U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
Earl Harrison Witt
Earl Harrison Witt, 87, of Tazewell, died April 2, 2004 at Tazewell Community Hospital.
Born in Maxwell, he was a son of the late George and Sarah Whitt Witt.
He was a member of the Riverside United Methodist Church.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Elsie Evans Witt; two sons, Gene Witt and Carl Witt; one granddaughter, Joyce Witt; one brother, Reese Witt; and four sisters, Emma Evans, Nan Hoops, Pearl Brinkley, and Georgia Yost.
Survivors: son, Tommy Witt and wife, Mary, of Baptist Valley; sister, Eliza Cochran of Bluefield, VA; three granddaughters; four grandsons; and numerous great-grandchildren; very special friends, Pat Wroaten, Judy Starling, Walker Puckett, Dr. David Olinger; and his very special church family at the Riverside United Methodist Church.
The funeral was conducted April 4 at 8 p.m. at Peery & St. Clair Funeral Home Chapel in Tazewell with the Rev. Kenneth Gillespie officiating.
Committal services and burial was conducted at 11 a.m. April 5 at Grandview Memory Gardens in Bluefield, VA.
Clyde "Lank" Wysor
Clyde Edward "Lank" Wysor, 76, of Bluefield, VA, died March 29, 2004 at a Bluefield hospital.
Born in Honaker, he was a son of the late Vern Wysor and Beulah Jackson Wysor.
He was a retired Area Supervisor for Appalachian Power Co. He served in the U.S. Navy during WWII and was a graduate of Graham High School.
Survivors: wife, Ida Virginia Richardson Wysor; brothers, Jack Wysor and wife, Peggy, of Bluefield, VA, Jody Wysor and wife, Phyllis, of Clover, SC; and 19 nieces and nephews.
The funeral was conducted March 31 at 2 p.m. at the Dudley Memorial Chapel in Bluefield, VA.
Burial followed in the Grandview Memory Gardens.
Donations may be made to the Bluefield, VA, Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 170, Bluefield, VA 24605.
Helen Breedlove
Helen Marie Vance Breedlove, 85, of Swords Creek, died March 26, 2004 in a Richlands hospital.
Born in Putnam, she was a daughter of the late Carl and Lula Belle Snyder Vance.
She was a lifelong resident of the area and of the Baptist faith.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, John M. Breedlove; two brothers, Bill Vance and Buck Vance; and one sister, Annabelle Bostic. In her generation, she was the last surviving member of her immediate family.
Survivors: daughter, Mary Lee Mullins of the home; son, John G. Breedlove of Claypool Hill; granddaughters, Melissa Breedlove, Beverly Thomas and Sherry Khatib; great-grandsons, John Mullins and Jimmy Khatib; and great-granddaughter, Jasmine Khatib.
Graveside services were conducted March 28 at 2 p.m. at Ketron Memorial Gardens at Lebanon with Bro. Jeremy Vance officiating.
Interment followed.
Honaker Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Johnny Brown
Johnny Brown, 49, of Asheboro, NC, died March 21, 2004 at his home.
He was a native of Richlands and a former employee of Sealy Mattress Company.
Survivors: daughter, Jenny Brown of Paintlick; son, Freddie Turner of the home; mother, Nell Hammond of Santee, SC; sisters, Gail Tatum of Paintlick, Edith Stanley of Thomasville, NC, Virginia Warden of Bluefield, WV, Mary Booher of St. Paul, Susan Mullins, Claudette (Nettie) Miller and Wendy (Pooh) Staten, all of Richlands; brother, Michael Brown; and two grandchildren.
Services were conducted March 23 at Randolph Memorial Park Chapel Mausoleum with Rev. Anna Morrison officiating.
Memorials may be made to Hospice of Randolph, PO Box 9, Asheboro, NC 27204-0009.
Information supplied by Singleton Funeral Service.
James E. Caudill
James Edward Caudill, 64, of North Tazewell, died March 21, 2004 in a Bluefield hospital.
