Visitation for King Carmicheal, 81, of South Ozone Park, N.Y., will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Dunton Funeral Home, 12909 135th St., South Ozone Park, N.Y. 11420. Services will be on Tuesday at the Samcria Baptist Church in Springfield, S.C.
Submitted by Durgan Funeral Services, Beckley.
Dr. Leona Schnell Emrich
Dr. Leona Schnell Emrich, 90, died March 27, 2006 at Pence Springs, WV.
Born of Mary and Fred Schnell on their farm in Carleton, Oklahoma, on September 14, 1915, she was the youngest of three, sister Lena Schnell Wagner, and brother Irvin Schnell. She was the final one of them to return “home.”
She attended Southwestern State College in Weatherford, OK, earning her Bachelor of Science degree in 1939. Master of Science degree at the University of Oklahoma in 1940, and her Ph.D. at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, in 1946 in Cytology, Botany and Biochemistry. She worked for the U.S. Public Health Service Marine Hospital, Staten Island, NY, until 1950 when she married Ralph J. Emrich and had three children.
In 1960, Leona became a professor in the Biology Department at William Paterson University in Wayne, NJ, until her retirement in 1981.
She then relocated to Hinton, WV, to begin a new life enjoying her retirement, with many new friends and activities.
After a short illness, she passed away peacefully at home. She is survived by three children, Jimelle and her husband, Victor Moreno of Council Bluffs, IA, Lindalee Emrich of Pence Springs, WV, and Dwight D. Emrich of Hinton, WV.
She is also survived by her granddaughter, E. Lana Emrich of Pence Springs, many nieces and nephews, and close friends. She was dear to many and her presence will be missed.
Memorial service will be held 3 p.m. Sunday April 2, 2006 at the First Presbyterian Church in Hinton, WV.
Blue Ridge Funeral Home, 5251 Robert C. Byrd Drive, Beckley, is in charge of the arrangements.
Robert Eugene Foster
MT. LOOKOUT — Robert Eugene Foster, 66, died Wednesday, March 29, 2006.
Service will be 2 p.m. Sunday at Waters Funeral Chapel, Summersville. Friends may call from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral chapel.
Arrangements by Waters Funeral Chapel, Summersville.
Ray McKinley Fox
Ray McKinley Fox, 70, was born April 15, 1935 to the late George J. Fox and Mary Cox Fox in Pemberton, WV. He was the baby of ten children, born of this union.
Ray attended the public schools of Beckley and graduated from Stratton High School. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy at the age of 17 for four years, and received an honorable discharge. He moved to Newport News, Va., and worked in the Newport News Shipyard until his retirement.
Ray McKinley Fox went to be with his heavenly father on Saturday, March 25, 2006.
He was preceded in death by his brothers, George Jr. (Sam), Howard (Fick), Ernest T. and Lewis; and sister, Dorothy Lee Colvin (Dot).
Survivors include children, Herlema of Queens, N.Y., Alton of Philadelphia, Pa., Karen and Darrin of Newport News, Va., and Vinetter Ray of Hampton, Va.; brother, Leroy Fox; sisters, Nettie Mae Gray, Laura Smith, and special sister, Emma Patrick; special niece, Ilene J. Patrick, and additional nieces, nephews, cousins, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and many other relatives and friends.
Services will be held 12 noon today, April 1, 2006 at the Durgan Funeral Chapel, 1501 South Kanawha Street, Beckley, with Minister Leroy Gray officiating. Military rites will be conducted by the VFW Post No. 4326 of Sophia. Burial will follow in Greenwood Memorial Park, Beckley.
Arrangements by Durgan Funeral Services, Beckley.
Thelma V. Graham
HINTON — Thelma V. Graham, 85, died Friday morning March 31, 2006 at Summers Appalachian Regional Healthcare following a long illness.
Born Nov. 29, 1920 in Summers County, she was the daughter of the late Tony Sears and Pearl Grimmett Sears Bailey.
Ms. Graham was a homemaker and was of the Baptist faith.
She was preceded in death by two brothers and one sister.
