U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
Kenneth Wayne Fields
Chilhowie's assistant chief of police, Lt. Kenneth Wayne Fields, died Tuesday, March 18, 1997. Fields was 45.
Chilhowie Police Chief Scott Sexton said, "Kenny was very involved in community policing activities. He was also very active in the Special Olympics. Kenny was a very good officer and served as a field training officer for new officers coming into the department. He asked that in place of flowers, anyone who wanted to could make a donation in his name to the Special Olympics. They can send their donations here to the Police Department, Drawer M, Chilhowie, Va. 24319 and we will see the Special Olympics get it. We will miss him."
Chilhowie Mayor John Mason said, "Kenny did a great job for the town. He got along great with everyone and had a lot of friends. He will be sadly missed. Kenny took a big hand in community affairs, especially the Special Olympics. This organization will miss him a lot."
Fellow officer Gary Hafer said Fields was, "a good friend both at the police department and outside. I've known Kenny for years and we were always good friends. The town will miss him badly. There's no doubt about that. Special Olympics was his main thing. He was very involved with the games, did a lot of fundraising and such for them."
Saltville Police Chief Steve Surber said he knew Fields well and he would be, "badly missed over there. He was a fine guy and a good officer. He was always willing to work with you and help in any way he could. Law enforcement has lost a good dedicated man."
Shelby Nidiffer is in charge of the Special Olympics program in Washington County. She said Fields was, "a really great person. I could not have done my job without him. He saw to it we had uniforms. He helped raise money for us. He supported us in every way. I just thought the world of him. We will greatly miss him."
Fields was assistant chairman for Special Olympics Region 11. He volunteered with Special Olympics for 14 years.
Fields was a veteran police officer with 17 years of service. Before joining the Chilhowie force, Fields was a member of the Damascus Police Department and the Washington County Sheriff's Department.
He was a member of the Chilhowie Kiwanis and a former captain with the Chilhowie Rescue Squad. He served as the assistant chairman for the Virginia Law Enforcement Torch Run for the Special Olympics.
Fields is survived by his wife, Norma; his son, Tony; and his parents, Henry and Frances Fields, all of Abingdon; three brothers, Harold Fields and Mark Fields of Abingdon and Butch Fields of Roanoke; one sister, Dorothy Duncan, of Meadowview; several nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be Thursday, March 20, from 7 to 9 p.m. Funeral services will be conducted Friday, March 21, at 2 p.m. with the Rev. Bob McCormick, the Rev. Bobby Dunn and the Rev. Frank Branson officiating. Burial will follow in Forest Hills Memory Gardens, Abingdon.
Blackburn
Wade Herbert Blackburn, 85, died Thursday, March 20, 1997 in Newton, N.C., following a long illness.
He was born Feb. 2, 1912 the son of the late David Walter and Eloise Blackburn of Newton, N.C. He lived in Smyth County for a number of years where he worked as a house painter.
He is survived by his wife, Ardeen Teaters Blackburn, Newton, N.C.; four sons: Carmie Eugene Blackburn, Rural Retreat; Claude David Blackburn, Chilhowie; Charles Thomas Blackburn, Newton, N.C.; and William Wade Blackburn, Taylorsville, N.C.; two sisters, Ruth Combs and Virginia Guthrie, both of Newton, N.C.; one brother, Joe Blackburn, Newton, N.C.; five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held today, March 22, at 2 p.m. in Drum Funeral Home in Newton, N.C.
Drum Funeral Home in Newton, N.C., is in charge of the arrangements.
Boone
Effie Hamm Boone, 86, of Lenoir, N.C., died Thursday, March 20, 1997 in Gateway Nursing Home, Lenoir.
She was a native of Ashe County, N.C., and had lived in Smyth County for a number of years. She was preceded in death by her parents, Joe and Sarah Calhoun Hamm.
She was a housewife and was of the Baptist faith.
Survivors include two daughters, Ruth Roop, Chilhowie, and Jean Pennington, Lenoir, N.C.; two sisters, Pauline Greer, Troutdale, and Dellarae Lewis, Whitetop; three grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren.
Graveside services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 23, in the Azen Cemetery in Konnarock with the Rev. Jody Blevins officiating. The family will receive friends tonight from 7 to 9 at the funeral home.
Johnson Funeral Home in Damascus was in charge of arrangements.
