U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
Ralph "Cotton" Hughes
Ralph Edward "Cotton" Hughes, 86, of Bluefield, VA, died May 14, 2004 in the Veterans hospital in Beckley.
Born in Ontario, Canada, he was a son of the late Ward Hughes and Margaret Sipple Hughes.
He was a salesman for Kammer Furniture Co. and prior to that had worked for over 40 years for Bluestone Bedding and Furniture Co. in Bluefield, VA. He was a member of the St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Bluefield, VA, past President of the Bluefield, VA, Lions Club, President of Bluestone Bedding Co., member of the American Legion and served in the U.S. Army during WWII.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one sister, Murriel Tibbs.
Survivors: wife, Viola Jane Cook Hughes, and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
The funeral was conducted May 16 at 2 p.m. at the St. Mary’s Episcopal Church with Rev. Russ Hatfield and Rev. Norm Desrosiers officiating.
Entombment followed in he Grandview Mausoleum.
Donations may be made to St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 101 Logan St., Bluefield, VA 24605.
Dudley Memorial Mortuary in Bluefield, VA, was in charge.
Ruby L. McKinney
Ruby L. McKinney, 89, of the Sandy Ridge section of Cleveland, died May 12, 2004 at her home.
Born in Russell County, she was a daughter of the late William and Hettie Crabtree.
She was a lifelong resident of the area and a member of the Homeville Church of God.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Walter McKinney; one stepdaughter, Rebecca Reedy; one stepson, Dormis McKinney; one brother, Romer Crabtree; one sister, Lydia Combs; and one brother-in-law, Brady Combs. In her generation, she was the last surviving member of her immediate family.
Survivors: several nieces and nephews
The funeral was conducted May 14 at 11 a.m. in the Honaker Funeral Home Chapel at Honaker with Rev. Elva Gay Hubbard officiating.
Interment followed in the Crabtree cemetery on Sandy Ridge.
Stacy Musick
Stacy Musick, 67, of Cleveland, died May 13, 2004 in a Lebanon hospital.
Born in Russell County, he was a son of the late Aaron and Lula Mae Wonder Musick.
He was a lifelong resident of the area and was a member of the Free Will Baptist Church.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one daughter, Eva Jean Musick, and one sister, Maddie Musick.
Survivors: daughters, Connie Barton and husband, Kenny, of Cleveland, Betty Ball and husband, Tim, of Glade Springs, Beulah Heath and husband, Jeff, of Chilhowie; sons, Bobby Stacy Musick and wife, Kimberly, of Fredricksburg, Billy Troy Johnson and wife, Carol, and Douglas Johnson and wife, Barbara, all of Cleveland; brothers, Clair Musick and Kermit Musick, both of Cleveland, Birchal Musick of St. Paul; sisters, Inus Kiser of Cleveland, Mattie Kiser of Swords Creek, Madelene Booth of Roanoke; grandsons, Kenneth Charles Barton and wife, Andrea, of Cleveland, Bobby Allen Musick of Fredricksburg; granddaughter, Brenda Gail Atwell and husband, Shawn Robert, of Cleveland; great-grandchild, Shawn Austin Atwell of Cleveland; and several nieces and nephews.
The funeral was conducted May 15 at 1 p.m. in the Honaker Funeral Home Chapel at Honaker with Rev. Cecil Musick officiating.
Interment followed in the Musick cemetery on Sourwood Mountain.
Andrew Presley Jr.
Andrew Fayne Presley Jr., 40, of Davenport, died May 14, 2004 in a Grundy hospital.
Born in Richlands, he was a son of Andrew Fayne Presley Sr. and Martha Ratliff Presley of Davenport.
He had spent most of his life in the area and was of the Pentecostal faith. He was a disabled truck driver.
Additional survivors: sons, Aaron Presley of Oakwood, Eric Presley of Nashville, TN; sisters, Anita Sturgill of Hickory, NC, Leah Fuller of Fairdale, KY; brothers, Kevin Presley of Haysi, Keith "Pete" Presley of Acworth, GA, Michael Carson Presley of Lebanon; maternal grandmother, Blanche Ratliff of Honaker; very special friend, Missy VanDyke of Vansant; and several nieces and nephews.