Survivors include two sons, James Sears and wife Wanda of Richmond, Va., and Jerry Graham and wife Sue of Hinton; one daughter, Cathy Mooney and husband Jim of Fayetteville, North Carolina; one brother, Jack Bailey of Blacksburg, Va.; eight grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren also survive.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday April 3, 2006 at Pivont Funeral Chapel in Hinton with Pastor Harry Allen officiating. Burial will follow in Upland cemetery near Hinton.
Friends may call from 6 until 8 p.m. Sunday evening at the funeral home.
Arrangements by Pivont Funeral Home, Hinton, WV.
Leon Lucas
Leon Lucas, 56, of Beaver, went to be with his heavenly Father on Tuesday, March 28, 2006, at his home following a short illness.
Born March 5, 1950, at Beaver, he was the son of Evelyn R. Johnson Lucas of Beaver, and the late John “Buster” Lucas.
Leon was the owner of Mid-Atlantic Used Auto and Equipment in Beaver. He was previously co-owner in Mountain State Contracting Inc. with his late brother, Richard O. Lucas, and also Skyline Land Development. He graduated from Shady Spring High School and received his Bachelor in Business Administration from Morris Harvey College. He attended Daniels Missionary Baptist Church. He was a board member of the Raleigh County Solid Waste Authority and the Shady Spring Public Service District.
He was preceded in death by his father, John Marion Lucas; brother, Richard O. Lucas; and father-in-law, Thomas F. Hall.
Those left to cherish his memory are his wife, Jeannie Hall Lucas; his beloved daughters, Gina Sue Lucas, Lori Beth Lucas, Cathy Lynn Lucas-Clifford and husband, Shaun; one precious grandson, Brett J. Lucas; his mother, Evelyn R. Lucas; sister, Rosa L. Meadows and husband, Glen; brother, Larry Lucas and wife, Maxine, all of Beaver; a brother-in-law, Thomas Hall and wife, Janie, of Amherst, Va.; sister-in-law, Linda Pomeroy of Beckley; nieces, Andrea O’Neal and husband, Kenny, Kim Pomeroy of Beckley; nephews, Greg O’Neal and John Lucas of Beaver, Chris Pomeroy and wife, Jennifer, of Meadow Bridge, Michael and John Hall of Amherst, Va.; Leon also had a number of many good friends and family. Also survived by his mother-in-law, Kathleen Hall of Rainelle; and special cousin, Judy McDonald of Florida.
Services will be 4 p.m. today, April 1, 2006, at Rose and Quesenberry, Shady Spring Chapel, with Pastor Jack Thomas and Donnie Alley officiating. Entombment will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens Mausoleum, Beckley.
Friends may call 1 to 4 p.m. today, April 1, prior to the service.
Family and friends will serve as pallbearers.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations of sympathy to be made to the Daniels Missionary Baptist Church, P.O. Box 427, Daniels, WV 25832.
Arrangements entrusted to Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Shady Spring.
On Thursday, March 30th, 2006, Sarah B. Osborne passed away at her home on Guadalcanal Ave. in the community of Stanaford following a long illness. She was 73 years and 2 days of age.
Born at Gauley Bridge, on March 28, 1933, Sarah was the daughter of the late Benjamin Lee and Jessie Crouse Bragg.
A lifelong resident of Beckley, Sarah had worked as a secretary for Plateau Fuel. She was a 20-year member of the Women of the Moose.
In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by an infant daughter, Lena Kay Asbury, and a sister, Marjorie Silvestri.
She was the beloved wife of Oscar “Ron” Osborne and the loving Mother of Carolyn Asbury Marcum of Beckley and Donna Asbury Marsh and her husband Preston of Charlotte, NC; and the dear grandmother of Jill Marcum Tilson of Beckley and Evan Alexander Marsh of Charlotte; a brother, Benjamin Lee Bragg Jr., and a sister, Mary “Dickie” Rockwell, both of Lincoln Park, NJ, also survive; four nieces and five nephews and a longtime friend who will sadly miss her, Margaret Beard.
Funeral services will be at noon today at the Melton Mortuary Chapel with Pastor Roger Pauley officiating. Burial will follow in the Sunset Memorial Park in Beckley.