Born in Tazewell County, he was the son of Hester Thompson Caudill of Springville and the late James A. Caudill.
He was retired from U.S. Steel and was of the Protestant faith.
In addition to his father, he was preceded in death by one sister, Cynthia Louise Caudill.
Additional survivors: wife, Ina Tanner Caudill of North Tazewell; sister, Charlotte Perdue and husband, Walter E. (Gene), of Bluefield, VA; nephew, Barry E. Perdue and wife, Natalie, of Bluefield, VA; great-niece, Ann Gray Perdue; special friend, Geraldine Short of Tazewell; and aunts, uncles and several cousins.
The funeral was conducted March 24 at 11 a.m. at the Dudley Memorial Chapel in Bluefield, VA, with Pastor Johnny Elmore officiating.
Burial followed in the Greenhills Memory Gardens at Claypool Hill.
Betty B. Cundiff
Betty Bennett Cundiff, 73, of Falls Mills, died March 12, 2004 at her home.
Born in Woodlawn, she was a daughter of the late Herman S. Burnette and Nina Redd Burnette.
She was a member of the Falls Mills United Methodist Church. In addition to being a homemaker, she was a devoted mother and grandmother. She enjoyed oil painting, writing poetry and playing the piano. She was an accomplished poet, having won an award and also having her poems published. She formerly worked for Universal Systems in Green Valley where she had won numerous top sales awards.
Survivors: daughters, Nikkie Bennett Wagner and Sandy Bennett Stephenson and husband, Scott, all of Bluefield, WV; son, Keith Allen Bennett and wife, Tammy, of Falls Mills; grandchildren, Amber Wagner Pennington and husband, Michael, of Bluefield, Chad Bennett of Falls Mills, Jaime Bennett of Bluefield, VA; great-grandchildren, Colyn Scott Pennington and Dawson Michael Pennington, both of Bluefield, WV; sister, Mary Ann Odom and husband, Jim, of Hampton; and special friends and loved ones, Brenda Lamastus, Anita Cantrell and Don Marsh, all of Falls Mills.
The funeral was conducted March 15 at 2 p.m. at the Falls Mills United Methodist Church with the Rev. Raymond Klaiber officiating.
Burial followed in the Grandview Memory Gardens.
Dudley Memorial Mortuary in Bluefield, VA, was in charge of arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, 1808 Jefferson St., Bluefield, WV 24701.
Frances G. Etter
Frances Gwendolyn Etter, 71, of Richlands, died March 20, 2004 in a Richlands hospital following a long illness.
Born in Buchanan County, she was the daughter of the late Ulys and Emma Sparks Cole.
She was a retired nurse and was a member of the Trinity Tabernacle at Raven.
She was preceded in death, in addition to her parents, by one sister, Ann Williams.
Survivors: husband, Garland Etter; son, Alan Etter of Washington, DC; daughters, Kathy Anderson and husband, Danny Anderson II, of Pounding Mill, Kim Meadows and husband, Jeff, of Claypool Hill; brothers, Ed Cole of Hillsville, Hubert Cole of Richlands; and six grandchildren.
The funeral was conducted March 23 at 11 a.m. at the Singleton Funeral Service Chapel in Cedar Bluff with Rev. James Horton officiating.
Burial followed in the Clinch Valley Memorial cemetery at Richlands.
Mildred W. Hankins
Mildred Wilson Hankins, 81, of Rockledge Road New Bern, NC, formerly of Richlands, died March 26, 2004 at a New Bern hospital following an illness of several months.
Born in Cliffield, she was a daughter of the late Carl H. and Mary Kate Turner Wilson, both Tazewell County natives.
She was a 1940 graduate of Richlands High School and before leaving the Richlands area was an active member of the Cedar Bluff Garden Club. She loved her flowers, was an avid gardener, and an award winning flower designer. After moving to New Bern in 1988, she became an active member of the River Bend Garden Club until 2003. She and several close friends founded the River Bend Busy Bees, a quilting club.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, William J. Hankins, whom she wed in 1940.
