Judy Gayle Lilly Wilson, 65, departed this life to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Friday, Feb. 3, 2006, at Moses Cone Hospital, Greensboro, NC.
Judy was born April 25, 1940, in Raleigh County to the late Hurcial and Jewell Lilly. She practiced as an LPN for 27 years in mental health care. She was a beloved mother, sister and grandmother.
In addition to her parents, Judy was preceded in death by her husband of 42 years, Marvin Carl Wilson, in 2002.
Surviving Judy are her daughter, Dawn Wilson Trail and husband, Jeff, of Pleasant Garden, N.C.; a son, Kevin Wilson and wife, Patti, of Beckley; four grandchildren who were her pride and joy, Nicholas and Will Trail of Pleasant Garden, and Tyler and Kristyn Wilson of Beckley; seven sisters and brothers, Susan Szoke, Lois Johnson and Rosanna Lilly, all of Beckley, Roger Lilly of Maine, Freddie Lilly and Mason Lilly of Shady Spring, and Sydney Lilly of White Oak.
Memorial service will be 6 p.m. Saturday at Maxwell Hill Baptist Church, Beckley.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Enduring Freedom KIA Fund, a charity devoted to helping families of fallen soldiers (www.killedinaction.org).
Sensible Alternatives, Greensboro, is in charge of arrangements.
John M. ‘Johnny’ Wimmer
GATEWOOD — John Morgan “Johnny” Wimmer, 70, of Gatewood, passed away Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2005, at his home suddenly.
Born April 7, 1935, at Gatewood, he was the son of the late John M. Wimmer and Allie Gay Stump Wimmer.
Johnny was a member of Gatewood Brethren Church and Gatewood Church of God. He graduated from Fayetteville High School before serving in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean and Vietnam Wars with the rank of staff sergeant when he was honorably discharged. He was a member of American Legion Post 149, Fayetteville, DAV, and he was a retired manager of the Best Western in Beckley. He enjoyed working at the Oak Hill Senior Center.
He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Allie Wimmer; and his grandmother, Sarah Moore.
Survivors include his four sisters, Sarah Ratliff of Fayetteville, Della Arrington and her husband, Bob, of Woodbridge, Va., Freda Abrams and her husband, Joe, of New Port Richey, Fla., and Karen Veltoven of Culpeper, Va.; a brother, Thomas Wimmer and his wife, Vickie, of Carlisle; seven nephews; four nieces; two great-nephews; five great-nieces; and two great-great-nephews.
Service will be 2 p.m. Sunday at Dodd-Payne-Hess Funeral Home Chapel, Fayetteville, with the Rev. Morris Nutter, the Rev. William Skelton and the Rev. Winston O’Neal officiating. Military rites will be conducted at the funeral home by Oak Hill VFW Post 3110 before going to the cemetery. Burial will follow in the Odd Fellows cemetery, Oak Hill.
Friends may call 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home.
Dodd-Payne-Hess Funeral Home, Fayetteville, is in charge of arrangements.
Donald G. Baldry
MINDEN — Donald G. Baldry, 73, died Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2005, at the home of his daughter in Cypress, Texas.
Born Dec. 10, 1032, he was the son of the late Joseph Baldry and Elizabeth Piercy Baldry.
Donald was a career serviceman, having retired as a master sergeant from the U.S. Air Force.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death be three brothers, Louis, Stephen and William Baldry.
He is survived by a daughter, Sheri Young and her husband, Branch, of Cypress; sons, Donald Lee Baldry and his wife, Pamela, of Huntington and Steven Baldry of Huntington Beach, Calif.; and three grandchildren, Braydon, Donna and Donald Baldry.
Service will be noon Monday at High Lawn Funeral Home Chapel, Oak Hill, with the Rev. Daniel Rice officiating. Burial will follow in High Lawn Memorial Park, Oak Hill. Military rites will be conducted by Oak Hill VFW Post 3110.
The family will receive friends 7 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Arrangements by High Lawn Funeral Home Chapel, 1435 E. Main St., Oak Hill.
Clayton Eugene ‘Bucky’ Barr
Clayton Eugene “Bucky” Barr, 53, of Beckley went home to be with the Lord on Friday, Dec. 16, 2005, at Raleigh General Hospital.
Born Nov. 22, 1952, in Sophia, he was a member of Beckley United Pentecostal Church and a former member of the Sophia and Trap Hill Volunteer Fire Departments.
He was preceded in death by his father, Darrell Clayton Barr; a son, Kenneth Barr; a stepson, Gene Ray Harris; a brother, Archie Dale Barr; and a sister, Mary Ann Workman.
