STUARTS DRAFT, Va. — Bernard F. Powers, Sr., 72, formerly of Orient Hill, Webster County and Rupert, died Monday morning at University of Virginia Hospital in Charlottesville, Va., following a short illness.
Born March 25, 1935, at Orient Hill, he was the son of the late Charles D. and Thelma Abigail Simmons Powers.
He was a retired factory worker in the telephone manufacturing business.
Other than his parents, he was preceded in death by two brothers, Charles and William Powers.
Survivors include his wife, Martha P. Cade Powers; a daughter, Barbara Southard and husband, Milton, of Standardsville, Va.; two sons, Bernard Powers Jr. and wife, Helen, of Stuarts Draft and John Powers and friend, Penny Bosserman, of Stuarts Draft; five sisters, Corene Mathes of Cowen, Mildred Snyder of Cowen, Edith Harmon of Lewisburg, Anna Morrison of Caldwell and Karen Martin of Verona, Va.; three brothers, James Powers of Crawley, Robert Powers of Verona and Wayne Powers of Crozet, Va.; three grandchildren, Tiffany Southard, Shawn and Courtney Powers; two step grandchildren, Tony and Michael Southard; and three step great-grandchildren, Michelle, Savannah, Jonathan Southard.
Service will be 2 p.m. Friday at Wallace & Wallace Chapel, Rainelle, with Pastor Donald Bean officiating. Burial will follow in Wallace Memorial cemetery, Clintonville.
Friends may call 7 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Arrangements by Wallace & Wallace Funeral Home, Rainelle.
Wayne Simpson
PINEVILLE — Wayne Simpson entered into a new life Monday, May 14, 2007, at the age of 81 years, 6 months and 14 days at Bowers Hospice House in Beckley following a long illness.
Born Oct. 31, 1925, at Tamcliff, he was the son of the late Frank and Elva Huff Simpson.
Wayne was a veteran of the Navy, serving his country in World War II. He loved to hunt and fish and being outdoors, but most of all he loved his family and spending time with them.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Opal Farmer Simpson; and two brothers, Willard Simpson and Ireland Simpson.
Those left to cherish his memory are a son, Roger Simpson and his wife, Glenda, of Pineville; a sister, Coronetta Scraggs of Huntington; two grandsons, Thomas Simpson and his wife, Crystal, of Pineville and Mark Simpson and his wife, Cindy, of Pineville; a granddaughter, Kelli Karper and her husband, John, of Pineville; five great-grandsons, Bradley Simpson, Blake Simpson, Garrett Karper, Brandon Simpson and Ethan Karper; and a host of friends.
A celebration of Wayne’s life will be 2 p.m. today at Adam Toler Memorial Chapel, Oceana, with the Rev. Ron Harvey officiating. He will be laid to rest in Palm Memorial Gardens, Matheny.
Casketbeares will be family and friends.
Family will receive friends 1 p.m. until time of the service today.
Services entrusted to Adam Toler Memorial Funeral Home, Oceana.
Carl Lee Smith
SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. — Carl Lee Smith, 75, of Sevierville, formerly of Pipestem, died Monday, May 14, 2007.
Service will be 11 a.m. Friday, May 18, at Ronald Meadows Funeral Parlors, Hinton. Friends may call 10 a.m. until time of service Friday.
Arrangements by Ronald Meadows Funeral Parlors, Hinton.
Okey B. Stover
Okey B. Stover, 74, of Ameagle, died at his residence May 2007.
Born March 6, 1933, at Ameagle, he was the son of the late Abe Stover and Lue Perry Stover.
Mr. Stover attended Sycamore Pentecostal Church. He retired from coal mining and was a member of UMWA District No. 17.
Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by five siblings.
Survivors include a sister, Melvina Stover of Whitesville.
Graveside service will be noon today at Fulton cemetery, Ameagle, with the Rev. Jerry Tyree officiating.
There will be no visitation.
Arrangements by Valley Funeral Home, Whitesville.
William Joseph ‘Billy’ Walkup Jr.
ALDERSON — William Joseph “Billy” Walkup Jr., 37, of Muddy Creek Mountain, Alderson, died Tuesday, May 15, 2007, at Greenbrier Valley Medical Center, Fairlea, following a sudden illness.
Phyllis M. Bradley, 65, of Coal City, went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2005.
Born Jan. 4, 1940, at Pemberton, she was the daughter of the late Omra A. Miller and the late Magdaline Holt Miller.
Phyllis loved quilting, singing and her grandchildren.
She was a member of the Glen White Church of God where she was Sunday school teacher; she was a homemaker and a graduate of Stoco High School.
In addition to her parents, Phyllis was preceded in death by her husband, David Paul Bradley; brother, Harold Miller; niece, Rebecca Mills; and brother-in-law, Charles Arnold.
Those left to cherish her memory include her daughter, Tammy Taylor and husband, Tom, of Coal City; three sons, Keith Bradley and wife, Marcia, Ken Bradley and Steve Bradley and wife, Tammy, all of Pasadena, Md.; two sisters, Libby Arnold of Greenville, Tenn., and Loretta Wallace and husband, Benny, of Baltimore, Md.; brother, Charles Miller and wife, Carol, of Pasadena, Md.; 12 grandchildren, Whitney, Erica, Hunter, Tommy, Dwayne, Tiffany, Josh, Brittany, Jeremy, Caleb, Wolfie, and Piper; and several nieces and nephews.