Friends may call from 10 a.m. until the time of services.
Pallbearers will be Preston Marsh, Jerry Richmond, Harley and Ralph Blevins, Jerrell Richmond and DJ Thompson.
Arrangements by Melton Mortuary, Beckley.
Hubert L. ‘Sonny’ Pate
PIPESTEM — Hubert L. “Sonny” Pate, 67, died 1:25 a.m. Wednesday, March 29, 2006, at Princeton Community Hospital, Princeton, following a long illness.
Born Dec. 14, 1938, in Richmond, Va., he was the son of Mildred Eleanor Parker Pate Fore of Amelia, Va., and the late Samuel Jackson Pate.
Sonny had lived most of his life in Summers County, he was a retired mechanic for the Summers County Board of Education, he was a member of the Hinton Masonic Lodge, the Beni Kedem Shrine Temple at Charleston and a member of the Marantha Baptist Church at Princeton.
He was preceded in death by a brother, Michael Folland.
Survivors include his wife of 20 years, Virginia “Ginger” Deaver Pate; two daughters, Michelle Pate Gibson and husband, Claude, of Fredericksburg, Va., and Susan Sears Powell of Pipestem; a son, Steve Sears of Pipestem; five grandchildren, David Michael Patrick, Virginia “Ginny” Powell, Victoria “Tori” Powell, Hanna Nichole Gibson and Sarah Elizabeth Gibson; a great niece, Cyann Shaffer, and a great nephew, Ian Shaffer, both of Bluefield; a brother, Claude C. “Lucky” Mann of Richmond, Va.; a sister, Judy Martin of Waynesboro, Va.; a aunt, Florence G. Woody of Richmond, Va., and several cousins in Woodbridge, Va.
Service will be 11 a.m. today at Ronald Meadows Funeral Parlors Chapel, Hinton, with Pastor Wallace Smith officiating. Burial will follow in Hilltop cemetery near Hinton.
Friends called 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral parlors.
Arrangements by Ronald Meadows Funeral Parlors, Hinton.
James A. Shellow
James A. Shellow, 88, of East Park, died March 24, 2006, at Wayne Nursing of Rehabilitation, following a long illness.
He was born Aug. 11, 1917, at Glen White, the son of the late Minnie and Oscar Shellow.
He was the first black man to serve in World War II from Raleigh County. A member of the American Legion Post 70, John Scott Lodge 1070, he was retired from Appalachian Regional Hospital and longtime resident of Raleigh County.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Alberta Webb Shellow and Beaulah Lee Shellow; three sons, James Ed, Buck and Keith; and two brothers, Nathaniel and Herman Shellow.
Survivors include three daughters, Minnie Mae Banks of Columbus, Ohio, Billie Ruth Chandler of Oklahoma, and Ann Blankley of Pomonda, Calif.; his former wife, Loretta Shellow, and special friends, Ronald Penn, Theodore Brown and Ethel Burl Scott; and a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren.
Service will be 2 p.m. Sunday at The Durgan Funeral Home Chapel, with the Rev. Andrew J. Durgan Sr. officiating. Military rites will be conducted by the VFW Post 4326 of Sophia. Friends may call one hour before the service Sunday at the chapel. Burial will follow in the WV National cemetery in Grafton, W.Va.
Arrangements by Durgan Funeral Services, Beckley.
James William Simmons
OAK HILL — James William Simmons, 77, died Thursday, March 30, 2006, at the Beckley VAMC after a long illness.
Arrangements by High Lawn Funeral Home Chapel, 1435 E. Main St., Oak Hill.
Jerry L. Thomas
HILLTOP — Jerry L. Thomas, 67, died March 30, 2006.
Memorial services will be 11 a.m. Monday at Ritchie and Johnson Funeral Parlor Chapel, Beckley.
Arrangements by Ritchie and Johnson Funeral Parlor, Beckley.
Saundra Kaye Toler
VERNER — Saundra Kaye Toler, 54, died Thursday, March 30, 2006.
Service will be 1 p.m. Sunday at Pathway Church of God, Christian. Friends may call after 6 p.m. today at the church.