OAK HILL — James William Simmons, 77, died Thursday, March 30, 2006, at the Beckley VAMC after a long illness.
Born Nov. 21, 1928, at Harvey in Fayette County, the son of the late Meldon Simmons and Emma Pearl Humphreys Simmons.
James was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II in Germany and France; he received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart and retired from Union Carbide Elkem Metals at Alloy.
He was past president of Local Union 3-89 at Alloy, a member of the Knights of Columbus and Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church.
Besides his parents he was preceded in death by a daughter, Deborah Kay Hornsby; and a brother, Wallace Simmons.
Those left to cherish his memory are his wife, Joyce Murphy Simmons of Oak Hill; his children, James William Simmons Jr. and wife, Teresa, of Wilmington, N.C., Elizabeth Ann Smith and husband, Leon, of Oak Hill, Charles Leon Simmons and wife, Rosita, of Jacksonville, N.C., Alice Faye Parsons and Elvin Howard of Oak Hill, George Michael Simmons and wife, Debi, of Claremore, Okla.; a brother, Paul E. Simmons of Oak Hill; a sister, Mary Hayslette of Minden; 11 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Service will be 2 p.m. Tuesday at High Lawn Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. James Elmore officiating. Entombment will follow in High Lawn Memorial Park.
The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home, where a Christian Wake Service will be held at 8 p.m. by Father Paul Yuenger.
Military rites will be conducted by the Oak Hill VFW Post 3110.
Arrangements by High Lawn Funeral Home Chapel, 1435 E. Main St., Oak Hill.
Johnny L. ‘Smitty’ Smith
Johnny L. “Smitty” Smith, 65, of Beckley, died at his home Sunday, April 2, 2006 with his loving family around him.
Arrangements by Calfee Funeral Home, Beckley.
Verna Lolene Adams
MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Verna Lolene Adams, 80, of Mooresville, formerly of Crab Orchard, passed away Thursday, May 17, 2007.
Born Feb. 17, 1927, she was the daughter of the late Glade and Dinah Mar-tin Sparks.
Verna was a member of Sunset Hills Missionary Baptist Church in Coal City.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Glen D. Adams, in September 2006; and two brothers, Kenneth Sparks and Roland Sparks.
Those left to cherish her memory include a daughter, Deanna Kelley and husband, Jim, and their son, Vincent, all of Austin, Texas; a son, Wayne Adams and wife, Andrea, and their daughter, Monterai, all of Mooresville; a brother, Zeno Sparks of Midway; a sister, Shirley Sanger of Crab Orchard; and several nieces and nephews.
Service will be 2 p.m. Monday, May 21, at Blue Ridge Funeral Home Chapel, 5251 Robert C. Byrd Drive, Beckley, with Pastor Andrew Davis officiating. Entombment will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley.
Pallbearers will be Mark Adams, Billy Gillenwater, Randy Sparks, Rick Sparks, Dean Sparks and Phillip Sparks. Honorary pallbearer will be Zeno Sparks.
Friends may gather with the family 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.
Blue Ridge Funeral Home, Beckley, is in charge of arrangements.
Ruth Scott Bickel
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS — Ruth Scott Bickel, 90, of White Sulphur Springs, passed away early Friday morning, May 18, 2007, at Greenbrier Valley Medical Center in Fairlea.
She was born May 2, 1917, a daughter of the late Edward F. and Viola Myrtle Scott.
Mrs. Bickel was a member of First Presbyterian Church in White Sulphur Springs. She was a dedicated homemaker, mother, grandmother and an avid golfer, once making a hole-in-one in her golfing sport. She was retired from the Kay Bolger Antique Shop at The Greenbrier.
Other than her parents, she was preceded in death by her loving husband, Edwin Franklin Bickel, on April 22, 2005; four sisters and a brother.
Survivors include her daughter, Susan Stentz and her husband, Mike, of White Sulphur Springs; two grandsons, Scott Applegate and his wife, Emily, of Beckley and John Applegate of Morgantown; and granddaughter, Katy Stentz of White Sulphur Springs.
