CHICAGO - Robert Gregory Bennett Jr., 30, formerly of Rupert, passed away Feb. 2, 2000, in the Illinois Masonic Hospital in Chicago following a long illness.
Mr. Bennett was a disabled truck driver for Werner Trucking Co. and was of the Baptist faith.
Survivors include his parents, Robert G. and Delores Kessler Bennett Sr. of Chicago; one daughter, Kara Lynn Bennett of Rupert; one foster daughter, Kayla Marie Sapp of Rupert; one brother, Lawrence Edward Bennett of Chicago; and one sister, Loretta Lynn Phillips of Rupert.
Services will be 11 a.m. Tuesday at Smathers Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Keith Shumaker officiating. Burial will follow at the Wallace Memorial cemetery, Clintonville.
Friends may call 6 to 8 p.m. today at Smathers Funeral Chapel, Rainelle.
Arrangements by Smathers Funeral Home, Rainelle.
Earl Ray 'Red' Burgess
OAK HILL - Earl Ray "Red" Burgess, 72, died Saturday, Feb. 5, 2000, at the Veteran's Medical Center, Beckley, following a short illness.
Born May 23, 1927, in Minden, he was the son of the late Harry R. Burgess and Mary E. Blethen Burgess.
Mr. Burgess was retired from the military, having served in the Korean conflict and the Vietnam war.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Alice June Burgess.
Survivors include his companion, Dora Gibson of Oak Hill; two sons, Eddie Ramsey of Fayetteville and Gene Ramsey of Albany, Ga.; one sister, Charlotte Burgess; four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Services will be 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Tyree Funeral Home Chapel, Oak Hill, with the Rev. Ron George Jr. officiating. Entombment will follow at Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens Mausoleum, Prosperity.
Friends may call 7 to 9 p.m. today at Tyree Funeral Home, Oak Hill.
Arrangements by Tyree Funeral Home, Oak Hill.
Taylor Farren Gillespie
Taylor Marie Farren Gillespie was stillborn Feb. 6, 2000, at Raleigh General Hospital in Beckley.
Survivors include her mother and father, Carrie Ann Farren of Oak Hill and William Morris Gillespie II, of Scarbro; grandparents Susan Farren of Oak Hill, Bill Farren of Alderson, William and Bonnie Gillespie, of Scarbro; great-grandparents, Ted and Margaret Whitaker of Roanoke, Va., Anna and Tom Farren of Alderson, Janet Sutphin of Scarbro, and Joann Gillespie of Oak Hill.
Graveside services will be 11 a.m. today at High Lawn Park, Oak Hill with Rev. Bernie Jernigan officiating.
Arrangements by High Lawn Funeral Chapel, Oak Hill.
Merlin H. Greene
ITMANN - Merlin H. Greene, 76, died Saturday, Feb. 5, 2000, at his home following a long illness.
Arrangements by Evans and Evans Funeral Directors, Oceana.
Oliver Kenneth Lawson
FAYETTEVILLE - Oliver Kenneth Lawson, 82, formerly of Sandyville, died Saturday, Feb. 5, 2000, at his residence following a short illness.
Born Feb. 5, 28, 1917, in Sandyville, he was the son of the late Fred Lawson and Oma Hurd.
Mr. Lawson was a retired truck driver and meter man for Columbia Carbon and Cities Service Gas Company with 42 years of service. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving during WWII, was of the Baptist faith and had been a consistent farmer all of his life.
He was preceded in death by two brothers, Robert and Delbert Lawson; and a sister, Ruth Waggoner.
Survivors include a daughter, Mary L. Persinger McCurdy of Fayetteville; a granddaughter, Olivia Mae McCurdy of Fayetteville; a brother, Charles "Chuck" Lawson of Ravens-wood; a sister-in-law, Blanch Lawson of Sandyville; and several nieces and nephews.
Services will be 2 p.m. Tuesday at Dodd-Payne-Hess Funeral Home Chapel, Fayetteville, with the Rev. Jerry Bush officiating. Entombment will follow at Highlawn Memorial Park Mausoleum, Oak Hill.
Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home.
John Droppleman, Randall "Butch" Nelson, Levi McClung, Raymond Bragg, Bill McCurdy and Hugh Broughman will serve as pallbearers.
Arrangements by Dodd-Payne-Hess Funeral Home, Fayetteville.
Emmett Joseph Martin
LAFAYETTE, Va. - Mr. Emmett Joseph Martin, 87, formerly of Summers County, died Saturday, Feb. 5, 2000, in the Meadowbrook Nursing Home, at Shawsville, Va., following a short illness.
Born Jan. 22, 1913, in Bertha, he was a son of the late Arthur and Bessie Elma Mitchell Martin and had lived most of his life in Virginia.
