The Rev. John Morgan Richardson, 87, of Surveyor, was welcomed into heaven Wednesday, Oct. 6, 1999.
Born Sept. 1, 1912, at Plum Orchard, he was the son of the late Lucian Lee and Ida Trump Richardson.
The Rev. Richardson spent his childhood at Lester and Maple Meadow, and he was a 50-year resident of Surveyor. A retired coal miner, he last worked at Glen Rogers in the brickette plant. He was also retired from the Raleigh County Board of Education as a school bus driver.
A well-known minister throughout Raleigh and Wyoming counties, he began his career in the ministry at Bolt Fundamental Baptist Church. He also pastored Pine Grove Church in Wyoming County, Sandlick Baptist and Backus Mountain Church. He was a full-time minister into his late 80s until his ill health.
He was preceded in death by a daughter, Margie Arthur Ellison; a great-great-granddaughter, Mariana Richardson Robertshaw on Monday of this week; four brothers, Peyton, Luther, Raymond and Prince Richardson; and three sisters, Lilly Worley, Hettie Brooks and Virginia Birchfield.
Survivors include his wife of 67 years, Wavie Clay Richardson; two sons, Morgan Richardson and his wife, Rose, and John Bruce Richardson and his wife, Patricia, all of Surveyor; a daughter, Betty McMillion and her husband, Robert, of Mount Hope; a brother, Woodrow Richardson of Glen Rogers; a sister, Gaynelle Bailey Hoke of Maple Meadow; 15 grandchildren, Morgan Jr., Robert, Ralph and Ames Richardson, Katrina Furey, Jennifer Porter, Becky Acord, Heather, Sarah and Justin Richardson, Sharon Bloxton, Douglas and David Arthur, Patricia Diamond and Robin Hagar; 16 great-grandchildren; three stepgreat-grandchildren; and a host of extended family and friends who will miss him.
Services will be 1 p.m. Sunday at Melton Mortuary Chapel, Beckley, with the Revs. Ardeth Bailey and Jim Lucas officiating. Burial will follow at his home in the Richardson Family cemetery, Lake Stephens Road, Surveyor.
Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Pallbearers will be grandchildren.
Arrangements by Melton Mortuary, Beckley.
Ernest B. Royal Sr.
Ernest Burton Royal Sr., 79, of Beckley, died Friday, Oct. 8, 1999, at a Beckley hospital following a short illness.
Arrangements by Blue Ridge Funeral Home, Beckley.
Veda Worlledge
MOUNT LOOKOUT Veda Worlledge, 91, died Thursday, Oct. 7, 1999.
Services will be 2 p.m. Sunday at Mount Gilead Baptist Church, Pool. Friends may call 7 to 9 p.m. today at White Funeral Home, Summersville.
Arrangements by White Funeral Home, Summersville.
Virginia Lee Barker
PRINCETON Virginia Lee Cooper Barker, 57, died at 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 11, 1999, at Princeton Community Hospital following a long illness.
Born Dec. 29, 1941, in Beaver, she was the daughter of Lilly M. Strock Cooper Henry of Princeton and the late Golden F. Cooper.
Mrs. Barker was a homemaker and a former hospital employee in California. She attended Liberty Baptist Church, Princeton, and was a three-year resident of Princeton.
Survivors include a son, Joseph Michael Cooper and his wife, Caprice, of San Antonio; three daughters, Anita Collette Baker and her husband, John, of Adelanto, Calif., Carla Annette Bitto and her husband, Pete, and Gabriel Lynn Elliott and her husband, Steve, all of Hemet, Calif.; an adopted son, Donald Anthony Cooper of Princeton; a brother, Golden F. "Tony" Cooper Jr. and his wife, Delores, of Adelanto; a sister, Mary Anna Smith and her husband, Jim, of Odd; and seven grandchildren.
Services will be 2 p.m. Thursday at Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home Shady Spring Chapel with the Rev. C.H. Martin Jr. officiating. Burial will follow in Cooper cemetery, near Egeria.
Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Family members will serve as pallbearers.
Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Shady Spring.
Charles Blankenship
CLEAR FORK Charles "Charlie" Blankenship, 71, died Tuesday, Oct. 12, 1999, in a Man hospital following a sudden illness.
Arrangements by Evans and Evans Funeral Directors, Oceana.
Dimple M. Brown
INDORE Dimple Marie Brown, 81, died Monday, Oct. 11, 1999.
Graveside services will be 2 p.m. Thursday at Sunset cemetery, Fola. Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. today at Pennington Funeral Home Chapel, Gauley Bridge.
Arrangements by Pennington Funeral Home, Gauley Bridge.
Alicia D. Burdette
MOUNT HOPE Alicia Dawn Burdette, 25, died Saturday, Oct. 9, 1999, in an Allentown, Pa., hospital following a short illness.
