Frances A. Neely, 88, passed away on Saturday, April 21, 2007, at the Seasons in Lewisburg.
Born Aug. 9, 1918, and a lifetime resident of Hinton, Frances was a graduate of Hinton High School and work-ed many years at the Alderson Bootery.
She was preceded in death by her parents, J. Clarence and Daisy Boude Alderson, also by her husband, Robert S. Neely Jr., and her son, Robert A. Neely. She was also preceded in death by her sister, Dorothy A. Farley.
Survivors include her sister-in-law, Mary Eleanor Neely and husband, Bruce, of Louisville, Ky.; nieces, Susan Lawler and Sarah Burton. She is also survived by first cousins, Maj. Gen. James and Rebecca Baylor of Lexington, Ky.
Memorial services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at Pivont Funeral Home Chapel in Hinton with the Rev. Dr. Barbara Romfo officiating. Burial will follow in the Greenbrier Burial Park.
Friends may call one hour prior to the services on Wednesday at the funeral home.
Arrangements by Pivont Funeral Home, Hinton.
Kaylee Page and Chloe Page
LINDSIDE — Kaylee Page passed away Thursday, April 19, 2007, at Princeton Community Hospital, and Chloe Page passed away Friday, April 20, 2007, at Women and Children’s Hospital in Charleston, W.Va.
Kaylee and Chloe were twin daughters of Jeremy and Rebecca Ratliff Page of Lindside, W.Va.
In addition to their parents, survivors include three brothers, Byron, Sean and Keegan all at home; paternal great-grandparents, Jim and Ella Page of Peterstown, W.Va., Morell and Clara McCroskey of Pearisburg, Va.; paternal grandparents, John and Judy Page of Lindside, W.Va., Uncle Justin Page and Aunt Jordan Page; maternal great-grandparents, Ron and Diane Ratliff of Middleburg, Fla., and Mary Lou Ratliff of Highland, Texas, and Dorothy Walker of Bozoo, W.Va.; maternal grandparents Mark and Joy Ratliff of Bluefield, W.Va., and Sue Ratliff of Princeton, W.Va., Uncle Brad Ratliff and Aunt Patricia Ratliff.
Graveside services and burial will be 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 24, 2007, at the Bradley cemetery, Lindside, W.Va., with Pete Dunford officiating.
Arrangements by Broyles-Shrewsbury Funeral Home, Peterstown.
Joy Emogene Plummer
Joy Emogene Plummer, age 75, of Daniels, went to her heavenly home to be with Jesus on Friday, April 20, 2007. She was surrounded by her family when she left this world.
Born in Beckley on Jan. 17, 1932, she was the daughter of the late Rupert W. Shivley and Rebecca Elizabeth Tolliver Shivley.
She was preceded in death by her brothers, Bill Eugene Shivley and Rupert W. Shivley Jr.
She is survived by her beloved husband of 54 years, Franklin L. Plummer; her son, Gregory L. Plummer and his wife, Diane, of Cool Ridge, her daughter, Patricia C. Plummer and her companion, Owen A. Ballengee, of Oak Hill; her brother, Darrell Shivley and his wife, Wilma, of Beckley.
Mrs. Plummer was a loving and caring grandmother and great-grandmother, and will be missed by her granddaughter, Candida Ondo and her husband, Phillip, and their daughter, Autumn, grandson, Christopher Plummer and his wife, Tammy, and their children, Jacob, Caleb, and Sarah, and grandson, Michael Plummer and his wife, Sharon, and their children, Paul and Adam.
She was loved and cherished and will also be missed by her aunts, Mintie Sweeney, Ruth Matherly, and Ellen Lilly, and her uncle, Stephen Tolliver.
She was also blessed by a loving and extended family of cousins, nieces, and nephews.
She was a member of the Zion Primitive Baptist Church and attended Shiloh Primitive Baptist Church.
Throughout her life she had many interests and hobbies, but first and foremost she was a devoted wife, a loving mother, grandmother and was a wonderful and caring daughter to her parents.
