Letha Lee Meadows, 83, of 103 Bostic Ave., Beckley, died Wednesday, April 12, 2006, following a long illness.
Born July 13, 1923, at Whitby, she was the daughter of the late Hugh Kidd and Gusta Bailey Kidd.
Mrs. Meadows was a member of St. Mary’s United Methodist Church and a homemaker.
Survivors include her husband of 60 years, Dennis B. Meadows; sons, D.B. Meadows Jr. of Beckley and Hugh Earl Meadows and wife, Jennifer, of Saxon; daughters, Pat Meadows and husband, John, of Beckley and Sandy Akers of Beckley; a sister, Kathleen Chamberlin of Sophia; nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Beckley.
William ‘Joe’ Meadows
ALDERSON — William Joseph “Joe” Meadows, 83, died Thursday, April 13, 2006, at his home in Alderson.
Arrangements by Lobban Funeral Home, Alderson.
William Pete Mobley
LYNCHBURG, Va. — William Pete Mobley, 57, died Wednesday, April 12, 2006, in Virginia Baptist Hospital. He was the husband of Sandra Pennington Mobley.
Born Nov. 16, 1948, in Kilsyth, he was a son of Louisa Williams Mobley of Maple Fork and the late William Robert Mobley.
Mr. Mobley was a graduate of Mount Hope High School. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps, serving a tour of duty in Vietnam. He was a graduate of Central Virginia Community College. Pete coached Rustburg little league football and Dixie youth baseball and was district director for Dixie youth. He was an employee of J. Crew and attended Highland Heights Baptist Church.
In addition to his wife and mother, he is survived by two sons, Kevin Scott Mobley and wife, Cindy, of Evington, Va., Mark Allen Mobley and Alison Bowyer of Lynchburg; three brothers, Roy Thomas Mobley and Rickie Michael Mobley and wife, Sharon, all of Maple Fork, and Jack Keaton Mobley and wife, Penny, of Maplewood; three sisters, Patricia M. Lamb of Fairborn, Ohio, Karen R. Nipper and husband, Rick, and Russella K. Catlett and husband, Dale, all of Maple Fork; five grandchildren, Noah Scott Mobley, Summer Quinn, Jessica Mobley, Hannah Mobley and Grace Mobley; mother-in-law, Frances Phillips of Appomattox, Va.; a brother-in-law, Charles Phillips and wife, Stephanie, of Beaver; sister-in-law, Linda Peters and husband, Bill, of New Kent, Va.; nephews, Jimmy Peters, David Peters and wife, Karen, Scott Eric Lamb and wife, Dawn, Bruce Taylor and wife, Jo Ann, and Jason Nipper and wife, Kevan; nieces, Mechelle Lamb, Toni Vaughn and husband, Lonnie, Nicole Childress and husband, Jay, Janell Davis and husband, Greg, Crystal Bradburn and husband, Chad, Sarah Phillips and Haley Phillips; eight great-nephews and eight great-nieces; special friends, Carey and Crissy Falwell, Christi O’Daniel; his Dixie youth family, J. Crew family and Adam Wholesale family.
Service will be 2 p.m. Saturday at Diuguid Waterlick Chapel with the Rev. Teddy Jones officiating. Burial will follow in Virginia Memorial Park with military honors.
The family will receive friends 7 to 8:30 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Those wishing to make memorial contributions, please consider the American Cancer Society or Rustburg Dixie Youth Baseball.
Col. Richard H. Schmidt, USAF (Ret.), 77, passed away Monday, April 10, 2006, at his home near Lewisburg.
Richard was born in Wheeling and graduated from Wheeling High School. He received his bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University, completed post-graduate work at Ohio State University, the Illinois Institute of Technology and the Air Force Institute of Technology.
Richard served 29 years in the military, first in Army National Guard in college, then in the USAF as a pilot and squadron commander, retiring with the rank of colonel. During his Air Force career he was stationed in locations as diverse as Anchorage, Alaska; Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago; Ubon, Thailand; and Evreux, France. As a pilot he spent many years flying C-130 aircraft in a variety of models. Richard also flew C-5A aircraft prior to managing the maintenance complex for C-5s at Dover Air Force base in Delaware. During this time, his unit received the Daedalian Award for the best aircraft maintenance in the USAF.
