U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
A. G. St. Clair, Jr.
A. G. St. Clair, Jr., 76, of Dial Rock Road, North Tazewell, died March 16, 2004 at Holston Valley Medical Center in Kingsport, TN.
Born in Tazewell, he was the only child of Alexander Gordon St. Clair and Barbara Emmons Brittain St. Clair.
He was a lifelong member of the Tazewell Christian Church, where he served in many capacities including elder, deacon, Sunday School teacher, and treasurer of the Christian Men’s Fellowship (CMF) for 30 years. He headed up the Men’s Supper cooking group for many years preparing his specialty of fried oysters. He was a U.S. Army Veteran, serving during the Korean conflict.
He attended Tazewell County public schools and graduated from Riverside Military School in Gainesville, GA, and Lynchburg College. He taught at Tazewell and Richlands High Schools before becoming a probation/parole officer in 1959, from which he retired after 30 years of service.
He was an active member and Past President of the Tazewell Lions Club for 30 plus years. He was a member of the Tazewell Masonic Lodge for 50 years, and the Tazewell County Sportsman’s Club. He loved to turkey hunt and fish.
Survivors: wife, Elizabeth (Bettie) Byrd St. Clair; sons, Alex St. Clair, III, and special son and buddy, Timmy St. Clair, both of Tazewell; daughter, Lucy St. Clair, of Tazewell; and special friend, Clyde Herald of Tazewell.
The Rev. Michael Stump conducted private graveside services at Maplewood cemetery in Tazewell.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Christian Men’s Fellowship Fund at the Tazewell Christian Church, 302 E. Pine St. Tazewell, VA 24651.
Peery & St. Clair Funeral Home in Tazewell was in charge of arrangements.
Mary "Maggie" Wright
Mary M. "Maggie" Hall Wright, 80, of North Tazewell, died March 19, 2004 at Tazewell Community Hospital.
Born February 21, 1924 at North Tazewell, she was a daughter of the late Joel Hall and Ida Mae Pruitt Hall.
She was a lifelong resident of Tazewell County and was of the Freewill Baptist faith.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Kelly Frank Wright; one granddaughter, Sherry Ann Kitts; and several sisters and brothers.
Survivors: daughters, Janice Stump and husband, Randy, Donna Wyatt and husband, Jesse, all of Roanoke, Elizabeth Kitts and husband, Emory, of Tazewell; sons, Leonard Wright and wife, Linda, Ronald Wright and wife, Linda, and Daniel Wright and wife, Pam, all of North Tazewell; brothers, Bobby Hall of Bristol, Dale Hall and wife, Edith, of Florida; several grandchildren; several great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces and nephews.
The funeral was conducted at 2 p.m. March 21 at Peery & St. Clair Funeral Home Chapel in Tazewell with the Rev. Roy Williams officiating.
Burial followed at Grandview Memory Gardens in Bluefield, VA.
Clyde Junior Yates
Clyde Junior Yates, 54, of the Deskins area of Vansant, died March 22, 2004 at Holston Valley Medical Center in Kingsport, TN, following an extended illness.
Born in Buchanan County, he was a son of Trula Osborne Yates in Vansant and the late David Yates.
He was a lifelong resident of Buchanan County, was of the Baptist faith and a retired employee of Island Creek Coal Company.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Nettie Mae Hicks Yates, Feb. 21, 2001; one sister, Evelyn Yates; and one brother, Danny Yates, Feb. 11, 2004.
Survivors: daughter, Lisa and husband, Brian Gray, of Lakeland, FL; son, Matthew and wife, Melinie Yates of Vansant; sisters, Mollie Diles of Patterson, Rita Yates of Richlands, Phyllis Yates of Vansant; brothers, Jimmy Lee Yates and Benny Yates, both of Vansant; three grandchildren; one step-grandchild; and several nieces and nephews.
The funeral will be conducted March 25 at 1 p.m. at Grundy Funeral Home Chapel with Pastor Phillip Cook and Pastor Larry Ratliff officiating.
Burial will follow in Greenhills Memorial Gardens at Claypool Hill.
Friends may call at the funeral home March 24 at 5 p.m. with services at 7 p.m.
