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Laurie B. Pecha
08/26/2004
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Laurie B. Pecha of Memphis died suddenly at her home last Sunday afternoon, the 22nd of August, 2004. She was born Laura Ann Boone on May 11, 1936, in Owensboro, the second of nine children in a close Depression-era family. She graduated from Catholic High School in Owensboro in 1954, and then from the Nazareth School of Nursing in Louisville.
She married
Robert L. Pecha one week after his discharge from the Army and spent the next several years crisscrossing the country with her engineer-husband and growing family, eventually settling in Memphis. She lived in her meticulously kept home in Raleigh for the last 32 years, sending six sons into the world and dispensing wisdom to many.
Faith was the cornerstone of Laurie's life. She heeded the Apostle Paul's advice to "pray constantly," attended daily Mass and read voraciously. These habits formed in her an unusually well-reasoned moral clarity. This she shared with her family and with those who asked. Her faith sustained her through the premature death of her husband in 1984, after which she completed her son-rearing in suburban Memphis despite the cultural tumult of the 1970's and 80's.
Though never remarried
, she was later comforted by new daughters-in-law and numerous grandchildren. She was the quintessential Southerner, valuing family and tradition, often lamenting the modern erosions to both. She was never distant from her eight siblings, making frequent visits back "home" to Kentucky while continuing an active study of the family's genealogy and collecting local antiques.
Laurie imparted the value of education to her sons, all six of whom passed through Christian Brothers High School in Memphis and on to successful professional careers as physicians, engineers and in computer technology, and who now live in California, Texas, Tennessee and Kentucky.
However successful her sons were, she was most proud that all six maintained a committed Roman Catholic faith of their own, and kept close to her through visits, phone calls and e-mail. Her daughters-in-law too were very close and she was a welcome source of reassurance and advice which will be greatly missed.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Raymond O. Boone and Mary Robert Hayden Boone of Owensboro; and by her husband. She is survived by her sons, Brian and his wife, Kari, and six children, Kevin and his wife, Kim, and daughter, Barry and his wife, Angela, and three children, Erick and his wife, Julie, and six children, Marc and his wife, Margarita, and four children, and Neil and his wife, Krista, and three children.
She is also survived by her brothers Gene, Michael and his wife, Cindy, and Joel and his wife, Linda, all of Owensboro, Julian and his wife, Mari, of Quincy, Ill., and by her sisters Julia Marie Boone of Memphis, Natalie and Alan Zambrano of Owensboro, Nancy Rhodes of Owensboro and Marilyn and Bernard Lally of Indianapolis.
A rosary and visitation were held last Wednesday evening followed by a Mass of resurrection and burial in Memphis.
Rick Phelps
08/26/2004
Rick Phelps, 35, of 2936 Legion Park Drive, Owensboro, passed away Tuesday, Aug. 24, at his home. He was born in Greenville and had been a barber for about 15 years. He was a member of Peoples Baptist Church, loved country music, singing, writing songs and poetry and reading. He was preceded in death by his father, Hubert Phelps, in 2000; a sister, Kathy Higdon, on Jan. 3, 2000; two half brothers, Roy and Reathel Phelps; and a half sister, Shirley Faye Strader.
Surviving is his daughter, Destiny Marie Phelps of Owensboro; his son, William Glen Phelps of Owensboro; his mother, Mary Frank of Owensboro; three brothers, Carroll and Richard Phelps, both of Owensboro, and Larry Phelps of Calhoun; two sisters, Mary Stewart of Rosine and Debbie Brooks of Island; two half brothers, Eddie Phelps of Mount Carmel, Ill., and Jerry Phelps of Princeton, Ind.; two half sisters, Carolyn Kennedy of Owensboro and Janie Mae Phelps of Mount Carmel; two stepbrothers; and three stepsisters.
Funeral services will be at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 27, at Glenn Funeral Home chapel, with burial following in Owensboro Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be from 2 to 8 p.m. today and after 9 a.m. Friday at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to Rick Phelps Memorial Fund, c/o Carroll Phelps, 2969 McAlister Place, Owensboro, KY 42303.
Stewart Allen Rafferty
08/26/2004
Stewart Allen Rafferty, infant son of Greg and Hadley Rafferty of 2714 Sunrise Drive, Owensboro, passed away Friday, Aug. 20, 2004, at Kosair Children's Hospital in Louisville. He was born in Louisville.
