Ralph L. Matheny
Parkersburg real estate developer and
entrepreneur Ralph Lee Matheny died Sunday,
July 17, 2005, at St. Joseph's Hospital. He
was 93 years old.
He was born Aug. 2, 1911, in Schultz, W.Va.,
the son of David Ellsworth Matheny and Nora
Lee Matheny. At the age of 11, he contracted
tuberculosis, a dreaded disease at the time
that was nearly always fatal. He was admitted
to a sanitorium in McConnelsville, Ohio. He
spent six years there before being sent home
to die. He survived, however, and graduated
from St. Marys High School the following year,
in 1929.
Ralph was a photography enthusiast who built
his first camera by hand and spent much of the
1930's traveling from town to town through
Ohio and West Virginia with his five-cent
photograph booth. He owned several local
businesses during the 1940's and 1950's,
including the Matheny Drive-In on Blizzard
Drive, City News on Fifth Street and the
Playland Penny Arcade on Market Street. During
that time, he also had a Playland Penny Arcade
in Zanesville, Ohio. His medical condition
prevented him from serving in World War II, so
during the war, he worked at the Robbins and
Myers Plant in Springfield, Ohio, which
produced the Norden Bomb-Sight.
In the 1960's, Ralph turned his attention to
real estate development, and became the
primary developer of what had been the
Blizzard Estate in South Parkersburg. His
developments would eventually include
Woodhurst, Southmoor, Crestview Park and Ralph
Lee Estates in South Parkersburg, as well as
Wakefield in Lubeck. These neighborhoods were
the great work of his life, and throughout his
80's, he was still driving a bulldozer, hard
at work on his southside properties.
He married Evelyne Doman of New Martinsville
on March 24, 1936. Ralph and Evelyne were
married for 10 years. They are survived by
daughter, Patti Davis; grandchildren, Karen
Sprout and Gary Davis; as well as great-
grandchildren, Matthew Sprout and Noah and
Lauren Davis.
He married Emily Jean Amburn of Parkersburg on
Nov. 6, 1949. Ralph and Emily were married for
43 years until Emily's death in 1994. They are
survived by two daughters, Catherine Wermter
and Debby Tanner; five grandchildren, Jeremy,
Eric and Tim Wermter and Nathan and Megan
Tanner; as well as two great-grandchildren,
Sydney and Mary Wermter.
Funeral services will be 1 p.m. Wednesday,
July 20, at the Kimes Funeral Home, 521 Fifth
St., Parkersburg, with Pastor Mark D. Wilding
officiating. Burial will follow in the
Parkersburg Memorial Gardens. Family will
receive friends from 6-8 p.m. today and 2-4
and 6-8 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.
Elta F. Kelley
Elta Fern Mace Kelley, 85, of Vienna died Wednesday, July 13, 2005, at her residence
following a sudden illness.
She was born Sept. 21, 1919, at Leatherbark,
W.Va., a daughter of the late Harley Raymond
Mace and Lillie Belle Bailey Mace. Mrs. Kelley
was a homemaker and a Protestant by faith.
She is survived by five daughters, Nancy
Hawthorne and husband, Robert, of Vienna,
Betty Atkinson of Parkersburg, Marilyn
Townsend and husband, Marvin, of Davisville,
Carolyn Garrity and husband, David, of
Parkersburg and Peggy Cosner and husband,
Howard, of Altamonte Springs, Fla.; one
sister, Marjorie Digman of Spencer, W.Va.; one
half brother, Troy Mace of Spokane, Wash.; two
half sisters, Janet Sweeney of Sheffield Lake,
Ohio, and Patricia Selopek of Medina, Ohio;
eight grandchildren, David Mayse, Steven
Townsend, Trina Humes, Corey Miller, Tracy
Creeger, Angela Harding, Howard Cosner III and
Julie Brown; eight great-grandchildren; and
several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Olen
Ernest Kelley; one son, Robert Lorn Kelley;
and three brothers, Oral Mace, Glenn Mace and
Hubert Mace.
Graveside services will be 2:45 p.m. Saturday
at the Outside Chapel in the Evergreen North
Cemetery, with the Rev. Sandra Runnion
officiating. Family will receive friends 2-8
p.m. Friday at Kimes Funeral Home, 521 Fifth
St., Parkersburg.
The family has requested that all memorial
donations be made to the Shriners Children's
Hospital in memory of their mother.
Ruth R. Bailey
Ruth Rosella Bailey, 88, of Parkersburg passed
away May 29, 2005, at Camden-Clark Memorial
Hospital.
She was born April 13, 1917, at Dallastown,
Pa., a daughter of the late James and Ella
Herbst McDowell. Ruth was a devoted Church of
Christ minister's wife, serving faithfully at
his side for 38 years until his retirement.
Ruth Bailey was deeply respected and
appreciated by all that knew her. Her
gentleness and kindness to everyone was her
claim to fame.
Ruth is survived by her loving husband of 65
years, Evangelist James H. Bailey Sr. of the
Love and Care Home; one son, James (Jim) H.
Bailey Jr. and his wife, Linda, of Vienna; two
daughters, Joyce Knapp of Hardinsburg, Ky.,
and Christine Ison of Cabins, W.Va.; six
grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and one
great-great-grandson.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded
in death by an infant son, Stanley Bailey; a
granddaughter, Carrie Fuchs; a brother; and
three sisters.
The funeral service will be 2 p.m. Wednesday
at Kimes Funeral Home, 521 Fifth St.,
Parkersburg, with longtime family friend,
Evangelist Tom Butterfield officiating.
Interment will follow at Sunset Memory
Gardens. The family will receive friends 6-8
p.m. today at the funeral home.
Channing A. Shaver
Channing A. Shaver, 90, of Little Pond Creek
Road, Belleville, passed away May 24, 2005, at
Camden-Clark Memorial Hospital.
He was born at Belleville, a son of the late
Johnny Lawrence (Tunk) Shaver and Mabel Kimes
Shaver. Channing had attended the Mt. Zion
United Methodist Church at Belleville, where
he was cemetery caretaker and grave digger for
many years and was a rural mail carrier
assistant. He enjoyed farming and animals.
Surviving are five nephews, Keith (Doug)
Shaver and his wife, Margit, of Killeen,
Texas, Lloyd (Larry) Shaver and wife, Helena,
of Parkersburg, Craig (Hank) Shaver and wife,
Sireta, of Parkersburg, David (Kimbo) Shaver
of Davisville and Jeffery Scott (Jeff) Shaver
of Parkersburg; three nieces, Rebecca (Becky)
Shaver of Parkersburg, Sherry (Mouse) Smith
and her husband, Roderick, of Cutler, Ohio,
and Bonita Kay Sayre and husband, Bill, of
Parkersburg; six great-nieces and nephews,
Cindy Shaver Tusman, Clint Douglass Sayre,
Steven Lloyd Shaver, Isaac John Smith, Cassie
Lynn Smith and Travis C. Sayre; several step
great-nieces and nephews; a great-great-
nephew, KP Jake Shaver Tusman; a sister-in-
law, Ruth Eaton Shaver of Parkersburg; special
friends, Harry and Marie Wilson of Belleville;
and his dog, Zippie.
He was preceded in death by his brother, Lloyd
L. (Peck) Shaver; a niece, Denise Tina Shaver;
and a great-nephew, Jason Shaver.
The funeral service will be 11 a.m. Friday at
Kimes Funeral Home, 521 Fifth St.,
Parkersburg, with Pastor Larry Dale
officiating. Burial will follow at Mt. Zion
Cemetery at Belleville. Friends may call from
6-8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