Lois J. Yates
Lois Jean Yates, 72, of Cedar Bluff, died March 21, 2004 at her home following a lengthy illness.
Born in Buchanan County, she was the daughter of the late William and Alta Deel Boyd.
She attended the Little Martha Old Regular Baptist Church.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Malcolm Yates, Sr.; one infant son, Billy Rayburn Yates; her stepmother, June Boyd; one brother, Starling "Pete" Boyd; and one sister, Rosa Martha Jackson.
Survivors: sons, Bobby Gene Yates and wife, Sue, of Berlin Center, OH, Ferlie Yates and wife, Delphine, of Newton Fall, OH, Johnny Yates and wife, Etta, of Cedar Bluff, Malcolm Yates, Jr. and wife, Keitha, of Cedar Bluff; daughters, Mrs. Paul (Ann Mildred) Barnes of Midwest City, OK, Mrs. Marvin (Shirley) Burwell of Dover, OH, Mrs. Ivel (Lillian) Rose of Cedar Bluff, Bonnie Lou Browning of Yigo, Guam; brothers, Bradford Boyd of Grundy, Earl Robert Boyd of Birchleaf, Noland Boyd of Grundy, Edmond Boyd of Vansant, Kenneth Boyd of Greencove Springs, FL; sisters, Edna Georgia Osborne of Meadowview, Mary Pauline Stacy and Margaret Ann Deel, both of Grundy, Grace Markcum and Sandy Adkins, both of Kings Mountain, NC, Altis Blankenship of Tazewell; 20 grandchildren; 31 great-grandchildren; and two great- great-grandchildren.
The funeral will be conducted March 24 at 11 a.m. at Singleton Funeral Service Chapel in Cedar Bluff with Rev. Allen Viers and Rev. Bill Shook officiating.
Burial will follow in the Greenhills Memory Gardens at Claypool Hill.
Louella P. Cook
Louella Patton Cook, 81, of Cedar Bluff, died March 11, 2004 at a Tazewell hospital.
Born in Cedar Bluff, she was a daughter of the late Carl W. and Hinson Lowe Patton, both Tazewell County natives.
She had made her home in the Cedar Bluff area most of her life and was a former nurse’s aid at the Clinch Valley Clinic Hospital. She was a member of the Trinity Assembly of God Church at Cedar Bluff and the VFW Ladies Auxiliary.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, John Ellis Cook; one sister, Mary Patton; and two brothers, Cecil Patton and Thomas Patton.
Survivors: daughter, Frances Julia Brooks, and husband, Michael, of Manasses; sons, John E. Cook, Jr. of Claypool Hill, James Dean Cook of Cedar Bluff; sisters, Adavine Howard of North Carolina, Kathlene Burress of Maryland, Virginia Griffith of Tennessee; and brothers, Charles Patton and James Patton, both of Cedar Bluff, and Kenneth Patton of Richlands.
The funeral was conducted March 14 at 1 p.m. at the Hurst-Scott Funeral Chapel in Richlands with Rev. Jerry Barrett officiating.
Interment followed in Clinch Valley Memorial cemetery in Richlands.
Azella H. Eldreth
Azella Hall Eldreth, 82, of Tazewell, died March 10, 2004 at Tazewell Community Hospital.
Born in Tazewell, she was a daughter the late Beverly Floyd and Margaret Jane Hall.
She was a longtime member of the Tazewell Presbyterian Church.
In addition to being a homemaker, she worked as a school teacher, secretary and bookkeeper.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, William Bruce Eldreth, three sisters and four brothers. She was the last surviving member of her immediate family.
Survivors: daughter, Jane Bowman and husband, Buck, of North Tazewell; sons, William Floyd Eldreth, Sr. and wife, Freda, of Tazewell, John Paul Eldreth and wife, Debbie, of Chantilly; stepson, Howard Eldreth and wife, Cindy, of Sterling; stepdaughter, Elizabeth Brown and husband, Max, of Ruby; grandson, William Floyd Eldreth, Jr.; six step-grandchildren; several step-great-grandchildren; and special niece, Nancy Thompson of Richmond.
The funeral was conducted March 14 at 2 p.m. at Peery & St. Clair Funeral Home Chapel in Tazewell with the Rev. Max Brown officiating.