Services will be 1 p.m. Friday at Blue Ridge Funeral Home Chapel, 5251 Robert C. Byrd Drive, Beckley, with Pastor Jesse Farley officiating. Following the funeral service, the body will be transported to Maryland for burial in Glen Haven cemetery, Glen Burnie, Md.
Friends may gather with the family from 11 a.m. until time of the service Friday at the funeral home.
Donations of sympathy may be made to the Glen White Church of God.
Blue Ridge Funeral Home, 5251 Robert C. Byrd Drive, Beckley, is serving the family.
Minnie Mae Brannon
MOUNT NEBO — Minnie Mae Brannon, 88, of Snow Hill Road, passed away Tuesday evening, Dec. 13, 2005, at her home following a long illness.
Born April 15, 1917, at Enon, W.Va., she was the daughter of the late Albert Frank and Mary Frances Gibson Keffer.
Other than her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Cecil G. Brannon, in 1995 and a daughter, Lena Mae Hilton, a few weeks later.
Minnie was a homemaker, wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.
Those left to mourn include a daughter, Sharon Brannon Sawyers of Mount Nebo; three sons, Cecil Gail Brannon of Cleveland, Ohio, Thomas Lee Brannon of Louisville, Ky., and Carl Edward Brannon of Mount Nebo; four sisters, Cleo Matheney of Floe, W.Va., Maggie Clatch of Hazelton, Pa., Betty Nutter of Richwood, and Mearl Parsons of Richwood; a special sister-in-law, Zadia Greathouse of Richwood; 12 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and several great-great-grandchildren.
Services will be 2 p.m. Friday at Wallace & Wallace Chapel in Rainelle, with Mr. Cecil Brannon officiating. Burial will follow in the Brannon Family cemetery, Mount Nebo.
Friends may call one hour prior to the service (from 1 to 2 p.m.) at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations of sympathy may be made to Nicholas & Webster Home Health Services at No. 1, Stevens Road, Summersville, WV 26651.
Arrangements entrusted to Wallace & Wallace, Rainelle.
Georgia Mae Burdette
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS — Georgia Mae Burdette, 83, passed away on Monday, Dec. 12, 2005 at the home of her son, Paul Richard Burdette, in White Sulphur Springs following an extended illness.
Born at Mill Point in Pocahontas County, on Jan. 2, 1922, she was the daughter of William Jackson and Elsie May Huffman.
She was retired from Burdette’s Radio/TV and Cable System, a family-owned business for many years. She was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, White Sulphur Springs, where she served as a Sunday School teacher, in the Relief Society and as a teacher/president of the Primary for 32 years. Her joy was that of serving others, especially her family.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband Paul Wyatt Burdette on March 3, 1998. Others included her brothers, William Alexander and Withrow Jackson Huffman, a sister, Sarah Elizabeth Huffman Bowes, a half sister, Flora Alberta Sevy Simmons, and a half brother, Clarence E. Sevy. Grandchildren preceding her in death were Paula Mae Burdette and Travis Ray Burdette and a great-grandson, Jerell Delbert Burdette.
Survivors include three sons, Paul Richard Burdette and his wife Shirley of White Sulphur Springs, Jerell Wyatt Burdette and his wife Elaine of Hemet, Calif., and James Adrian Burdette and his wife Tina of Lenoir, N.C.; a daughter, Brenda Kay Ettelson of Roanoke, Va., and a sister, Francis Merl Huffman Fraley of White Sulphur Springs. Also surviving her are 18 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.
Services will be 11 a.m. Saturday at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, White Sulphur Springs, with Curtis A. Webb officiating. Interment will follow in Ruckman cemetery at Mill Point.
The family will receive their friends at Shanklin Funeral Home, White Sulphur Springs, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Greenbrier Valley Hospice, 540 N. Jefferson St., Box 7, Lewisburg, WV 24901.
Arrangements by Shanklin Funeral Home, White Sulphur Springs.
Service will be 1 p.m. Friday at Rosa Old Regular Baptist Church, Baisden. Friends may call from 6 to 10 p.m. today at the church.
Arrangements by Mounts Funeral Home, Gilbert.
Dortha P. Birkelbach
BLUEFIELD, Va. — Dortha P. Birkelbach, 79, of 312 Valleydale Drive (Colonial Garden Apartments E-4), Bluefield, Va., died Tuesday, April 5, 2006, at her residence.
Born April 9, 1926, in Bluefield, she was a daughter of the late William and Katherine Burnopp Perdue.
She had been a lifelong resident of Bluefield, Va., and attended the Bluefield Business School. She retired from Rish Equipment as a secretary with 30 years of service and was a member of Brushfork United Methodist Church. She was a former president of the Bluefield chapter of the National Secretaries Association.
In addition to her parents, her husband, George A. Birkelbach, preceded her in death.
Survivors include two sons, George A. Birkelbach Jr. and wife, Martha, of Bluefield and Charles K. Birkelbach and wife, Donna, of Beckley; grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and a brother, William “Bud” Perdue and wife, Nell, of Bluefield.
Service will be 11 a.m. Friday at Brushfork United Methodist Church with the Rev. D. Homer Stewart officiating. Burial will follow at Monte Vista Park cemetery, Bluefield, where grandsons and great-grandsons will serve as pallbearers.
Friends may call 6 to 8 p.m. today at Cravens-Shires Funeral Home, Bluewell, and one hour before service Friday at the church.
Memorial contributions may be made to Brushfork United Methodist Church, Route 4, Box 130, Bluefield, WV 24701.
Cravens-Shires Funeral Home, Bluewell, is serving the Birkelbach family.