Service will be 11 a.m. Monday in the Chapel of Shanklin Funeral Home, White Sulphur Springs, with the Rev. Ben E. Gurley officiating. Private family burial rites will be at Hillcrest cemetery.
Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.
Expressions of sympathy may be made to First Presbyterian Church in White Sulphur Springs or the Activities Department at the White Sulphur Springs Family Care Center.
Shanklin Funeral Home, White Sulphur Springs, is serving the family.
Andrea ‘Sue’ Brakefield
Andrea ‘Sue’ Brakefield, 60, of Coal City, passed away Thursday, May 17, 2007, at Bowers Hospice House, Beckley.
Born Oct. 2, 1946, she was the daughter of June Thomason Furrow and the late Carl Thomason.
Andrea loved her grandchildren and loved working with the public. She was avidly involved with the Cancer Society and was a member of Sunset Missionary Baptist Church in Coal City.
In addition to her father, she was preceded in death by her stepfather, Estel Furrow, and her father-in-law, John D. Brakefield.
Those left to cherish her memory include her husband, Lemuel Brakefield; her mother, June Furrow of Shady Spring; two sons, Jonathan Brakefield and wife, Ronda, of Coal City and Robert Brakefield and wife, Connie, of Martinsburg; two granddaughters, Alyssa Brakefield and Madison Brakefield; a grandson, Erich Brakefield; and three sisters, Carla Keffer and husband, Kenneth, of Shady Spring, Frances Ramsey and husband, Tex, of Oak Hill and Linda Fox and husband, Ernie, of Summersville.
The family extends a special thanks to the Lilly family for all of their support.
Services will be 11:30 a.m. Monday, May 21, at Blue Ridge Funeral Home, Beckley, with Pastor Phillip Farrington officiating. Burial will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Hospice of Southern West Virginia Inc., P.O. Box 1472, Beckley, WV 25802-1472.
Friends may gather with the family 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Monday, May 21, at the funeral home.
Arrangements by Blue Ridge Funeral Home, 5251 Robert C. Byrd Drive, Beckley.
Kathryn Taylor Bryant
SUMMERSVILLE — Ka-thryn Taylor Bryant, 79, of Summersville, died Friday, May 18, 2007.
Private graveside service will be at Peterstown cemetery, Giles County, Va. The family will receive friends 6 to 8 p.m. today at White Funeral Home, Summersville.
Arrangements by White Funeral Home, Summersville, and Broyles-Shrewsbury Funeral Home, Peterstown.
Mavis M. Morris Collier
Mavis M. Morris Collier, 97, of Sophia, formerly of Hyattsville, Md., passed away Wednesday, May 16, 2007, at Raleigh General Hospital in Beckley, following a long illness.
Born March 11, 1910, at Dyke, Va., she was the daughter of the late George E. Morris and Dora A. Marshall Morris of Dyke.
She was a member of the Christian Church in Dyke.
Mrs. Collier was preceded in death by her husband, Lewis L. Collier; a daughter, Yvonne Collier; a granddaughter, Giovanna Bellafoire; sons-in-law, Edgar L. Johnson and Thom-as D. Sheler; two bro-thers and four sisters.
Mrs. Collier was the last surviving member of her immediate family.
Survivors include her four daughters, Elnora M. Sheler of Beaver and a special friend, Ron E. Calhoun, Venita A. Johnson of Sophia, Delores A. Bows and her husband, Gene, of Lusby, Md., and Carolyn M. Bellafoire and her husband, Giovanni, of Millville, Del.; two grandsons, four granddaughters, five great-grandsons and five great-granddaughters.
Graveside rites and burial will be 2 p.m. Monday at Holly Memorial Gardens, Charlottesville, Va., with the Rev. Dean Adams officiating.
Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday at Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Beckley.
Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Beckley.
William F. ‘Buddy’ Deal
HUNTINGTON — William F. “Buddy” Deal, 74, of Huntington, loving husband of Mary Catherine for 55 years, passed away Tuesday, May 15, 2007.
Services will be 1 p.m. today at Lewis Memorial Baptist Church.
Arrangements by the Reger Funeral Home, Huntington.
Linda Kay Evans
HILLDALE — Linda Kay Evans, 48, of Hilldale, went home to be with the Lord at 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 16, 2007, at the home of her daughter in Nitro following a struggle with cancer.