A loving husband, son, father and pappy will be missed by his wife of 12 years, Geneva Ann Barr.
He is also survived by his mother, Kathleen Francis Ritter; his son, Ron Barr and wife, Heather; stepchildren, Tammy L. Mollohan and husband, David, and Gary Harris and fiancee, Amanda Hughes; grandchildren whom he dearly loved, Denita Barr, Dakota and Sierra Mollohan and Madison Barr; and two brothers, Ronald Thompson and Dwayne Turner.
Service will be 1 p.m. Monday at Williams-Blue Ridge Funeral Home Chapel, 147 Virginia St., Sophia, with Rick Bay officiating. Burial will follow in Sunset Memorial Park, Beckley.
Family and friends will serve as pallbearers.
Friends may gather with the family 11 a.m. until time of service Monday at the funeral home.
Williams-Blue Ridge Funeral Home, Sophia, is in charge of arrangements.
Donald E. Boyd
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Donald Edward Boyd, 84, died Friday, Dec. 16, 2005.
Born in Beckley, he was the son of the late Robert Alexander Boyd and Eva Marie Boucher Boyd Dutcher.
He was a 1939 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School in Beckley and received the Golden Eagle Award recognizing outstanding alumni in 1989.
At 19, Don Boyd became the youngest member to join Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra. He was featured on jazz trombone. One year later he joined the Harry James Orchestra where he remained until he was called into the Army Air Force Special Services during World War II. He spent three years directing, arranging and playing for USO shows in the Pacific area.
After discharge from the service he played with the Les Brown Orchestra for one and a half years. He remained in New York free-lancing with various artists. He accepted a position as trombonist and arranger at Lou Walters’s Latin Quarter (Barbara Walters’s dad). It was there he met his wife of 55 years, Bette (Sherry), who was a featured vocalist, dancer and assistant choreographer. Don and Bette returned to Beckley where they formed and operated the Don Boyd Orchestra along with choir directing at United Methodist Temple, while arranging and teaching for 28 years. They had two children, Norree and Donny, both music majors.
The Boyds have lived in Columbia since 1977. Mr. Boyd wrote music arrangements for various colleges, universities and jazz bands locally and internationally. He performed in South Carolina with Don Boyd and Friends, the Helms-Boyd Orchestra and solo piano at many area restaurants, private clubs and functions. Don Boyd and Friends was often a favorite band at the Fort Jackson Officers’ Club.
Surviving are his wife of 55 years, Bette Cherry Boyd; daughter, Norree Boyd-Wicks and her husband, Philip, of Nashville, Tenn.; son, Don Boyd and his wife, Linda, of Columbia; grandson, Jason Boyd of Columbia; and nieces, Jeannie Gault of Portsmith, Ohio, and Anne Marie Decantis of Orlando, Fla.
The family will receive friends 7 to 8:30 p.m. Monday at Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel. Memorials may be made to the Salvation Army or the National Humane Society.
A celebration of Mr. Boyd’s life will be 2 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 28, at Spring Valley Baptist Church.
Neida Dean Bustetter
ASHLAND, Ky. — Neida Dean Bustetter, 64, of Ashland, formerly of Leevale, went home to be with the Lord on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2005.
Service will be noon Monday at Armstrong Funeral Home, Whitesville. Visitation will be one hour before service Monday at the funeral home.
Arrangements by Armstrong Funeral Home, Whitesville.
Maurice Wilbert Fidler
RICHWOOD — Maurice Wilbert Fidler, 80, of Richwood, formerly of Buckhannon, went home to be with the Lord on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2005, at Nicholas County Health Care Center, Richwood, after a long illness.
Born Sept. 5, 1925, he was the son of the late Franklin H. and Edith Sherwood Fidler.
Mr. Fidler was retired from the B&O Railroad.
He was also preceded in death by a daughter, Linda Dearfield.
Survivors include a son, Michael Harold Fidler of Summersville; three daughters, Carolyn Jane Brown of Summersville, Becky Fidler of Summersville and Missi Fidler of Richwood; a sister, Pauline Smithson of Midlothian, Va.; six grandchildren; and a great-grandchild.
Service will be 1 p.m. Monday at Simons-Coleman Funeral Home, Richwood, with Pastor Joey Sheppard officiating. Interment will be in Richwood cemetery.
Friends may call 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Arrangements by Simons-Coleman Funeral Home, Richwood.
