Virginia “Genny” Elizabeth McCallister of Carriage Drive, Beckley, formerly of Fayette County, passed away Tuesday, May 8, 2006, in a Beckley hospital following a short illness.
Born Feb. 23, 1918, at Maplewood, Genny was the daughter of the late John Lewis and Sarah Elizabeth Bennett Taylor.
Genny spent her childhood in Maplewood and Layland. She had lived in Lookout, Ansted and had been a resident of Beckley the past 10 years. She was a Methodist and a homemaker.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Harold Quentin McCallister.
She was the last surviving member of her immediate family.
She was greatly loved in life and will be missed by her daughters, Dorothy L. McCallister of Beckley and Carol McCallister Skaggs and her husband, Paul, of Pinellas Park, Fla.; her grandchildren, Mark A. Skaggs and his wife, Judy, of Palmento, Fla., Tamara D. Waterson and her fiancé, Alvin Salvator, of Zephyrhills, Fla., Paul T. Skaggs and his wife, Angela, of Orange Park, Fla., and Misty D. Skaggs and her fiancé, Derek Morrill, of Pinellas Park; eight great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandsons; and many nieces and nephews.
Service will be 3 p.m. Saturday at the Chapel of Rest Mausoleum of Restlawn Memory Gardens, Ansted, with the Rev. Douglas Eades officiating. Burial will follow in the gardens.
Friends may call one hour before service Saturday at the mausoleum.
Arrangements by Melton Mortuary, Beckley.
Cleo G. Schenk
HINTON — Cleo G. Schenk, 94, died at 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 10, 2006, in Greenbrier Valley Medical Center at Fairlea.
Born March 14, 1912, in Vinton, Va., she was the daughter of the late William and Ada Grey Hackett.
Ms. Schenk was retired from the business office at Hinton Hospital. She was a member of First Baptist Church in Hinton, where she was deaconess emeritus. She was also a member of the Nadine Hinchman Circle and the Philethea Class at the church.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Earle Nelson Schenk, on July 15, 1993.
Survivors include a son, Lynn Schenk and wife, Delores, of White Sulphur Springs; three grandchildren, Tonya Wooton of Bardstown, Ky., Heather Schenk of Lexington, Ky., and Shelley Getchell of Del Ray Beach, Fla.; and three great-grandchildren, Anna, Ella and Ian Wooton.
Service will be 2 p.m. Saturday, May 13, at Pivont Funeral Home Chapel, Hinton, with Pastor Ronald Cobb officiating. Entombment will follow in Greenbrier Burial Park Mausoleum, Hinton.
Friends may call 1 p.m. until time of service Saturday at the funeral home.
Men of First Baptist of Hinton will serve as pallbearers.
Arrangements by Pivont Funeral Home, Hinton.
Clinton Edward Tyree
MARTINSBURG — Clinton Edward Tyree, 84, of Martinsburg, formerly of Oak Hill, died Thursday, May 11, 2006, in a Martinsburg medical center following a long illness.
Born May 12, 1921, at Matoaka, he was the son of the late William and Nellie Shrewsberry Tyree.
Mr. Tyree was a retired coal miner and a veteran of World War II where he served as a medic in Europe.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Agnes M. Tyree; a son, Cecil; and a daughter, Marilyn Heath.
Survivors include his second wife, Mildred Tyree of Oak Hill; three sons, William H. Tyree of Martinsburg, Claude R. Tyree of Acme, Pa., and Herbert B. Tyree of Amherst, Va.; three daughters, Brenda Hicks of Madera, Calif., Pauline Parker of Lakeland, Fla., and Louise West of Lakeland; 13 grandchildren; 33 great-grandchildren; a great-great-grandchild; a brother, Roy Tyree; and two sisters, Gladys Harvey and Mildred Hughes.
Service will be 1 p.m. Saturday at Melton Mortuary Chapel, Beckley, with the Rev. Robert A. Carr officiating. Burial ll follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley.
Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Military graveside rites will be conducted by Oak Hill VFW Post 3110.
Pallbearers will be Lynn Wolf, Tracy Rubio, Clinton Tyree II, Michael Wolf, Jeffrey Tyree and Charles Lilly Jr.
Arrangements by Melton Mortuary, Beckley.
Olin Oakie Williams
LEWISBURG — Olin Oakie Williams, who celebrated his 100th birthday on St. Patrick’s Day, passed away Thursday, May 11, 2006.
