Ora H. Rexroad, 86, of Route Two, Jane Lew, died Saturday, December 30, 2000, at Sundale Nursing Home in Morgantown, where he had resided since September 1995.
He was born September 19, 1914, at Elk Lick in Lewis County, a son of the late Ella V. Rexroad.
He made his home with Mr. and Mrs. R.T. Paugh of Kincheloe for about 70 years. After their death, he made his home with Bob and Ruth Paugh.
Mr. Rexroad was a veteran of World War II, having served in the U.S. Army as First Cook at the Army Air Force Base in Presque Isle, Maine. He had been a farmer and was retired from the West Virginia Department of Highways. He was a faithful member of Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church for 60 years.
A funeral service was held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, January 2, at Morris Funeral Home in Jane Lew, with Rev. Robert Cole officiating, assisted by Pastor Michael Richards. Burial followed in the Pleasant Hill Church cemetery on the Kincheloe Road.
Eva B. Rucker
Eva B. Rucker, 73, of 422 Madison Avenue in Weston, Shadybrook community, died at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, December 28, 2000, at the home of her son in Weston.
She was born April 3, 1927, at St. Louis, Mo., a daughter of the late Jacob and Katherine Fay.
Her husband, Clarence E. Rucker, whom she married December 13, 1960, preceded her in death September 9, 2000.
Surviving are one son, Clarence L. Rucker of Weston; two granddaughters, Tammy Lee Rucker of Hepzibah and Stephanie Lynn Rucker of Weston; one grandson, Joshua Trey Rucker of Weston; one brother, Ronald Fay of Georgia; two sisters, Audrey Gamewell and Della Fay, both of St. Louis, Mo.
She was also preceded in death by one son, Eddie Rucker.
Mrs. Rucker was a Catholic and a caregiver for the elderly.
A funeral service will be held today, Wednesday, January 3, at 10 a.m., at Boyle Funeral Home, with Rev. Fr. James Murphy officiating. Interment will follow in the West Virginia National cemetery at Grafton.
Duane R. Simons
Duane R. Simons, 64, of 112 Burnside Avenue in Weston, died at 8:11 p.m. Thursday, December 28, 2000, at Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital in Weston, following a sudden illness.
He was born August 2, 1936, at Weston, a son of the late Edgar J. and Mary Irene Sandy Simons.
Surviving are one son, Edgar R. Simons of Weston; two grandchildren, Jeremy and Cassidy Simons, both of Fort Myers, Fla.; one brother, Anthony H. Simons of Weston; two sisters, Carina L. Belcher of Weston and Cheryl E. Frazier of Concord, Calif.; several nieces and nephews.
Mr. Simons was a retired metal specialist with USX Steel Company of Gary, Ind., with more than 38 years of service. He was a Protestant.
A funeral service was held Sunday, December 31, at 1 p.m., at Floyd Funeral Home, with Rev. Robert A. Heater officiating. Interment followed in Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens.
Thurl Stalnaker
Thurl Stalnaker, 82, of North Haven, Conn., died Friday, December 29, 2000, at Connecticut Hospice in Branford, Conn., after a long illness.
He was born November 8, 1918, at Hardman, a son of the late Creighton and Gay Knotts Stalnaker.
His wife, Adah Simons Stalnaker, survives.
Also surviving are one daughter, Mrs. Elrond (Elizabeth) Wojtkiewicz of Hamden, Conn.; four sons and daughters-in-law, Thurl Stalnaker Jr. and Shelly of Aloha, Ore., Howard Webster and Nancy Stalnaker of Colchester, Vt., Scott Edsel Stalnaker and Teri Moneysmith of Pflugerville, Tex., and Craig Simon and Loretta Stalnaker of Randolph, Vt.; one sister, Mrs. Henry (Arnolee) Scherer of Greenville, Pa.; five brothers and four sisters-in-law, Blaine and Mary Stalnaker of Atlanta, Ga., Gerald and Judy Stalnaker of Weston, Burhl Dean and Trudy Stalnaker of Dobson, N.C., Edsel Stalnaker of Camden, and Keith and Elaine Stalnaker of Camden; nine grandchildren.