The funeral was conducted May 17 at 11 a.m. in the Honaker Funeral Home Chapel at Honaker with Rev. Arvil Arwood officiating.
Interment followed in the Presley cemetery at Davenport.
Charlie O. Roberts
Charlie O. Roberts, 77, of Tampa, FL, died May 14, 2004 at his residence.
Born at Smith Ridge, he was the son of the late Samuel and Rebecca Roberts.
He served his country in the U.S. Army and the U.S. Navy. He was a World War II veteran.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by six brothers, Wade Ira Roberts, Sylvester Roberts, William Sydney Roberts, Willard John Roberts, George W. Roberts and Albert R. Roberts.
Survivors: wife, Virginia B. Roberts of Tampa; daughters, Kathy Flornory of Fort Myers, FL, Elaine Roberts of Philadelphia, PA; son, Roger Roberts of Riverview, FL; brother, James Fetty Roberts of Richlands; sister, Rosealee Bandy of Bluefield, VA; and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
A crematory service was performed at National Cremation Society in Tampa.
David Lee Sexton
David Lee Sexton, infant son of Larry Scott Sexton and Mariska Witt Sexton of Tazewell, was stillborn May 10, 2004 at Bluefield Regional Medical Center.
He was preceded in death by his maternal great grandparents, Hugh Droke and Nancy Droke Farley and Earl and Elsie Witt.
Additional survivors: sisters, Catherine Sexton and Aletha Looney, both of the home; brothers, Aaron Looney and Brandon Sexton, both of the home; maternal grandparents, Tommy and Mary Witt of North Tazewell; paternal grandparents, Wayne and Jeanette Sexton of Norton; paternal great grandmother, Bessie Damron of Wise; and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Graveside services were conducted at 3 p.m. May 12 at Laurel Grove cemetery in Norton with the Rev. Tim Dotson officiating.
Peery & St. Clair Funeral Home of Tazewell was in charge of arrangements.
Thelma C. Sheets
Thelma Combs Sheets, 77, of North Tazewell, died May 9, 2004 at Tazewell Community Hospital.
Born at Hiawatha, she was a daughter of the late Samuel Combs and Icy Clara Hodge Combs of Gilliam, WV.
She was a devoted member of Mt. Zion United Methodist Church on the Bluefield-Tazewell Rd.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by two brothers, Clyde Irving Combs and Donald Ray Combs.
Survivors: loving and caring husband, Wilbur L. Sheets; adoring son, Wilbur L. Sheets II and wife, Nancy, of McKinney, TX; precious grandchildren, Caitlyn Elizabeth and Ryan Alexander Sheets of McKinney, TX; brother, Paul Delano Combs and wife, Pat, of North Tazewell; and sisters, Patricia Combs Eller and husband, Jimmy, and Rachel Combs, all of Bluefield.
Graveside services were conducted May 12 at 10 a.m. in the Grandview Mausoleum Chapel on the Bluefield-Tazewell Rd. with Rev. Howard Edwards officiating.
Dudley Memorial Mortuary in Bluefield was in charge of arrangements.
Leonard W. Spangler, Jr.
Leonard (Lynn) Winford Spangler, Jr., 53, of Winfield, died May 4, 2004 at home following a short illness.
He was born Sept. 10, 1950 in Cedar Bluff and graduated from Richlands High School in 1969. He entered the U.S. Air Force in 1970 serving his country until 1974. Upon leaving service, he was employed by Union Carbide Corporation of Charleston, WV, and Dow Chemical Corp. as a Six Segma Black Belt project manager at the time of his death. He was a member of the Dunbar Church of the Nazarene and a graduate of West Virginia State College.
He was preceded in death by his father, Leonard W. Spangler Sr.; one sister, Loretta Lynn Spangler; and paternal grandparents, Christopher and Maggie Spangler of Cedar Bluff.