Brooks
John Junior "Jack" Brooks, 69, died Thursday, March 20, 1997 in Smyth County Community Hospital.
He was a retired construction worker and owner and operator of his own truck. He also operated a service station for several years. He was of the Baptist faith and served in the United States Army.
Survivors include one sister, Violet B. Hamm, Marion; two brothers, Paul Brooks, Sugar Grove, and Dean Brooks, Marion; several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be conducted today, March 22, at 2 p.m. in Barnett's Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Kenny Price officiating. Burial will follow in Slemp Cemetery in Sugar Grove.
Barnett's Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Compton
Paul Lee Compton, 72, died Thursday, March 20, 1997 at his home in Abingdon.
He was a native of Buchanan County and had lived in Washington County since 1970.
He was a retired coal miner.
Survivors include his wife, Wanda J. Compton; five sons: Roy Wayne Compton and Paul W. Compton, both of
Johnson City, Tenn., Gary Edward Compton, Marion, Aaron Dean Compton, Fort Carson, Colo., and Jason Anthony Compton, of the home; six daughters: Virginia Lee Burke and Rose Marie Price, both of Abingdon, Genita Irene Brown, Richlands, Betty Earline Compton, Glade Spring, Teresa Virginia Compton of the home, and Nora Mae Shortridge, Richmond; three brothers, Walter Jackson Compton, Lisbon, Md., Conley Baer Compton, Mount Airy, N.C., and Joseph Paris Compton, Wytheville; seven sisters, Lillie Margaret Asher and Lorraine Riley, both of Glade Spring, Katie Lerendu, Chilhowie, Virginia Warfield, Gaithersburg, Md., Shirley Pauley, Charles Town, W.Va., Tilda Jean Collins, Inwood, W.Va., and Mary Greene, Iowa; 21 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
Graveside services will be conducted at 4 p.m. today, March 22, in Rush Creek Cemetery in Widener's Valley.
Farris Funeral Service in Abingdon is in charge of arrangements.
Dembaugh
Larry Edward Dembaugh, 34, of Bristol, Tenn., died Wednesday, March 19, 1997 at the home of his mother in Chilhowie where he had lived for the past year.
He was a native of London, England and had lived in the Bristol area for the past 17 years.
He was a 1979 graduate of Stafford High School, Fredericksburg, and was a member of Hartwood Presbyterian Church, Hartwood.
Survivors include his mother and stepfather, Wendy and Bobby Billings, Chilhowie; one sister, Mrs. Perry (Lesley) Pruitt, Kingsport, Tenn.; one brother, Paul Dembaugh, Bristol; his maternal grandmother, Enid Lyford, London; one stepdaughter, Fallon Dembaugh; two nephews.
Funeral services were conducted at 8 p.m. Thursday, March 20, in Weaver Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Bobby Dunn officiating. Burial was private.
Weaver Funeral Home in Bristol was in charge of arrangements.
Howe
Percy William Howe, 68, formerly of Kingsport, Tenn., died Sunday, March 16, 1997 at Medical Center East, Birmingham, Ala.
He was a native of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, then resided in Gadsden, Ala., and had lived in Kingsport for the past five years.
He was a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War and retired from Alabama Power Company.
He was a member of Eastlake United Methodist Church and First Broad Street United Methodist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Frances Fischer Howe; one daughter, Ginger Howe, Mascot, Tenn.; three sons and daughters-in-law, Fred and Kitty Howe and Danny and Debbie Howe, all of Kingsport, Tenn., and Harry and Denise Howe, Marion; four grandchildren, Will, Amanda, Virginia and Matthew Howe; two sisters, Salena Jones, Gadsden, Ala., and Mrs. Ralph (Claire) Myrick, Summerdale, Ala.; several nephews and grand nieces; best friend and fishing buddy, Charles Stringer.
Funeral services were conducted at 1 p.m. Thursday, March 20, in First Broad Street United Methodist Church with the Rev. Charles Lippse and Dr. William Randal Frye officiating. Burial was in Oak Hill Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to First Broad Street United Methodist Church, Music Department or Carpenters Helpers, 100 East Church Circle, Kingsport, Tenn. 37662, or to Project Cross Roads, P.O. Box 945, Marion, VA 24354.
Hamlett-Dobson Funeral Home in Kingsport, Tenn., was in charge of arrangements.