Dorothy ‘Carmel’ Francis
PETERSTOWN — Dorothy “Carmel” Francis, 91, went home to be with her Lord on Friday, Dec. 16, 2005, at Montgomery Regional Hospital.
Born Feb. 26, 1914, at Mullens, she was the daughter of the late William F. and America C. Mullens.
Mrs. Francis was a member of Peterstown Missionary Baptist Church and Peterstown Chapter 118, OES, where she was pianist for many, many years.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Ople Francis; three sons, Bill, Ted and Jerry Francis; a son-in-law, Cliff Dunn; a grandson, Wayne Dunn; three sisters, Thelma M. Worrell, Garnette M. Short and Ruth M. Whorley; and two brothers, Carl and Ted Mullens.
Survivors include two daughters, Dorothy F. Dunn of Peterstown and Karen F. Yawn and husband, Earl, of Baxley, Ga.; a son, Robert “Bob” Francis and wife, Shirley, of Peterstown; two brothers, Jack Mullens and wife, Joyce, of Roanoke, Va., and W.F. Mullens Jr. and wife, Barbara, of San Antonio, Texas; 10 grandchildren; 39 great-grandchildren; and eight great-great-grandchildren; many friends and Baptist buddies, Lloyd and Charlotte Blankenship.
Service will be 1 p.m. Monday at Broyles-Shrewsbury Funeral Home Chapel, Peterstown, with Pastor Michael Biggs and Pastor Jon Jennings officiating. Burial will follow in Resthaven Memorial Park, Princeton.
Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home, where a memorial service will be conducted at 7 p.m. by the Peterstown Order of the Eastern Star.
Arrangements by Broyles-Shrewsbury Funeral Home, Peterstown.
Ruth West Freeman
LEWISBURG — Ruth West Freeman, 81, of Lewisburg, died Saturday, Dec. 17, 2005, at her residence following an extended illness of cancer.
She was born May 6, 1924, a daughter of the late Jerry West and Sadie Belle Faulks.
Mrs. Freeman was a member of Edgewood Presbyterian Church and retired from ABB following many years of service.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Alex Freeman, in 1996; and an infant brother and two sisters.
Survivors include Bill Freeman and wife, Emma, Joey Martin and husband, John, and Terry Baker and husband, Danny, all of Lewisburg, and David Freeman and wife, Susan, of Stokesdale, N.C.; five grandsons, Russel Williams, Michael and Art Freeman, and Britton and Christopher Baker; three great-grandchildren, Tyler, Logan and Dakota Freeman; and several nieces and nephews.
There will be no visitation. Private service will be 2 p.m. today at Greenbrier Memorial Gardens Mausoleum with the Rev. Sally Woodard officiating. Entombment will follow.
Donations of sympathy may be to two families in the area who lost their homes due to fires this week. Donations can be mailed c/o Danny Baker, P.O. Box 603, Lewisburg, WV 24901.
Arrangements by McCraw Funeral Home, Lewisburg.
Helen Marie Mock
HINTON — Helen Marie Mock, 62, formerly of Hinton, died Saturday, Dec. 17, 2005 at Womack Army Medical Center, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Arrangements by Pivont Funeral Home, Hinton.
Thomas Rollins
ROANOKE, Va. — Thomas Rollins, 84, died Saturday, Dec. 17, 2005, at Roanoke Memorial Hospital following a short illness.
Adam Toler Memorial Funeral Home, Oceana, is in charge of arrangements.
Franklin Lee Smedley Sr.
Franklin Lee Smedley Sr., 69, of Beckley, died Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2005, in Beckley.
Born July 20, 1936, in Beckley, he was the son of the late Oscar J. Smedley and Tellarean Peters Smedley.
Mr. Smedley was a retired manager of an auto parts store. He resided for many years in Winchester, Mass. He spent 14 years serving in the U.S. Air Force.
Survivors include his children, Franklin Lee Smedley Jr. of Lake Arrowhead, Calif., Robert Glen Smedley of Gloucester, Mass., and Cynthia Langevin and husband, Robert, of Derry, N.H.; grandchildren, Jaime Dawn Langevin of Derry, Grant William Langevin of Derry and William Lee Smedley of Lake Arrowhead; longtime friend, Judy Elmore of Beckley; brother, Harold Smedley of Texas; and a sister, Alma of Huntington.
Memorial service will be 11 a.m. Monday at Rose and Quesenberry Peace Chapel, Beckley. Burial of cremains will follow at Sunset Memorial Park, Beckley.
Friends may call one hour before service Monday at the funeral home.
Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Beckley.
