will be held at a future date. The remains were put to rest in Memory Gardens at Madison.
Grace E. Devol
Mrs. Grace Eldora Devol, 92, of Hurricane died November 1, 2001, in Thomas Memorial Hospital after a long illness. She was a resident at SunBridge Care and Rehabilitation of Dunbar.
Grace was a homemaker, a longtime member of the Methodist Church with previous memberships at St. Paul Methodist Church in South Charleston, Grace Methodist Church in Gallipolis, Ohio, Kenova Methodist Church in Kenova and St. John United Methodist Church in Scott Depot. She had served in mission work, childrens’ work, food pantry work and other areas where needed. She was a 48-year resident of West Virginia.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Ottie and Nellie Dowler; sisters, Leona Keeley, Dorothy Cagg, Janet Lowery, and Thelma Frank; brothers, Ernest Dowler, Clifford Dowler, Ralph Dowler, Lawrence Dowler, Robert Dowler, and Herbert Dowler.
Surviving: husband, J. Omer Devol; daughter, Helen J. Kline, and her husband, Richard, of Scott Depot; son, Vernon O. Devol, and his wife, Betty, of Charleston; grandchildren, Karen Helm, and her husband, Tim, of Marion, Indiana, Keith Kline, and his wife, Lori, of Scott Depot, Rich Cline, and his wife, April, of Pittsburgh; sisters, Alice Rosen of Palm Harbour, Florida, Edna Edgar of Logan, Ohio, and Katheryn Brown of New Marshfield, Ohio; eight great-grandchildren; 18 nieces; 16 nephews.
Service was held Sunday, November 4, 2001, at St. John United Methodist Church with the Rev. Martin Hallett officiating. Burial was in Tyler Mountain Memory Gardens, Cross Lanes. Chapman Funeral Home, Teays Valley, was in charge of arrangements.
Sadie Louise Casey
Sadie Louise Casey, 100, of Barboursville, widow of Mike Casey, died Sunday, November 4, 2001, in St. Mary’s Hospital. Survivors include two sons, Robert L. Casey of Huntington and William A. Casey of Reynoldsburg, Ohio; and two sisters, Gertrude Stone of Reynoldsburg and Sarah Ellen Perry of Huntington. Funeral services were held Wednesday, November 7, 2001 at Chapman’s Mortuary, Huntington; burial in Spring Hill Cemetery.
Rosa Nenni Ore
Rosa Nenni Ore, 90, of Barboursville, widow of Bernard A. Ore, died Sunday, November 4, 2001 in Morris Memorial Nursing Home, Milton. Survivors include two sons, Edwin “Ed” Ore of Barboursville and Norbert Ore of Atlanta; two sisters, Georgia Artzner of Chico, Calif., and Florence Warren of Woodbridge, Va.; and two brothers, Rudolph Nenni and Tony Nenni. Funeral services were held Tuesday, November 6, 2001 at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church. Beard Mortuary was in charge of arrangements. Condolences may be sent to www.beardfuneralhome.com.