Mr. Martin was retired from E.F. Nichols Trucking Co., as a foreman/mechanic following 30 years of service. He was also certified in air conditioning and refrigeration. He was an avid outdoorsman and hunter, and was of the Baptist faith.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Lorine Mann Martin; second wife, Belvia Ann Martin; two brothers, Howard T. and Claude C. Martin.
Survivors include two sons, Bobby Martin and wife Rena and John Alex Martin and wife Judith; four daughters, Donna Rich and husband John, Patty Ryan and husband John, Linda Faye Kilbourne and husband Bobby, and Melinda K. "Katie" Martin; one brother, Jim Martin and wife Chick of Talcott; two sisters, Mrs. Glendora Jones of Forest Hill and Mrs. Gladys Meadows of Hinton; several grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
Services will be 2 p.m. Wednesday at Ronald Meadows Funeral Parlors Chapel in Hinton with Pastor Jim Martin officiating. Burial will follow in the Fairview Baptist Church cemetery at Forest Hill.
Friends may call 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.
Arrangements by Ronald Meadows Funeral Parlors, Hinton.
Thomas Perkins
GARTEN - Thomas Perkins died Sunday, Feb. 6, 2000, at Plateau Medical Center, Oak Hill.
Arrangements incomplete by Ritchie and Johnson Funeral Parlor.
Carlton Puckett
CHARMCO - Carlton Kenneth Puckett, 64, of Bingham Road, died Friday, Feb. 4, 2000.
Services will be 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Wallace and Wallace Funeral Home Chapel of Rainelle. Friends may call 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Arrangements by Wallace and Wallace Funeral Home, Rainelle.
Exie M. Hall Southern
PRINCETON - Mrs. Exie M. Hall Southern, 97, died Saturday, Feb. 5, 2000.
Services will be 8 p.m. today at the Burns Wornal Chapel of the Memorial Funeral Directory, Athens Road. Friends may call 6 to 8 p.m. today before services at the funeral home.
Arrangements by Memorial Funeral Directory, Princeton.
Faye I. Stone
Mrs. Faye I. Stone, 61, of Beckley, died 3:42 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 6, 2000, at Bluefield Regional Hospital following a long illness.
Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Beckley.
Charles Willis Vance
SUMMERSVILLE - Charles Willis Vance, 76, died Saturday, Feb. 5, 2000.
Services will be 2 p.m. Tuesday at White Funeral Home, Summersville. Friends may call 7 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Arrangements by White Funeral Home, Summersville.
Elizabeth E. Adkins
Elizabeth E. Adkins, 90, of Daniels, died Sunday, Feb. 6, 2000, following a long illness.
Born March 4, 1909, in August Spring, Va., she was the daughter of the late James Goff and Eve Fridley Goff.
Ms. Adkins was a homemaker and was of the Baptist faith.
She was preceded in death by her first husband, Walter Lee Meadows; her second husband, Christopher Columbus Adkins; three brothers and three sisters.
Survivors include a daughter, Christine Tyler of Daniels; two grandchildren, Donald Tyler and his wife, Debra of Beckley, and Sue Hansford and her husband, Marvin, of Daniels; five great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren.
Graveside services will be 1 p.m. Wednesday at Madison Memorial Park, Madison, with the Rev. Edward E. Garten officiating.
Friends may call 10 to 11 a.m. Wednesday at Blue Ridge Funeral Home Chapel, Beckley.
Grandchildren will serve as pallbearers.
Arrangements by Blue Ridge Funeral Home, Beckley.
Tony Ayers
LILBURN, Ga. - Tony Ayers, 60, formerly of Alderson, died Saturday, Feb. 5, 2000.
Born April 29, 1939, in Greenbrier County, he was the son of the late Dana Ayers and Violet Pence Ayers.
Mr. Ayers was a native of Alderson. He was a tile installer and was of the Baptist faith.
Survivors include a son and daughter-in-law, Eddie and Jennifer Ayers of Glen Allen, Va.; daughters and sons-in-law, Traci and Bruce Howle and Allison Adams and Randy Anglin, all of Buford, Ga.; stepchildren, Theresa and Danny Short of Marshall, Texas, Tina Watts of Mesquite, Texas, and Steve and Sandra Watts of Birmingham, Ala.; five grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; two sisters, Rosa Kast of Richmond, Va., and Delores Fentress of Clinton, Md.; five brothers, Pat Ayers, John Ayers and Sherman Ayers, all of Alderson, Gary Ayers of Pulaski, Va., and Steve Ayers of Alderson; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Services will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Chapel of Flanigan Funeral Home, 4400 S. Lee St., Buford, Ga., with the Revs. Kenneth Cofer and Cliff Crews officiating. Burial will follow in Clebume Memorial Gardens, Ranburne, Ala.
Friends may call 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Arrangements by Flanigan Funeral Home, Buford, Ga.