Born Dec. 11, 1973, in Beckley, she was the daughter of Clark Wayne and Toni Yvonne Martin Burdette of Kilsyth.
Miss Burdette was a lifelong resident of Mount Hope and attended Kilsyth Freewill Church. She had attended Mount Hope and Oak Hill high schools and West Virginia University, and was most recently a student at the College of West Virginia.
She was employed as a telemarketer for Anchor Financial Services, Beckley. She enjoyed outdoor activities, hunting, camping and having a good time with her friends and family. She enjoyed traveling, having spent a year in Okinawa, Japan, and spending time with her niece and nephew.
She was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, Commodore and Violet Lafferty Burdette; and maternal great-grandfather, Joseph Wiseman.
Other survivors include two sisters, Angela Criss and her husband, Joey, and Amanda Burdette, all of Mount Hope; maternal grandmother, Zedia Martin of Oak Hill; maternal grandfather and step grandmother, Bill and Joyce Legg of Altonna, Fla.; a niece, Sydney Criss of Mount Hope; a nephew, Joshua Criss of Mount Hope; and several aunts, uncles and a host of friends.
Services will be 11 a.m. Thursday at Kilsyth Freewill Baptist Church with the Revs. Jesse Parker and Bill Bennett officiating. Burial will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley.
Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. today at Tyree Funeral Home, Mount Hope.
Pallbearers will be Joe Criss, Jarrod Pittman, Shannon McCoy, Scott Romine, Paul Gonzales and Sammy Duncan.
Arrangements by Tyree Funeral Home, Mount Hope.
Charles E. Cochran
SCHUYLER, Va. Charles Edward Cochran, 48, formerly of Renick and Beckley, died Saturday, Oct. 9, 1999.
Services will be 2 p.m. Thursday at Band of Hope Baptist Church, near Renick. Friends may call 7 to 9 p.m. today at Morgan Funeral Home, Lewisburg.
Arrangements by Morgan Funeral Home, Lewisburg.
Marjorie R. Donalson
Marjorie R. Donalson, 92, of Beckley, died of natural causes Tuesday, Oct. 12, 1999, in a Beckley hospital.
Arrangements by Calfee Funeral Home, Beckley.
Alda G. Epling
CAMP CREEK Alda Grace Epling, 69, died Tuesday, Oct. 12, 1999, at her home.
Born March 29, 1930, in Camp Creek, she was the daughter of the late Fred and Vada Maxey Epling.
Mrs. Epling attended Camp Creek Baptist Church.
She was preceded in death by five brothers, Emil, James, Dacy, Fred and Luster Epling.
Survivors include a brother, Dueward Epling of Camp Creek; four sisters, Zola E. Setliff and Lorena Farley, both of Camp Creek, Carla Belle Farley of Titusville, Fla., and Leota Vandall of Meadow Bridge.
Services will be 11 a.m. Thursday at George W. Seaver Chapel of Seaver Funeral Home, Princeton, with Pastor Jack Barber officiating. Burial will follow in Epling Family cemetery, Camp Creek.
Friends may call 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Arrangements by Seaver Funeral Home, Princeton.
Thelma G. Greene
PRINCE Thelma Georgia Worley Greene, 85, died Sunday, Oct. 10, 1999, at the home of her son and daughter-in-law, Harlie and Rosa Greene in Louisa, Va., following a short illness.
Born Sept. 17, 1914, in Beckley, she was the daughter of the late L.P. and Ida Smith Worley.
Mrs. Greene was a homemaker, of the Baptist faith and a member of the Auxiliary for the Federal Order of the Eagles No. 2377 of Beckley and Loyal Order of the Moose Lodge No. 1606 of Beckley.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Harlie Marion Greene, on Aug. 25, 1986.
Survivors include four sons, Harlie E. Greene and Clavin B. Greene, both of Louisa, Kermit Greene of Mineral, Va., and Alvin Greene of Mabscott; two daughters, Martha Badgett of Louisa and Edna Berry of Backus Mountain; two brothers, Other Worley and Virgil Worley, both of Minden; 11 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
Services will be 2 p.m. Thursday at Tyree Funeral Home, Oak Hill, with the Rev. Bill Menefee officiating. Burial will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley.
Friends may call 7 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Arrangements by Tyree Funeral Home, Oak Hill.
Almeda J. Heinemann
WESTMINSTER, Md. Almeda Jane Heinemann, 52, formerly of Oceana, died Monday, Oct. 11, 1999.
Services will be 8 p.m. Wednesday at Fletcher Funeral Home, 254 E. Main St., Westminster. Friends may call 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Donations of sympathy may be made to the American Diabetes Association, 407 Central Ave., Glyndon, MD 21071-9987.
Arrangements by Fletcher Funeral Home, Westminster.