Also surviving are his maternal grandparents, William and Lynn Burden of Owensboro; paternal grandparents, Roger and Jane Rafferty of Owensboro; maternal great-grandmother, Virginia Crabb of Clear Lake, Iowa; paternal great-grandparents, Mary Davis of Owensboro and Adrian and Emogene Rafferty of Henryville, Ind.; two uncles, Josh Brood of Clear Lake and Kevin Rafferty of Lexington; an aunt, Amy Rafferty of Owensboro; and a cousin, Joshua Brood of Clear Lake.
Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to noon Friday at Yellow Creek Baptist Church. Funeral services and burial will be private, with burial in Owensboro Memorial Gardens.
Roy W. McDonald
08/25/2004
GREENVILLE - Roy W. McDonald, 77, of Greenville died Monday, Aug. 23, 2004, at his home. He was retired from Municipal Water of Greenville. He was a member of Unity Missionary Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon and Sunday school teacher. He also served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II. He was preceded in death by his father, Walter McDonald; his mother, Lizzie McDonald; a brother, Bernie McDonald; half brother, Emerson McDonald; and a sister, Ina McDonald.
Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Inez McDonald; a son, Terry H. McDonald of New Cypress; a daughter, Cindy McDonald of New Cypress; two grandchildren, Brent (Shana) McDonald and Jason Martin; a great-grandson, Micah McDonald; her pet, Butch McDonald; several cousins and nephews; and a great-godson, Jarod Elliott.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at Tucker Funeral Home in Central City. Burial will follow in New Cypress cemetery. Visitation will be after 5 p.m. today at the funeral home.
The Rev. George R. Nichols
08/25/2004
The Rev. George R. Nichols, 82, of Owensboro died Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2004, at VA Medical Center in Lexington. He was born in Portland, Ind., on July 25, 1922, to the late Edward and Lillie Mae (Lanning) Nichols. He was in the service of the Lord for 54 years when he retired. He served churches in Ohio with the Nazarene denomination and in Kentucky with the Wesleyan denomination. He enrolled in God's Bible School in Spring 1946, took a 10-week course and a three-year Christian worker's course, attended one year of high school, received his GED and attended three years of college. He attended Calvary Church of the Nazarene in Cincinnati while at GBS and served as Sunday school superintendent. He attended Manchester Nazarene Church from 1955-1956 and served as Sunday school superintendent. He served pastorates from 1952-1955 at West Union, Ohio, from 1956-1962 at Raden, Ohio, from 1962-1973 at Highland Bend, Ohio, from 1973-1985 at Triplett Street Wesleyan Church in Owensboro, where he was ordained in 1977, from 1985-1989 at Shepherdsville Wesleyan Church and from 1989-2001 at Frankfort Wesleyan Church. He retired to Owensboro in July 2001 and attended Owensboro Calvary Wesleyan Church. He was co-owner of Laval's Cakes & Candies. He was an Army veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife of 57 years, Laval; a daughter and a son-in-law, Mae (Ray) Billings of Georgetown; three sons and daughters-in-law, Robert (Diana) Nichols of Box Elder, S.D., and Richard (Mary) Nichols and Steve (Theresa) Nichols, both of Owensboro; 13 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Services are at 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 27, at James H. Davis Funeral Home chapel in Owensboro. Burial is in Kentucky Veterans cemetery West in Hopkinsville, with a full military service at 2 p.m. Friday. Visitation is from 2 to 8 p.m. Thursday and from 9 to 10 a.m. Friday at the funeral home. The family requests that expressions of sympathy may take the form of donations to the Rev. George R. Nichols Memorial Fund, c/o Laval Nichols, 3307 Dark Star Court, Owensboro, KY 42303.
Cleatus Ray Stewart
08/25/2004
BREMEN - Cleatus Ray Stewart, 73, of Bremen died Monday, Aug. 23, 2004, at Regional Medical Center in Madisonville. He was a retired coal miner, a member of Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church and an Army veteran.
Survivors include his wife, Freda Bennett Stewart; two daughters, Patricia Stuart and Charlene Drury; a brother, Clyde Stewart; and a sister, Vernell Higgins.
Services: 11 a.m. Thursday at Tucker Funeral Home in Central City. Burial: Pleasant Hill cemetery in Muhlenberg County. Visitation: After 5 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Diane Tate Burton
08/24/2004
McQUADY - Diane Tate Burton, 60, of McQuady died Sunday, Aug. 22, 2004, at Jewish Hospital. She was a housewife.
Survivors include her husband, Carl; two daughters, Sandy Whitfill and Brittany Hicks; and four sisters, Pat Hill, Elaine Lancaster, Nancy Rhodes and Sue Haynes.