Survivors: sisters, Carlene Lacy and husband, Rudy, of Roanoke, Mary Lou Shortridge of Richlands; brother, C. H. Wilson and wife, Sylvia, of Matoaca; and nieces and nephews, Sarah Willis, Katherine Cleary, husband, Kevin, Donna Altizer, husband, Leonard, Mike Shortridge, wife, Susie, Greg Wilson, Rodney Butler, wife, Lisa, and Jade Frashure, and husband, Bob.
The funeral was conducted March 29 at 11 a.m. at the Hurst-Scott Funeral Chapel in Richlands with Rev. Eddie Nash and Dr. Charles R. King officiating.
Entombment followed in Greenhills Memory Gardens Mausoleum at Claypool Hill.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Richlands Presbyterian Church Building Fund, P. O. Box 446, Richlands, Virginia 24641.
Marvin Howery, Sr.
Marvin Dennis Howery, Sr., 67, of Bluefield, VA, died March 27, 2004 in a Bluefield hospital.
Born in Pisgah, he was a son of the late James William Howery and Una Ruth Mays Howery.
He grew up attending the Pisgah United Methodist Church and had worked as a miner for several companies. He was a member of the Bluefield Moose Lodge #1079, served in the US Army and graduated from Tazewell High School in 1955. He loved to hunt and fish and was a welder in the mines and worked for the D.C. Transit.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two sisters, Sadie Davidson and Charlotte Harman, and two brothers, William D. Howery and SGT. Donald P. Howery.
Survivors: wife, Mary Lou Hoops Howery; sons, Marvin Dennis Howery, Jr. of Ashburn, William Daniel Howery and Charles Edward Howery, both of Bluefield, VA; daughter, Rebecca Denise Holt and M/SGT Michael, of Arlington; and sisters, Mays Ball of Bluefield, VA, Trula Jones and Myrtle Howery, both of Tazewell, Lyndall Musick of North Tazewell and Janice Witt of Baptist Valley.
The funeral was conducted March 30 at 11 a.m. at the Dudley Memorial Chapel in Bluefield, VA, with Don Waddell doing the Eulogy and Rev. Jared Wood officiating.
Burial followed in the Grandview Memory Gardens. Graveside services were conducted by the VFW Memorial Post 9696, Bluefield, VA.
Ruby J. Johnson
Ruby Jean Johnson, 65, of Marietta, GA, formerly of Honaker, died March 24, 2004 at the residences of her son in Knoxville, TN.
Born in Ashland, KY, she was a daughter of the late Alonzo and May Sprouse Ruggles and was of the Free Will Baptist faith.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Aubrey Allen Johnson; one son, Gary Lee Johnson; one brother, Frank Ruggles; and one sister, Edith Richards.
Survivors: sons, Ricky Allen Johnson of Sevierville, TN, Dennis Wayne Johnson of Marietta, Shannon Dewayne Johnson of Knoxville, TN; daughters, Vickey Sue Ynes of Chicago, IL, Denise Murphy of Honaker; sisters, Rosemary Benton of Rogersville, TN, Margaret Crouse of Greensprings, OH, Sharon Tokar of Port Clinton, OH; brothers, James Royster of Oak Harbor, OH, Bobby Royster of Aberdeen, MD, Roy Royster of Sandusky, OH; grandchildren, Jared Johnson, Brian Johnson, Brook Johnson, Misty Johnson, Christy Johnson, Lisa Rhoton, Amy Murphy, Derrick Murphy, Matthew Ynes, Shannon Johnson; and four great-grandchildren.
The funeral was conducted March 27 at 2 p.m. in the Honaker Funeral Home Chapel in Honaker with Rev. Roy Lee Wilson, Rev. Giles Wilson and Rev. Vonley Pruitt officiating.
Interment followed in Ketron Memorial Gardens at Lebanon.