Born Jan. 30, 1959, at Morgantown, she was the daughter of the late James and Mary Frances Richmond Dodd. She was a former employee of Charleston Area Medical Center.
She was preceded in death by two brothers, Michael and Jennings Dodd.
She is survived by a son, Troy Donahoe of Portsmouth, Ohio; five daughters, Anita Brown of Plant City, Fla., Misty Townsend of Proctorville, Ohio, Lisa Donahoe of Nitro, Christina Rose of Longbottom, Ohio, and Jamie Qualls of Hinton; her estranged husband, Jerry Evans of Charleston; 13 grandchildren; two sisters, Brenda Randolph of Reedsville, Ohio, and Patricia Erickson of Little India, Minn.; a brother, Charles Dodd of Wheeling; and former husband, James Wesley Donahoe of Huntington.
Service will be 1 p.m. Monday, May 21, at Ronald Meadows Funeral Parlors Chapel, Hinton, with Pastor Jarrold Lanham officiating. Burial will follow in Hilltop cemetery, Hinton.
Friends may call noon until time of service Monday at the funeral parlors.
Family and friends will serve as pallbearers.
Arrangements by Ronald Meadows Funeral Parlors, Hinton.
Layton Gibson
WHARNCLIFFE — Layton Gibson, 63, of Wharncliffe, passed away Thursday, May 17, 2007.
Service will be 1 p.m. Sunday, May 20, at Ben Creek Free Pentecostal Church of God, Wharncliffe. Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. today at the church.
Arrangements by Mounts Funeral Home, Gilbert.
Adam Dale Light
FOREST HILL — Adam Dale Light, 21, of Forest Hill, died Thursday morning, May 17, 2007, in Beckley.
Born Dec. 21, 1984, at Hinton, he was a son of David Dale and Lita Cheryl Neely Light of Forest Hill and brother of Ryan James Light of Beckley.
He was a 2003 graduate of Summers County High School, an avid golfer, hunter and fisherman and a volunteer firefighter for the Forest Hill Volunteer Fire Department.
Besides his parents, he is survived by a daughter, Robin Marie Light; a son, Shawn Dale Light of Beckley; Jacob Miller, a child whom he reared as his own son, of Beckley; maternal grandparents, James Mason and Ellen Carol Tickle Neely of True; maternal great-grandmother, Dora Dale Neely of Pipestem; paternal grandparents, Phillip J. and Betty Bernice Clowers Light of Forest Hill; and two uncles, Phillip L. Light and wife, Carolyn, of Beaver and their children, Seth, Sara and Samuel Light, and James R. Neely and wife, Diana, of Aurora, Colo., and their children, Alexis, Elaina and Mason Neely.
Memorial service will be 7:30 p.m. Monday, May 28, at Ronald Meadows Funeral Parlors Chapel, Hinton, with Pastor Jeff Canterbury and Phillip L. Light, uncle, officiating.
Friends may call 6 to 7 p.m. Monday, May 28, at the funeral parlors.
Arrangements by Ronald Meadows Funeral Parlors, Hinton.
Maxine D. O’Dell
LEWISBURG — Maxine D. O’Dell, 88, of Lewisburg, formerly of Rainelle, passed away Wednesday, May 16, 2007, at Greenbrier Valley Medical Center in Fairlea following a long illness.
Born in West Virginia, she was the daughter of the late Cougar and Martha Groves Pittsenbarger.
She was a homemaker.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Olin “Cy” O’Dell, in 1993; two sisters, Vevia Orndorff and Phala McCombs; and three brothers, Clint, Gary and Richard Pittsenbarger.
She is survived by many nieces and nephews.
Service will be 2 p.m. today at Wallace Memorial Mausoleum Chapel, Clintonville, with Pastor David Moore officiating. Entombment will follow in the mausoleum.
Friends may call one hour before service.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Orient Hill Baptist Church, HC 34 Box 73, Charmco, WV 25958, or McRoss Baptist Church, HC 83 Box 362, Rainelle, WV 25962.
Arrangements by Wallace and Wallace Funeral Home, Rainelle.