Service will be 2 p.m. Saturday at Wallace & Wallace Funeral Home, Lewisburg. Graveside service will be held at a later date in Ohio. Friends may call 1 p.m. until time of service Saturday at the funeral home.
Arrangements by Wallace and Wallace Funeral Home, Lewisburg.
Sherry Buffington Young
STELLA, N.C. — Sherry Buffington Young, 35, formerly of Rainelle, passed away suddenly on Tuesday, May 9, 2006, in Onslow Memorial Hospital at Jacksonville, N.C.
Born Dec. 7,1970, at Ronceverte, she was a daughter of William F. Buffington and wife, Sandra, of Massillon, Ohio, and Mona Buffington and Roger of Rainelle.
Sherry was a top seller for Choice Realty in Jacksonville.
She was preceded in death by a brother, Sonny Buffington, and a nephew, Richard Lee Buffington Jr.
In addition to her parents, she is survived by two brothers, William Franklyn Buffington and wife, Darla, of Canton, Ohio, and Richard Lee Buffington and Dolly of Massillon; a sister, Sonja Manspile of Rupert; two nephews, Hunter and Tyler; three nieces, Taylor, Brooke and Misty; two great-nieces, Jayden and Haley; special friends, Ron Garten, Donnie Young, Pamela Valdes, Van Dupuis and John and Tammy Troup, all of Stella; a host of friends and especially her co-workers at Choice Realty.
Service will be 2 p.m. Saturday at Smathers Funeral Chapel, Rainelle, with Pastor Joe Collins officiating. Burial will follow in Loudermillk cemetery, Clintonville.
Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Arrangements by Smathers Funeral Chapel, Rainelle.
Robert F. Ratcliffe Sr.
CAVE RIDGE — Robert Franklin Ratcliffe Sr., 72, loving husband, father and pawpaw, went peacefully to be with the Lord on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2005, at his Cave Ridge home.
Born Aug. 10, 1933, at Cave Ridge, he was the son of the late Issac Vernon and Bertha Pearl Fitzpatrick Ratcliffe.
Franklin was a retired auto mechanic with 32 years of service at Grady Whitlock in Beckley where he was a certified automatic transmission specialist, lifelong resident of Summers County, veteran of the U.S. Army and a Christian who attended Jumping Branch Gospel Tabernacle and Bellepoint Baptist Church.
Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by two brothers, Alpha Vernon Ratcliffe in 1993 and Leslie Arlen Ratcliffe in 1982.
He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Shealvey Jean Keaton Ratcliffe; two daughters, Tamara Susan Lilly and her husband, Denny, and Deborah Jean Ballengee and her husband, Troy, all of Cave Ridge; a son, Robert Franklin Ratcliffe Jr. and his wife, Jeanette, of Pipestem; a grandson, Joshua T. Lilly and his wife, Brittany, of Cave Ridge; three granddaughters, Amy L. Justice and her husband, Jason, of Cave Ridge, Romantha J. Turner and her husband, Jon, of Cool Ridge and Katie Pearl Ratcliffe of Pipestem; two great-grandchildren, Emily J. Justice and Miles M. Turner; a brother, Thomas Ratcliffe and his wife, Phyllis, of Cave Ridge; two sisters, Martha Martin and her husband, Buddy, of Pipestem and Addie Maddy of Indian Mills; mother-in-law, Pauline Keaton of Hinton; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Service will be 2 p.m. Friday at Ronald Meadows Funeral Parlors Chapel, Hinton, with Pastors Dallas Peyton, Elmo Alderman and David Board officiating. Burial will follow in Cave Ridge Family cemetery.
Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Mike Brandon, Dale Lilly, Garry Wheeler, Alva Harvey, Jerry Ratcliffe and Monty Ball will serve as pallbearers.
Alan and Michael Atkins, David, Mark, and Rocky Mansfield, Patrick Brandon, Danny Ratcliffe, Randy Martin, Junior Ball, Billy Lilly and Roger Wood will serve as honorary pallbearers.
Arrangements by Ronald Meadows Funeral Parlors, Hinton.
Pansy Vae Rose
SPRINGFIELD — Pansy Vae Rose, 64, formerly of Narrows, Va., died Sunday, Oct. 16, 2005.
Service will be 2 p.m. Friday at Wickline Funeral Home, Lindside. Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Arrangements by Wickline Funeral Home, Lindside.
Isiah ‘Ike’ ‘Ponch’ Whittler Jr.