Services: 11 a.m. Wednesday at Trent-Dowell Funeral Home. Burial: McQuady cemetery. Visitation: From 4 to 8 p.m. today and after 8:30 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Memorial contributions: Corinth Baptist Church Building Fund.
Aubrey Johnston Cornette
08/24/2004
GREENVILLE - Aubrey Johnston Cornette, 75, died Sunday, Aug. 22, 2004, at 4 p.m. in Muhlenberg Community Hospital. He was born Aug. 21, 1929, in Greenville, the son of Claude Allen Cornette and Eunice Carroll Johnston Cornette. He was a graduate mining engineer from University of Kentucky in 1952, a registered professional engineer since 1958, a member of Kentucky Professional Engineering and Surveying Registration Board from 1985 to 1993, a past registered professional land surveyor, founder and former owner of Cornette Engineering Services of Madisonville, a member of Disciples of Christ (Christian Church), a past member of American Institute of Mining Engineers, the Kentucky Society of Professional Engineers, the Western Kentucky Mining Institute and the Kentucky Mining Institute. He also served two years in the U.S. Army as a member of the Very Heavy Support Group. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Beulah Stovall Cornette.
Funeral services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 25, by the Rev. Billy Cox and the Rev. Vernon Perdue. Burial will be in Evergreen cemetery in Greenville.
Survivors include his wife, Bernice Genet Cornette of Greenville; two daughters, Carol L. Cornette of Louisville and Fran Cornette Mosley of Greenwood, Ind.; two granddaughters, Mae Louise Mosley and B.J. Mosley; and two nieces and three nephews.
Friends may call from 9 to 1 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.
Wanda F. Smeathers Doty
08/24/2004
FORDSVILLE - Wanda F. Smeathers Doty of Fordsville passed away Sunday, Aug. 22, 2004. Born Feb. 7, 1942, in Maceo, she had attained the age of 62 years.
Surviving are her children, Debbie Page of Mount Olive, Ill., Patricia Covington of Marine, Ill., John Embry of Staunton, Ill., Chuck Embry of Fordsville, Lisa Alexander of Hartford, Dawn Bowers of Alhambra, Ill., and Mike Doty of Fordsville; her brothers, Larry Brooks of Whitesville and Bob Smeathers of Arcola, Ill., her sisters, Shirley Smiley of Arcola, Ruby King of Mount Olive, Yvonne Manus of Staunton, Linda Smith of Litchfield, Ill., Judy Hutchins of Mount Olive and Treasa Wolf of Benld, Ill.; 15 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her father and mother.
Visitation will from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Cecil Funeral Home in Whitesville and also from 9 a.m. to funeral time Thursday. Burial will be in Iron Ore Hill cemetery in Daviess County.
Donald 'Donnie' C. Edgell
08/24/2004
CALHOUN - Donald "Donnie" C. Edgell, 53, of 133 Old Buel Road, Calhoun, died at 6:11 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 22, 2004, at Owensboro Medical Health System. He was born July 23, 1951, in Daviess County to W.C. Edgell and Betty Allen Edgell and was disabled. He previously worked at Tyler Auto Electric as an auto electrician for 10 years and was a U.S. Army veteran. He was a member of Disabled American Veterans and American Legion and enjoyed movies, music and computers. He was preceded in death by his parents, W.C. and Betty Allen Edgell; brothers, Wally and Jerry Edgell; a sister, Betty Sue Edgell; and grandchildren, Katelin Michelle Edgell and Austin Wayne Edgell.
Survivors include his wife of 25 years, Mary Ann Edgell; a son, Donald Wayne and Eugenia Edgell of Owensboro; four daughters, Marie and Chris Graves and Shannon Smith and Eddie Smith, all of Owensboro, Heather and John M. Storm of Utica and Tabithiae Edgell of Calhoun; nine grandchildren; three brothers, Bill and Darlene Edgell of Curdsville, Anthony and Donna Edgell of Stanley and David Edgell of Sorgho; five sisters, Margaret and Jerry Sparks, Charlene Wathen, Linda Edgell and Paula McElwin, all of Owensboro, and Scherry Howard of Calhoun; and several nieces and nephews.
Services are at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Haley-McGinnis Funeral Home chapel. Visitation is from 2 to 8 p.m. today and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. The Rev. Tim Hall will officiate. Expressions of sympathy may take the form of donations to Donnie C. Edgell Memorial Fund.