He was also preceded in death by three sisters, Grethel Gray, Naomi Stalnaker, and Ioma Stalnaker; and one brother, Leo Stalnaker.
Mr. Stalnaker was an FBI special agent, stationed in the New Haven office, for 26 years, retiring in 1977. He then worked at the former Connecticut Bank & Trust, Hartford office, as vice president of internal security for 10 years. From 1886-88, he was zoning officer for the Town of North Haven. He was a 1948 graduate of West Virginia University and received a law degree from the WVU law school in 1950. He was an active member of St. John's Episcopal Church in North Haven, Conn., and a World War II Army veteran.
A funeral service was held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, January 2, at St. John's Episcopal Church in North Haven, Conn. Burial followed in the All Saints cemetery at North Haven. Washington Memorial Funeral Home in North Haven was in charge of funeral arrangements. Memorial contributions in Mr. Stalnaker's name may be made to National Headquarters, Society of Former FBI Agents Foundation, M.C.A. Building, 715 Broadway, PO Box 1027, Quantico, Va. 22134-1027; St. John's Episcopal Church, 3 Trumbull Place, North Haven, Conn. 06473; Connecticut Hospice, 61 Burban Drive, Branford, Conn. 06405; or Fr. McGivney Cancer Care Center, 1450 Chapel Street, New Haven, Conn. 06511.
Sarah Steele
Sarah Steele, 101, of Hurricane, formerly of Little Birch, died Sunday, December 24, 2000, at Putnam General Hospital in Hurricane, following an extended illness.
Her husband, Watson Steele, preceded her in death January 17, 1990.
Surviving are one daughter-in-law, Loletha Hamrick of Jane Lew; three grandsons, Richard Hamrick and James Hamrick, both of Jane Lew, and Carl Hammons of Hurricane; and one granddaughter, Sharon Hamrick of Jane Lew.
Mrs. Steele was a member of the Church of God.
A graveside service was held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, December 27, at Sugar Creek cemetery in Gassaway, with Rev. Nancy Cale officiating. Stockert-Gibson Funeral Home was in charge of funeral arrangements.
Stella Mae Cole
Stella Mae Cole, 78, of Orrville, Ohio, formerly of Orlando, died December 1, 2000, at Select Special Hospital in Barberton, Ohio, after a short illness.
She was born December 28, 1921, at Butcher's Fork, a daughter of the late James Samuel and Pamily (Long) Messinger.
Her husband, Charles Quenton Cole, preceded her in death in 1964.
Surviving are one daughter, Darlene May of Massachusetts; two brothers, Clarence and Raymond Messinger of Smithville, Ohio; one sister, Martha Ann Burkhammer of Bellefontaine, Ohio; one stepdaughter, Ruth Mick of Roanoke; one sister-in-law, Eula Cole of Procious; and two grandsons.
Mrs. Cole was a Baptist. She attended Reimer Road Baptist Church.
A funeral service was held December 4, 2000, at 1 p.m., at Sherwood Chapel in Wooster, Ohio, with Rev. Jim Newton officiating. Interment followed in Sherwood Memorial Gardens in Wooster. Roberts Funeral Home was in charge of funeral arrangements.
George Gideon Cottrill
George Gideon Cottrill, 78, of Route Two, Jane Lew, died at 5:45 p.m., Friday, January 26, 2001 at the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center at Clarksburg.
He was born December 23, 1922, at Weston, a son of the late Thomas J. Cottrill and Adeline Elizabeth Taylor Cottrill.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Irene Schute Cottrill.
Survivors include: one sister, Mary L. Cottrill Strader of Route Three, Weston; two special friends, Debbie Seelback and Bruce Hefner, both of Weston; and several nieces and nephews.
He was also preceded in death by one son William Cottrill; one sister, Maggie Cottrill; and three brothers, Rex, Oran, and Ralph.
Mr. Cottrill was a retired chauffeur for Goodrich Corporation and a veteran of WWII and a protestant by faith.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, January 30, at the Morris Funeral Home in Jane Lew with Rev. Ronald Brown officiating. Interment will be held Wednesday, January 31, at Akron, Ohio.