Mrs. Plummer loved going to the beach with her family and collecting shells and shark’s teeth. She was an avid bird watcher and she loved gardening, canning, and her flowers. Throughout her life she cared for her many pets but most recently she loved her little cat, Katie.
She enjoyed many summers in Arkansas at her brother Bill’s farm.
One of her greatest joys in life was cooking and taking care of her grandchildren.
She leaves a legacy of love and caring for her family and her memory will be cherished by all whose lives she touched.
Services will be 1 p.m. Tuesday at Rose and Quesenberry Peace Chapel in Beckley with Elder Tommy Pack officiating. Burial will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley.
Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. today, Monday, at the funeral home.
Family and friends will serve as pallbearers.
Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Beckley.
Patricia D. Sowards
Patricia D. Sowards, age 43, of Beckley, died Saturday, April 21, 2007, at her home following a short illness.
Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Beckley.
Ralph Robert Beckett
Ralph died suddenly Saturday evening, April 14, 2007, at the age of 46, of a heart attack at home with his family on South Kanawha Street, Beckley.
He was the son of Joan Maples Beckett and Ralph L. Beckett and brother of Rebecca Beckett Clay.
Preceding him in death were his grandparents, Robert and Evalene Maples and Robert and Generva Beckett. He is survived by his parents, Ralph and Joan; his sister, Rebecca; his niece and nephew, Sydney and Tyler; numerous cousins throughout the U.S. and China, and many friends throughout the years.
His family roots were from Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky and Indiana with families associated with automobiles, timber, engineering, coal mining and teaching. His last years were spent in Beckley at his childhood home on S. Kanawha St. This was the same home his great-grandfather and family (John and Addie Jane Bair Maples) built in 1915.
Ralph required hemodialysis three times a week for 19 years due to a rare genetic abnormality of his kidneys. The Raleigh Dialysis Center, the doctors and staff there, plus the staff of Raleigh General Hospital, were his extended family and friends.
Ralph was educated in the public schools of W.Va. He attended Lincoln Elementary, Stratton Jr. High and was a 1979 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School, where he loved to run cross country. His college career included Concord College, Beckley College, a BS in Aviation Management from Florida Institute of Technology at Melbourne, Fla., and a Masters of Aeronautical Science from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla. He was a member of Alpha Eta Rho International Aviation Fraternity and a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA).
While in college, through the ROTC, he went through the 44th Company Airborne training at Ft. Benning, Ga., and we imagine him now continuing the sky diving he loved so much. He was an Eagle Scout, Troop 1452 and had many fond memories of scouting and jamborees. During his college years, he worked at Vecellio and Grogan in the shop. After college, he was employed with BizJet, West Palm Beach, Fla., and self-employed on his return to W.Va.
He had several keen interests: planes (both flying them and jumping out of them), automobiles, scuba diving and buying and selling (especially on Ebay). He had great memories of his travels through California, Canada and the east coast. He often said the only two things he didn’t get to do were: one, have a family; and two, have a career, where he made a lot of money to buy more toys.
Ralph’s gift to all was his amazing ability to communicate with anyone and quickly have them laughing so hard that their jaws ached. He was able to rise above any situation and bring such humor and laughter that it physically changed the world around him. That power inspired each and every person he encountered and left a memory and strength beyond value.
Ralph was a Christian and his family and friends rejoice in his joining the presence of God. We imagine him running in fields with his Creator as he had dreamed.
Graveside service will be 3 p.m. Saturday, April 21, 2007, in the Sunset Memorial Park Mausoleum on Harper Road, with the Rev. Tom Lilly and David Fondale officiating.
Visitation will be 1 to 3 p.m. prior to the service.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the charity of your choice or to the Beckley Area Foundation, WWHS Class of ’79.
There will be a Celebration of Life service in the gardens of the family home sometime in June 2007.
Pallbearers will be Mike Rizzi, Jay Adam, Martin Njoku, George Underwood, Alex Walls and Calvin Crowe.
Honorary pallbearers will be Commodore Andy Pachuta, Major David Walker, ret., Capt. Steve Tanner, Capt. Steven Pachuta, Mike Fairlie and Andy Footo.