Burial followed at Maplewood cemetery in Tazewell.
Pauline Griffith
Pauline Wells Griffith, 79, of Honaker, died March 9, 2004 in a Bristol, TN, hospital.
Born in Russell County, she was a daughter of the late Thomas and Mary Jane Honaker Wells.
She attended the Honaker Church of God and was of the Baptist faith.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Ralph Griffith; one daughter, Linda McCray; and one son, Timothy Edward Griffith.
Survivors: sons, Jerry Griffith of Linden, Michael Griffith and Darrell Griffith, both of Honaker, James Griffith of Duncan, SC, Bobby Griffith of Paducah, KY; daughters, Jo Ann Griffith Stewart of Duncan, Patsy O’Dell of Bluff City, TN, Pamela Griffith and Judy Griffith, both of Honaker; sister, Odessa Harris of Honaker; special friend, Moe VanDyke; and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The funeral was conducted March 13 at 2 p.m. in the Honaker Funeral Home Chapel in Honaker with Rev. Kenny Taylor officiating.
Interment followed in the Clark cemetery at Honaker.
James (Jim) Hale
James Harold "Jim" Hale, 75, of Richlands, died March 9, 2004 at a Richlands hospital following a lengthy illness.
Born in Detroit, MI, he was a son of the late Drayton and Grace Mays Hale, both Buchanan County natives.
He spent most of his early life in Buchanan County and was a U. S. Air Force Korean War Veteran. He had made his home in the Richlands area for 52 years. He was a former salesman for Dixie Grocery and M. O. Warner and in 1990 retired from the U. S. Postal Service serving as Postmaster for 24 years at the Richlands Post Office.
He was a charter member of the Gethsemane Baptist Church in Richlands and was instrumental in starting the Richlands Little League Organization. He was a former member of the Tazewell County Board of Supervisors, the Cumberland Plateau Planning District, and was a member of the Tazewell County Democratic Committee.
Survivors: wife, Emma Jane Crawford Hale; sons, Thomas Alan Hale and wife, Keitha Delora Hale, and Robert "Bobby" Michael Hale and wife, Cynthia Horton Hale, all of Richlands; brother, William "Bill" Drayton Hale, Jr. and wife, Ann, of Charlotte, NC; grandchildren, Amanda Shea Hale Bevins and husband, Gregory Thomas Bevins, Jason Michael Hale and wife, Ashley Dunford Hale, and Christa L. Keen; and great-grandchildren, Timothy Deaven Puckett and Carey Christina Hale.
The funeral was conducted March 12 at 1 p.m. at the Gethsemane Baptist Church in Richlands with Rev. Stafford Compton officiating.
Interment followed in Greenhills Memory Gardens at Claypool Hill.
Members of the Casey-Shortt VFW Post No. 9640 of Richlands and the Disabled American Veterans Tazewell County Chapter #31 conducted military graveside rites.
Hurst-Scott Funeral Home in Richlands was in charge of arrangements.
Ruth Harris
Ruth Harris, 90, of Council, died March 9, 2004 in a Lebanon health care facility.
Born March 16, 1913, in Dickenson County, she was a daughter of the late Ira and Emily Barton Sullivan.
A lifelong resident of the area, she was a member of the Free Will Baptist Church.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Ruben Harris; four brothers, Walter Sullivan, Morgan Sullivan, Charlie Sullivan and Velt Sullivan; and four sisters, Bertha Sullivan, Maggie Harris, Edna Farmer and Hattie Rasnake.
Survivors: daughter and son-in-law, Lizzie and Dallas McGlothlin of Honaker; grandsons, Roger Baldwin of Rt. 2, Honaker, Carter McGlothlin of Hansonville; sisters, Vicey Mullins of Pound, Lilly Epling of Haysi, Barbara Rasnake of Baltimore, MD; brother, Ira C. Sullivan of Clintwood; two step-grandchildren; two step-great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
The funeral was conducted March 12 at 2 p.m. in the Honaker Funeral Home Chapel in Honaker with Rev. Troy Harris and Rev. Roy Lee Wilson officiating.
Interment followed in Ketron Memorial Gardens at Lebanon.