Survivors: loving wife, Evelyn Marie Turley Spangler; sons, Eric Todd Spangler and his wife, LeaAnn of Danville, Shawn Brandon Spangler of Winfield; stepson, Jeffrey Todd Turley of Dunbar; mother and stepfather, Otis E. and Lula May White of Cedar Bluff; grandmother, Lura Talley of Cedar Bluff; brother and sister-in-law, Michael Dean and Beath Ann Spangler of Morristown, TN; half-sister, Bridgett Ann; half-brother, Mike, of Richlands; one granddaughter; one step-grandson; and niece, Carolina Spangler.
The funeral was conducted May 8 at 2 p.m. at Keller Funeral Home in Dunbar, WV, with the Rev. Philip Bowles officiating.
Burial was in Tyler Mountain Memory Gardens in Cross Lanes.
Joanna K. White
Joanna Kay White, 70, of Richmond, formerly of Winchester, died May 10, 2004.
She was the beloved widow of Joseph William White and the cherished daughter of the late Burdette and Margaret Graham Warner.
Born in Baden, PA, she received her Bachelor of Arts at Chatham College and her Masters of Library Science from James Madison University. She served as librarian for Robinson Elementary School in Frederick County in the 1980s, and was Assistant Registrar for the City of Winchester in the early 1990s.
She contributed to a variety of organizations. She was a member of the PEO Sisterhood and the American Association of University Women, where she twice served as President of the Winchester Branch and Northwestern District Representative. She was appointed to the Board of the Friends of the Handley Library and to the Executive Board of the Howe Library of Shenandoah University. She was active with the Blue Ridge Democratic Women and the Winchester Democratic Committee. Her love of gardening was shown at the Hawthorne Garden Club, where she served as its President. She was a docent at Belle Grove and at Glen Burnie, historic homes in the Winchester area. She was a member of the Blue Ridge Fine Arts League, where she served as Liaison with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. She was a life member of the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle in Chautauqua, NY.
Her faith in God was constant throughout her life. She was a member of Braddock Street United Methodist Church in Winchester for 43 years. There, she served as church librarian from 1993 to 2003, taught children's Sunday school and vacation Bible school, and was active in numerous committees.
She will be deeply missed by her daughter, Ellen White Hart, and her sons, Rev. William Moss White, Andrew Warner White and Christopher Graham White; and her brother, Burt Warner.
The funeral was conducted May 14 at 2 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church in Richmond with Dr. John Peters and Rev. Marc Brown officiating.
A reception at the church followed the service.
Interment was held at 2 p.m. May 15 at Clinch Valley cemetery in Richlands.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Braddock Street United Methodist Church, 115 Wolfe Street, Winchester, VA 22601, and to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 102454, Atlanta, GA 30368-2454.
Staples Mill Chapel of Bliley Funeral Homes, Inc. was in charge.
Jack B. Boyd
Jack Benny Boyd, 67, of Bluefield, VA, formerly of Raven, died April 28, 2004 at a Roanoke hospital following a lengthy illness.
Born in Raven, he was a son of the late Lawrence and Lucy Rowe Boyd, both Tazewell County natives.
He was a 1955 graduate of Richlands High School and also a graduate of International Harvester Co. and Cummins Engine Company. He was a former employee of Boyd Bro’s. Garage in Raven, Consolidated Freightways of Akron, OH, was a former owner of Tazewell Truck Repair in Tazewell for 13 years, and at the time of his death was employed with Bluefield Baptist College in Bluefield, VA. He had made his home in the Bluefield, VA, area the past 14 years.
Survivors: wife, Faye Ratliff Boyd; special stepson, Todd Ray of Tazewell; daughters, Lisa Mullett and husband, Craig, and Cindy Boyd, all of Uniontown, OH; sisters, Mary Jane Jackson and husband, Harold, of Pounding Mill, Linda Absher of Greensboro, NC; step-grandchildren, Kriston Ray and Dana Ray of Tazewell; grandchildren, Jared and Casey; and several nieces and nephews.
The funeral was conducted May 1 at 2 p.m. at the Hurst-Scott Funeral Chapel in Richlands with Rev. Bill Shook and Rev. Max Linkous officiating.
Interment followed in Greenhills Memory Gardens at Claypool Hill.