Ronald LeRoy Foster
Ronald LeRoy Foster, 84, of 41990 Township Highway 466, Woodsfield, Ohio (Antioch community), formerly of Stow, Ohio, died at 12:30 a.m., Sunday, January 28, 2001, at his home.
He was born at Weston on July 27, 1916, a son of the late Tucker and Dora Cosner Foster.
He was a former guard officer at the Ravenna Arsenal prior to his enlistment in the service; a retired self-employed building contractor; a U.S. Navy veteran (Sea Bee Division) serving during WWII; a member and past master of the Moriah Lodge #105, Free and Accepted Masons, Powhatan, Ohio; a member of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, Valley of Steubenville Indian Patrol, WV; National Guard; a member and past commander of the Barnesville Chapter of Disabled American Veterans; a member of the V.F.W. Post 6387, New Matamoras, Ohio; Knights Templar #047, Cambridge, Ohio; member of the past masters association, Bel-Mon Shrine Club, Wheeling, WV; Order of Eastern Star, Captina Chapter, Powhatan, Ohio; Grand Chapter of the Royal Arch Masons of Ohio, Cambridge, Ohio; and the Grand Council of Royal and Select Masons of Ohio, Guernsey Council #74, Cambridge, Ohio.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Ann Helen Dworshak Foster on July 16, 1993; one son, Ronald Lee Foster in 1960; one brother, Raymond Foster; two sisters, Mabel Spencer and Marie Jamison.
Surviving are two daughters, Connie Sellers of Cleveland, Ohio, and Julia Ann Roby, at home; two sisters, Ruth Mildred Smith of Jane Lew, and Maxine "Jean" Jackson of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio; five grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m., today, Wednesday, January 31, 2001, at Watters Funeral Home, S.R. 78 West, Woodsfield, Ohio with Pastor Paul Ferguson officiating. Burial will follow in the Antioch cemetery, Antioch, Ohio with full military graveside services conducted by the New Matatmoras V.F.W.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children, 3229 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45229.
Evelyn Joann Hitt
Evelyn Joann Hitt, 63, of Route One, Weston (Deanville Community), died at 5:30 a.m., on Monday, January 29, 2001, in the Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital in Weston, following an extended illness.
Born on July 18, 1937 in Lewis County, she was a daughter of the late Holmes R. Nicholson and Mary Virginia (White) Nicholson. On April 30, 1956, she married James E. Hitt, who survives.
Also surviving are: two sons and one daughter-in-law, James E. Hitt, Jr. and his wife, Laura, of Jane Lew and Timothy N. Hitt of Weston; one daughter and son-in-law, Kimberly Darlene Malson and husband, Timothy of Jane Lew; six grandchildren, Joby Swiger, Brooke Hitt Short, Tyler Hitt, Cortney Hitt, Lauren Malson, and Christian Hitt; one step-grandchild, Arwen Malson; one step-great-grandson, Austin Springer; and one step-great-granddaughter, Kirsten Palmer.
She was preceded in death by one sister, Janice Marie Mick.
Mrs. Hitt was a homemaker and was actively employed by J.E. Hitt Garage in Weston. She was a volunteer member of the Lewis County Emergency Squad, and attended Broad Run Baptist Church.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m., today, Wednesday, January 31, from the Boyle Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Mark Anderson officiating. Interment will follow in Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens in Jane Lew.
George Eugene Marsh
George Eugene Marsh, 42, a resident of the Clarksburg Mission, Glen Elk, formerly of Weston, died at 5 p.m., Thursday, January 25, 2001, in the United Hospital Center in Clarksburg.
He was born in Weston, June 22, 1958, a son of the late Anna Puffenbarger and George Marsh, who survives in Weston.
Also surviving are one brother, Charles Marsh; three half brothers, Earl, Andy and Bill Puffenbarger, all of Weston; two sisters, Mary Harris and Darlene Conrad, both of Weston; stepmother, Anna L. Marsh of Weston and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by one brother, James R. Marsh and one great-niece.
Mr. Marsh was a former employee of the Louie Glass Co.
Graveside services were held Monday, January 29, from the Snyder cemetery at Churchville with the Rev. Robert Heater officiating.
Boyle Funeral Home of Weston was in charge of the arrangements.