During his Air Force career Dick was check qualified in 12 different aircraft and flew over five continents. He and his wife, Margaret, lived in 22 different houses while raising four daughters. While stationed in France he participated in the Congo Airlift; he was a member of the recovery team of the Enos space shot in the early 1960s; he flew decoy missions in the Berlin Air Corridor in the late 1950s; and piloted C-130 gunships for a year in Vietnam.
After retirement from the Air Force, Dick served as industrial engineering manager, technical manager, and quality assurance manager for BG Goodrich Aerospace in Union. After his second retirement, he served as the 1994 national president of Ruritan National. He was appointed by Gov. Caperton and again by Gov. Underwood to the West Virginia Commission for National and Community Service. He was a member of the district board of Ohio-West Virginia YMCA, and was on the Mission West Virginia board of directors. Rich also served as co-chairman of the North House Restoration Committee in Lewisburg. He and his wife have been longtime members of St. James Episcopal Church, Lewisburg.
He was a brave and loyal servant of God and country, beloved husband, father and grandfather, and friend to all he met. He will be sadly missed.
In addition to his wife, Margaret, Richard is survived by his four daughters, Jaine (Harry) Wyatt of Toledo, Ohio, Deborah (J. David Scott) Schmidt of Lewisburg, Patricia (James) Kassel of Louisville, Ky., and Rachel (Phillip Schuler) Schmidt of Takoma Park, Md.; eight grandchildren, Ian and Tristan Wyatt, Mae and Will Scott, Courtney, Jordan and Margaret Kassel, and Amelia Schuler; in-laws, Mikki Schmidt of Colorado Springs, Colo., Bill Shaffer of Baton Rouge, La., Phyllis Tuckwiller of Lewisburg, Robert and Rachel Provence of Charlotte, N.C., and David Tuckwiller of Lewisburg; and a multitude of beloved friends around the globe.
Memorial service will be 2 p.m. Sunday, April 23, at St. James Episcopal Church, Lewisburg. Interment will be held at Calvary United Methodist Church in the Richlands after which the family will receive visitors.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made in his name to either Mission West Virginia, 468B Midland Trail, Hurricane, WV 25526 or the Ohio-West Virginia YMCA, Camp Horseshoe, Route 2, Box 138, St. George, WV 26287.
McCraw Funeral Home, Lewisburg, is in charge of arrangements.
Robert ‘Denny’ Smith
FAYETTEVILLE — Robert Dennis “Denny” Smith, 56, passed away Tuesday, April 11, 2006, at the home of his sister, Lou Feazell, following a brief illness.
Born March 6, 1950, at Crow Hollow, he was the son of Jim “Sang” Smith of Oak Hill and the late Stella Mae Hobbs Smith.
Mr. Smith was a retired machinist, an avid collector and NASCAR fan. He served in the U.S. Marines.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Stella Smith, and two sisters, Edith Virginia Smith and Carolyn Sue Fish.
Survivors include his son, Bobby Smith of Florida; a daughter, Sunshine Smith of North Carolina; his father, Jim “Sang” Smith of Oak Hill; four brothers, Sidney “Buck” Smith and wife, Betty, of Pennsylvania, Donnie Wayne Smith and wife, Dena, of Iowa, and Darrell Lee Smith and Gene Smith, both of Oak Hill; seven sisters, Della Johnson and husband, Greg, of Oak Hill, Charlotte Patterson and husband, Steve, of Hinton, Lisa Smith and companion, David Hobbs, of Oak Hill, Cathy Carlson of Virginia, Lou Feazell and companion, Mike Crist, of Fayetteville, Yvonne Manley and husband, Jerry, of Pennsylvania and Virginia Peters and husband, Vernon, of Summersville; two grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Service will be 1 p.m. Saturday at Dodd-Payne-Hess Funeral Home Chapel, Fayetteville, with the Rev. Mack Canterbury officiating. Burial will follow in Adkins-Pate cemetery, Crow Hollow, Beckwith. Military rites will be conducted by Oak Hill VFW Post 3110.