Arrangements by Calfee Funeral Home, Beckley.
Calvin C. Bragg, Sr.
SANDSTONE — Calvin C. Bragg, Sr., age 84, died Tuesday, April 17, 2007, at Bluestone Care Home at Nimitz following a long illness.
Born Jan. 8, 1923, at Sandstone, he was the son of the late Elbert S. and Mary B. Cantrell Bragg.
Mr. Bragg was a retired crane operator for the C & O Railway Company in Hinton. He was a member of Laurel Creek Baptist Church and the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way. He was a lifelong resident of Summers County.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Virginia Harris Bragg, in Dec. of 1997. He was also preceded by two sons, Dale G. Bragg and Calvin C. Bragg, Jr.; and one sister, Charlotte Ayers.
Survivors include four sons, Jerry L. Bragg of Sandstone, Harry W. Bragg and wife, Mary Ellen, of Athens, Roy B. Bragg and wife, Carol, of Green Sulphur Springs and Ronald D. Bragg and wife, Sharon, of Sandstone; one brother, James E. Bragg of Beckley; two sisters, Christina Holland of Sandstone and Mary Geraldine Harris of Meadow Creek; 12 grandchildren, and 19 great-grandchildren.
Funeral service will be 2 p.m. Friday, April 20, 2007, at Pivont Funeral Home Chapel in Hinton with Pastor Melvin Wills officiating. Burial will follow in the Cooper cemetery at Sandstone.
Friends may call noon until time of service Friday at the funeral home.
Members of the family will serve as pallbearers.
Arrangements by Pivont Funeral Home, Hinton,
Charles H. Carter
SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. — Charles H. “Chuck” Carter, formerly of Mount Hope, died Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2007.
A service of celebration of his life will be 11:30 a.m. Saturday, April 21, 2007, at the Mount Hope Presbyterian Church, Mount Hope, with the Rev. William G. Caperton officiating.
Those wishing to make contributions in his memory may do so to The Mount Hope Presbyterian Church, 412 Main St., Mount Hope, WV 25880, The Greater Mount Hope Community Fund, 211 Bluestone Road, Mount Hope, WV 25880 or to another charity of their choice.
Arrangements by Covenant Funeral Service, Fredericksburg, Va.
Della Irene Wriston Coleman
MOUNT HOPE — Della Irene Wriston Coleman, 75, died Tuesday, April 17, 2007, at Bowers Hospice House, Beckley.
Born May 4, 1931, at Mossy, W.Va., she was the daughter of the late Clarence and Mary Stover Wriston.
Mrs. Coleman was retired from Raleigh General Hospital as assistant to the director of volunteers for 20 years.
She was a member of the Kilsyth Free Will Baptist Church, where she was a Sunday School secretary for many years.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Greene Coleman Jr.
Survivors include a daughter, Mary K. “Kathy” McNeely and husband, Randy, of Scarbro; two sons, Ralph S. Coleman and wife, Eudora, of Oak Hill, and Roger Pritt, her beloved son, after 36 years of foster care, of Scarbro; a brother, Doug Wriston of Chillicothe, Ohio; three sisters, Loraine Wriston Shuemake of Beards Fork, Madeline Wriston Ward of Scarbro, and Loretta Wriston Johnson of Cape Coral, Fla.; four grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
Service will be 2 p.m. Friday at Kilsyth Free Will Baptist Church, Kilsyth with the Rev. Bill Bennett and the Rev. Orville Setliff officiating. Entombment will follow in High Lawn Memorial Park Mausoleum, Oak Hill.
Friends may call 6 to 8 p.m. today at the Kilsyth Free Will Baptist Church, Kilsyth.
Family members will serve as pallbearers.
Arrangements by Tyree Funeral Home, Mount Hope.
Roy C. Hardiman
LEWISBURG — Service for Roy C. Hardiman, 78, of Lewisburg, will be 2 p.m. Friday at the Chapel of Shanklin Funeral Home, White Sulphur Springs. Friends may call 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.