OAK HILL — Isiah “Ike” “Ponch” William Whittler Jr., of 155 Broadway Ave., died at 6:15 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 16, 2005, at Raleigh General Hospital about the time Ponch would have been at his computer reading e-mails and sending them. As he passed through his life, he passed similarly into eternal life quietly, gently and with great dignity after a long illness.
Born Sept. 8, 1938, in Minden, he was the son of the late Isiah Whittler Sr. and Geneva Ward Whittler.
As a young man, Ike enlisted in the Army and spent time in Korea and Germany.
He worked for NAPA in Oak Hill for 20 years. He enjoyed fishing and working as an entrepreneur designing furniture, picture frames and pins as gifts to show his love.
Those left to cherish his memories are his lifelong companion of 35 plus years, Delores Wallace; two sisters, Willie Mae Echewa of Philadelphia, Pa., and Marie Blanks of Chicago, Ill.; a brother, Charles Whittler and wife, Evelyn, of Lava, Va.; three sons, Vincent and his wife, Stephnia, of Oklahoma, Ngozi of Chicago and Isiah and his wife, Katrinia, of Kentucky; special recognition goes to Rory Watts, Henry Watts, Lional Watts, Timothy Watts, Cassandra Ellis, Jim Shieler and Wayne Crosley; grandchildren, Dalante, Vincent Jr., Antwanne, Ashley, Tatyana, Tiera, Janayla, Ashaunte, Zari and Ngozi II; a host of nieces, nephews and friends; and caregiver Terry Pate.
Service will be 2 p.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church, Harlem Heights, Oak Hill, with the Rev. Homer Jones and his childhood friend Pastor Henry G. Jones officiating. Burial will follow in Gethsemane Memorial Gardens, Pea Ridge Road.
Pallbearers will be his sons and friends; flower girls will be nieces.
Friends may call noon to 2 p.m. Saturday at the church.
Arrangements entrusted to Ritchie and Johnson Funeral Parlor, Beckley.
Marion Madaline Jones Arthur
Marion Madaline Jones Arthur, 84, formerly of Ansted and Mount Lookout, died Monday, Oct. 17, 2005, at Wishing Well Health Center in Fairmont following a long illness.
She was born in Russellton, Pa., on Feb. 23, 1921, the daughter of the late Benjamin Odes Jones and Emma Louellen Brown Jones.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 47 years, Robert Lewis Arthur Sr., in 1992.
Marion is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Marianna Arthur Kittle and Robert Kittle of Bridgeport; her son, Robert L. Arthur II of Elkins; a brother and sister-in-law, Robert and Enid Jones of Alpharetta, Ga.; two step grandchildren, Marian Price of Fairmont and Matthew Kittle and wife, Dawne, of Philippi; three step great-grandchildren, Hallie, Dahlton and Mateah Kittle; and numerous nieces and nephews.
In addition to her husband and parents, three brothers and a sister preceded her in death, Roy Nelson Jones of Helena, Mont., Howard Benjamin Jones of Strongsville, Ohio, Wesley Lewis Jones, who died at 18 months of age, and Doris Jean Jones, who died at birth.
In her younger years, Mrs. Arthur had been a reporter for the Cleveland Press, a stenography instructor at a private business college and an administrative assistant for Bowman Corp. After marriage, she became a devoted homemaker and supportive, encouraging mother and wife. Actively involved as a member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Ansted, she directed the choir there for many years. In their retirement years, she and her husband traveled extensively to gather information on their families’ genealogy, and in 1992 she published a book entitled ‘Some Descendants of James and Sarah Ravenscroft Jones.”
A time for family and friends to fellowship and share memories is scheduled 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Wallace & Wallace Funeral Home, Ansted.
Mrs. Arthur will lie in state one hour before the funeral service, which will be 11 a.m. Friday at the funeral home with the Rev. Phillip Dent officiating. Burial will follow in Restlawn Memory Gardens, Victor.
Arrangements by Wallace & Wallace Funeral Home, Ansted.
Ruth Chaffins
OCEANA — Ruth Chaffins, 84, departed this life Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2005, following a long illness.
Services entrusted to the Adam Toler Memorial Funeral Home, Oceana.
Bernard Patrick Dawson
RICHWOOD — Bernard Patrick Dawson, 77, went home to be with the Lord on Friday, Oct. 14, 2005.
Service will be 11 a.m. Thursday at Simons-Coleman Funeral Home, Richwood. Friends may call 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Arrangements by Simons-Coleman Funeral Home, Richwood.