Friends may call one hour before service Saturday at the funeral home.
The family would like to thank Hospice of Southern West Virginia and Martha Arthur for all their help during this time.
Dodd-Payne-Hess Funeral Home, Fayetteville, is in charge of arrangements.
Curtis Lee ‘Smitty’ Smith
Curtis Lee “Smitty” Smith, 72, passed away Monday, April 10, 2006, at Greenbrier Valley Medical Center, Fairlea, following a long illness.
Born June 28, 1933, at Beards Fork, he was the son of the late Arby R. and Mary O. Phillips Smith.
Mr. Smith was retired from the U.S. Army. He was a member of Midland Trail Masonic Lodge No. 166 AF and AM.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a sister, Melva Loudermilk.
Survivors include two daughters, Tina Legg of Charleston and Eleanor Shoree of Winchester, Va.; a son, John Smith of Carl Junction, Mo.; a sister, Icie Martin of Rainelle; a grandson and two granddaughters.
Service will be 11 a.m. Thursday at Wallace & Wallace Chapel, Rainelle, with the Rev. Houston Boothe officiating. Burial will follow in Wallace Memorial cemetery, Clintonville, with Masonic graveside service by Midland Trail Lodge No. 166 AF and AM, as well as military rites.
Friends may call 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Arrangements by Wallace & Wallace Funeral Home, Rainelle.
Fred Freeman
LORAIN, Ohio — Fred Freeman, 59, of Lorain, died Thursday, Nov. 3, 2005, at the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center Wade Park Division after a short illness.
He was born July 10, 1946, in Montcoal, and had resided in Lorain for the past 36 years.
Fred served with the U.S. Army as an SP4 and paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division during the Vietnam War. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal and the Army Commendation Medal.
He worked at PolyOne in Avon Lake as a No. 1 operator for the past eight years and prior to that had worked at U.S. Steel in Lorain from 1970 to 1986.
While in high school Fred pitched on the varsity baseball team and played Legion baseball. He was an avid bowler, golfer and enjoyed outdoor sports, fishing and cooking.
He was a member of United Church of Christ in Avon Lake, the Disabled American Veterans Louis Paul Proy Chapter No. 20 in Lorain and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 451 of Lorain.
He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Carol Freeman (Fidyk); son, Michael Freeman of Centerville, Ohio; sisters, Linda Webb and Caroline Cameron, both of Chicago, Ill.; and brothers, Richard Freeman of Chicago and Danny Freeman of West Virginia. He was preceded in death by his parents, Fred and Agnes Freeman (Milam).
The family will receive friends 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at Gluvna-Shimo-Hromada Funeral Chapel, 3224 Broadway Ave., Lorain, where service will be 11 a.m. Tuesday. The Rev. Kelly Peters, pastor of the United Church of Christ in Avon Lake, will officiate. Burial will follow in Elmwood cemetery, Lorain, where the Disabled American Veterans Louis Paul Proy Chapter No. 20 of Lorain will conduct military honors.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 902 Westpoint Parkway, Suite 300, Cleveland, OH 44145.
Online condolences may be made at www.gluvna.net.
Mackenzie Logan Gilbert
LEWISBURG — Mackenzie Logan Gilbert, 23, of Lewisburg, died suddenly at home Friday, Nov. 4, 2005.
“Blessed Are The Pure in Heart For They Shall See God.”
Mackenzie was born June 18, 1982, in Charleston, and was the daughter of Lewis D. Gilbert and Melanie Johnson.
She was a member of St. James Episcopal Church where she was in the choir, a Sunday school member, nursery worker and was a member of the women’s Bible group. She was a volunteer at Greenbrier Manor Nursing Home, was a former member of Girl Scouts of America, participated in the Greenbrier Valley Theater Teen Group, was a 2002 graduate of Greenbrier East High School and was employed by Gateway Industries in Ronceverte.
She was preceded in death by her grandmother, Bess E. Gilbert.
