Grace May Buskirk
Parkersburg, WV
Grace May Buskirk, 80, of Parkersburg, passed
away June 6, 2007, at St. Joseph’s Hospital.
She was born May 24, 1927, in West Virginia, a
daughter of the late Porter Leo Leggett and
Lottie Belle Cunningham Leggett.
Grace had been affiliated with the First
Apostolic Pentecostal Church and had currently
been working as a home provider for the
Developmentally Disabled and was a former
employee of Ralph’s Market. She was a 1945
graduate of PHS, she had served as Girl Scout
Camp Director, had bowled on leagues at Ren-
Dor Lanes and was musically talented having
played the guitar and the auto harp.
Surviving are two sons, Howard J. Buskirk and
Stephen J. Buskirk and his wife, Teena, of
Parkersburg; two daughters, Kathy LaPorte and
her husband, Craig, of Loveland, Colo., and
Linda G. Williams of Parkersburg; 13
grandchildren, Brian Villers, Lottie Beard,
Brandy Seaver, Anita LaPorte, Craig LaPorte,
William Shane Ricker, Tanya Null, Heather
Stephens, Rochella Buskirk, Rachael Stanley,
Holly Leary, Stacy Buskirk and Andrew Buskirk;
and 11 great-grandchildren.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded
in death by two brothers, Virgil Leo Leggett
and Howard Leggett.
The funeral service will be 11 a.m. Saturday
at Kimes Funeral Home, 521 Fifth St.,
Parkersburg. Burial will follow at Sunset
Memory Gardens. Visitation will be from 2-4
and 6-8 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Mary "Eloise" Townsend
Parkersburg, WV
Mary "Eloise" Townsend, 84, of Parkersburg
passed away June 4, 2007, at Eagle Pointe
Nursing Home in Parkersburg.
She was born Feb. 14, 1922, at the Five Mile,
Rockport area of West Virginia, a daughter of
the late Stella Pfalzgraf Balser and Floyd
Kelly.
Eloise grew up on the family farm and attended
school at Five Mile and later at Mineral Wells
Grade School. She married Lawrence Warren
Vandergrift on Nov. 5, 1938, and they had one
daughter, Shirley Jean. Later, she married
Charles "Charlie" L. Townsend on July 3, 1948.
Eloise and Charles made their home together on
the south side of Parkersburg for 34 years
until Charles passed away on Aug. 8, 1982.
Eloise stayed in their home until moving to
Eagle Pointe Nursing Home in 2005.
Eloise worked as a cake decorator for more
than 50 years at various bakeries in the
Parkersburg area. She was employed and retired
from Storck Bakery in Parkersburg for many
years and then went to work for Enlow’s Bakery
as a cake decorator in Belpre until 1970, when
she went to work for Darrell’s IGA as a cake
decorator in Vienna. She decorated cakes for
many years at home for many people in the area
while helping out her friend Janet at The
Specialty Cake Shop in Belpre. While she was
employed as a cake decorator with Darrell’s
IGA, she and her cake decorating co-worker for
many years, Janet Lipscomb, made and decorated
the inaugural cake for Governor J.D.
Rockefeller IV of West Virginia and delivered
it to the Capitol in Charleston, W.Va. The
Governor’s cake was 4x8 feet and served 5, 000
people.
Eloise was a member and past matron of Clara
Edna Chapter 140 Order of the Eastern Star.
She was also a member of the Bethany White
Shrine and past officer of the White Shrine
Patrol Girls and served as captain of the
drill team. She devoted many long hours to her
favorite organizations through the years. She
enjoyed working in her garden, canning in the
summer, was an avid quilter and spent many
long days sewing and working on crafts. She
made numerous beautiful quilts through the
years and passed them down to the family. One
of her favorite things to do was to go out to
the family farm in Rockport and enjoy the
quiet, peaceful days.
Surviving is one daughter, Shirley Ayers Smith
of Parkersburg; a son-in-law, James Ayers of
Newark; four grandchildren, Cheryl Ann Ayers
of Parkersburg, James L. Ayers (Linda) of
Burgettstown, Pa., Mike Ayers of Parkersburg
and Kim Ayers Vilhauer (Doug) of Parkston,
S.D.; six great-grandsons, Brian, Joshua,
Michael, Hunter, Logan and Justin Ayers; one
great-granddaughter, Jamie L. Ayers; four
great-great-grandchildren; one brother,
Walter "Creed" Balser (Helen) of Ravenswood;
and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband,
Charles in 1982; her parents; her stepparents,
Marshall "Shorty" Balser and Edna Balser Hale;
three half-sisters, Betty Loraine Balser,
Thelma Dale Balser and Patsy Ann Balser Daley;
one half-brother, Marshall Ray Balser; one
nephew, Richard Creed Balser; and brothers and
sisters-in-law.
The funeral service will be 2 p.m. Wednesday
at the Kimes Funeral Home, 521 Fifth St.,
Parkersburg, with the Rev. Rufus Hoalcraft of
the Big Tygart Baptist Church officiating.
Burial will follow at Mt. Olivet Cemetery. The
family will be present for visitation from 1-8
p.m. today at the funeral home, where an
Eastern Star Memorial Service will be at 7
p.m. There will also be visitation from 11
a.m. until service time Wednesday at the
funeral home.
In honor of Eloise and Charles Townsend, the
pall bearers for Eloise will be Masonic
members of the Parkersburg Chapter 14 of the
Order of the Eastern Star. A meal will be
served at the funeral home following the
committal service at the cemetery. Covered
dishes can be dropped off after 9:30 a.m.
Wednesday morning at the funeral home.
Gary Michael Yeater
Vienna, WV
Gary Michael Yeater, 57, of Vienna passed away at the residence of his caregiver and former
sister-in-law, Linda Jones of Walker, W.Va.
He was born Oct. 12, 1949, in Parkersburg, a
son of the late Jack Yeater and the late Joyce
Kimes Wilson. As a child, Gary attended
Trinity United Methodist Church, he was an
avid sports fan, especially a fan of the
Pittsburgh Pirates and the Minnesota Vikings.
He was a member of the Amvets and the DAV.
Surviving is his stepfather, Robert C. "Bob"
Wilson of Washington, W.Va.; a brother, Kyle
Wilson and wife, Tammy, of Washington; his
sister, Carolyn Yeater Deem DeAuguistino of
West Palm Beach, Fla.; his niece, Amy Sue
Wilson; a special great-niece, "Miss Addy";
nephews, Robert Cole Wilson, Eric Deem, Greg
Deem, Doug Deem and Linda Deem. Also surviving
are uncles, Glen E. Kimes and his wife,
Juanita and Herschel E. Kimes Jr. and several
cousins.
In addition to his parents, Gary was preceded
in death by his grandparents, Herschel E.
Kimes Sr. and Oma Smith Kimes; aunts, Jenoise
Kimes Pratt, Evelyn Davis Kimes and Bernice
Sallee Kimes Robinson; an uncle, John Pratt;
and a nephew, Bo Wilson.
The funeral service will be 11 a.m. Monday at
Kimes Funeral Home, 521 Fifth St.,
Parkersburg, with Pastor Larry Dale
officiating. Burial will follow at Sunset
Memory Gardens. Visitation will be from 2-4
and 6-8 p.m. Sunday.