Survivors include her mother and stepfather, Melanie and Brandon Johnson of Lewisburg; her father and stepmother, Lewis D. and Shella Gilbert of Summersville; brothers, Kyle M. Gilbert of Summersville, and Robert A. and Parker S. Gilbert, both of Lewisburg; a half sister, Grace Johnson of Lewisburg; a stepsister, Shay Bloxton of Summersville; grandparents, Dr. Robert and Doris Smith of DeLand, Fla., and Arthur L. Gilbert of Summersville; stepgrandparents, Robert and Marty Johnson of Ohio, and Janet K. Isner of Grafton; aunts and uncles, Marty and Sharon Smith of Westerville, Ohio, Julia and Todd Tranner of California, and Steve and Carol Smith of California.
Memorial service will be noon Wednesday at St. James Episcopal Church, Lewisburg, with the Rev. James C. Conyers officiating.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations of sympathy be made in memory of Mackenzie Gilbert to: Gateway Industries, 299 E. Edgar Ave., Ronceverte, WV 24970.
Wallace and Wallace Funeral Home, Lewisburg, is in charge of arrangements.
Annie Magdalene ‘Maggie’ Goodwin
HERNDON HEIGHTS — Annie Magdalene “Maggie” Lester Goodwin, 77, of Herndon Heights peacefully completed her passage to Glory at home surrounded by her family on Friday, Nov. 4, 2005.
Born June 3, 1928, at Spider Creek, she was the daughter of the late William Owen Lester and Cosby Catherine Stanley Lester.
She dedicated her entire adult life to raising and teaching her 10 children. Her greatest wishes were that all her children “turn out all right” and that they always love and respect each other. These wishes have been respectfully granted and her legacy will continue throughout her large extended family for generations. Maggie was a member of Bud Missionary Baptist Church for 35 years.
She was preceded in death by her parents; two sisters, Edna Lusk and Olga Sizemore; four brothers, Ezra, John, Troy and Isaac Lester; a son, Howard Ray; and a son-in-law, Tony Avizenis.
Survivors include her loving husband of 55 years, Luther Stewart Goodwin; a brother, Tyree of New Richmond; her sisters, Polly Shrewsbury of Mullens and Maudie Sizemore of Fort Pierce, Fla.
Left to cherish her memory and continue the legacy are her sons, Dwaine and wife, Glenda, of Kingsport, Tenn., Earl and wife, Sandra, of Princeton, William “Bill” of Daniels, Tracy and wife, Tina, of Springfield, Ill., and Lt. Cmdr. Travis Goodwin, U.S. Navy, and wife, Carla, of Chesapeake, Va.; and daughters, Alma Avizenis of South Padre Island, Texas, Cathy Hartley and husband, Clyde, of Spanishburg, Jeanne Turner and husband, Bob, of Mooresville, N.C., and Teresa Lawson and husband, Gerald, of Moore, S.C.
She was also blessed with 27 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be her five surviving sons and a special cousin loved as a son, Bill Lane of Bud Mountain.
Visitation will be noon to 2 p.m. Monday at Bud Missionary Baptist Church. Service will immediately follow at 2 p.m. with the Rev. Tom Lusk officiating. Graveside rites will be at Roselawn Memorial Gardens, Princeton.
In lieu of flowers, the family ask that contributions be made to Hospice of Southern West Virginia Inc., P.O. Box 1472, Beckley, WV 25802-1472.
The family of Maggie Goodwin is being serviced by Memorial Funeral Directory and Cremation Center, Princeton.
James A. Hagerman
ATHENS — James A. Hagerman, 45, died Friday, Nov. 4, 2005.
Memorial service will be 6 p.m. Monday at Painters Chapel United Methodist Church, Speedway.
The Hagerman family is being served by Memorial Funeral Directory & Cremation Center, Princeton.
John Harper
MINDEN — John Harper, 95, of Minden, passed away at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4, 2005, at Beckley Appalachian Regional Hospital following an extended illness.
Services entrusted to Ritchie and Johnson Funeral Parlor, Beckley.
