HUNTINGTON — Ercil Johnson Ayers, 75, formerly of Harvey, died Tuesday, May 16, 2006, at the VA Medical Center in Huntington.
Born Nov. 11, 1930, at Harvey, he was the son of the late Ermal C. and Willia Alethia Johnson Ayers.
Mr. Ayers was a retired painter.
Mr. Ayers was of the Christian faith and a member of the Painter’s Local Union No. 970. He was a U.S. Army and Air Force veteran.
Survivors include three brothers, Thomas E. Ayers of Oak Hill, George A. Ayers of Beckley, and Fredrick Ayers of Myrtle Beach, S.C.; three sisters, Janice Dempsey of Boardman, Ohio, Pat Yoney of Parma, Ohio, and Erma L. Caten of Madenville, La.; and several nieces and nephews, including his loving caregiver and nephew, Barry Ayers of Huntington.
Service will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Tyree Funeral Home, Oak Hill, with the Rev. Gerald Kincaid officiating. Burial will follow in High Lawn Memorial Park, Oak Hill, with military graveside rites by VFW Post No. 3110 of Oak Hill.
Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Donald Eugene Blankenship
HIDDENITE, N.C. — Donald Eugene Blankenship, formerly of New Richmond, departed this life Tuesday, May 16, 2006, at the age of 43 years, 10 months and 25 days at Iredell Memorial Hospital.
Born June 21, 1962, at Mullens, he was the son of the late Dennis Ray Blankenship and Nancy Catherine Blankenship Roberts of Hiddenite, N.C.
Donald was employed in commercial insulation and was of the nondenominational faith.
Those left to cherish his memory are his mother, Nancy Roberts of Hiddenite, N.C.; stepfather, Herman Roberts of Hiddenite, N.C.; three brothers, Billy Blankenship and his wife, Marty, of Reidsville, N.C., Jeffery Blankenship and his wife, Caprice, of Winston-Salem, N.C., and Timothy Blankenship of Reidsville, N.C.; two stepbrothers, Herman Roberts Jr. and his wife, Paula, of Hiddenite, N.C., and Jeffery Allen Roberts and his wife, Rochelle, of Denver, N.C.; several nieces and nephews and a host of friends.
A celebration of Donald’s life will be 11 a.m. Saturday at the New Richmond Chapel with the Rev. Curtis Cole officiating. Burial will follow in the Bower’s cemetery at Twin Falls.
The family will receive friends from 6 to 9 p.m. today at the church.
Casketbearers will be family and friends.
Services entrusted to the Adam Toler Memorial Funeral Home, Oceana.
Stephen ‘Steve’ Chappo
Stephen “Steve” Chappo, age 87, of Beaver, died Monday, May 15, 2006, at the Raleigh General Hospital in Beckley following a short illness.
Born June 1, 1918, in Bridgeport, Conn., he was the son of the late John and Mary Chappo.
Mr. Chappo was a former employee of Dan Dee Potato Chip Company and was retired from Acme Construction Company.
He was a member of St. Francis deSales Catholic Church, was a World War II US Army veteran, and a former member of the Loyal Order of the Moose No. 1606.
Mr. Chappo loved flea markets, and the friendship of the people he had met over the years.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Seman Chappo; a son, Eugene Edwin Chappo; a brother, John Chappo; a sister, Mary Vorras; and six infant brothers and sisters.
Survivors include his wife, Evelyn Jean Lilly Cox Chappo; his daughter, Mary Ann Crook and husband, Don, of Cool Ridge; daughter-in-law, Sandra Chappo Stewart and husband, Ray, of Beckley; two stepchildren, Susie Stanley of Boca Raton, Fla., Helena Ellis and husband, Wayne, of Beaver; a sister, Julia Schulz and husband, Phil, of North Carolina; four grandchildren, Christopher Crook and wife, Cyndi, of Cool Ridge, Don Crook II of Charlotte, N.C., Stephen Chappo and wife, Beth, of Dover, Del., and Sheila Peterson and husband, Randy, of Austin, Texas; five great-grandchildren, Michael Chappo, Brent Peterson, Kyla Jo Peterson, Stephen Crook, and Zoe Crook; five stepgrandchildren; one stepgreat-grandchild; and special family friend, Janice Wilson of Charleston.
Services will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home Shady Spring Chapel with the Rev. Susan Rector officiating. Burial will follow in Sunset Memorial Park, Beckley.
Friends may call from 6 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Pallbearers will be Lloyd, Ronnie, and Wayne Crook, Wayne Ellis, Ray Stewart, and David Keesee.
The family wishes to acknowledge the nursing staff of SICU and 4 South of Raleigh General Hospital, Dr. Donald Lilly and his staff, Dr. Raj Patel, and a special thank you to Dr. Paul Oar whose care and compassion will always be remembered.
Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Shady Spring.
Ella Marie Cooke
OAK HILL — Ella Marie Cooke, 92, passed away Wednesday, May 17, 2006, at Plateau Medical Center.
Born Sept. 18, 1913, at Oak Hill, the daughter of the late Silas Burgess and Bertha Silva Burgess.
Ella was preceded in death by her husband, William C. Cooke, and by her daughter, Francis Tapps.
Those left to cherish her memory are her children, William C. Cooke of Oak Hill, Charles Cooke of Oak Hill, Russell Cooke of Clarksburg, Fonda Cooke Thomas and her husband, Tom, of Richmond, Va., and Adrian Goff of Oak Hill; sisters, Pat Alderson of Akron, Ohio, and Joanne Perry of San Antonio, Texas; ten grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Services will be 11 a.m. Saturday at High Lawn Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Jerry Bush officiating. Burial will follow in High Lawn Memorial Park.
Arrangements by High Lawn Funeral Home Chapel, 1435 E. Main St., Oak Hill.
Bernard M. Deitz
LEWISBURG — Bernard M. Deitz, 81, died Wednesday, May 17, 2006, following a long battle with cancer.
Services will be 2 p.m. Friday at McCraw Funeral Home, Lewisburg. The family will receive friends from 1 p.m. until time of the service Friday at the funeral home.
Donations of sympathy may be made to the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, West Virginia University, P.O. Box 9300, Morgantown, WV 2650, and Zions Light Baptist Church, Ronceverte.
Arrangements by McCraw Funeral Home, Lewisburg.
Martha Susie Evans
Martha Susie Evans, 92, of 203 Eighth St., Beckley, died Wednesday, May 17, 2006, at BARH.
Arrangements by Ritchie and Johnson Funeral Parlor, Beckley.
Virginia ‘Jenny’ Margrett Ritter Herron
Virginia “Jenny” Margrett Ritter Herron, 88, of Beckley, passed away Thursday, May 18, 2006.
Arrangements by Blue Ridge Funeral Home, Beckley.
Reginald L. Hiser
Funeral services for Reginald L. Hiser, age 76, of Newark, Ohio, a native of Page, will be held Saturday, May 20, 2006 at 11 a.m. at Outreach International, 1331 Hebron Road in Heath, Ohio.
In lieu of flowers, friends may contribute to Hospice of Central Ohio, 2269 Cherry Valley Road, Newark, OH 43055, or the American Cancer Society in his memory.
Friends may call 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Criss-Schoedinger Funeral Home, 179 Granville St.
Irene Honaker
Irene Honaker, age 81, of Saxon, died Tuesday, May 16, 2006, at the Raleigh Center at Daniels, following a long illness.
Born July 8, 1924, at Bolt, she was the daughter of the late Cleve and Hattie Daniel Trump.
Mrs. Honaker was a homemaker and a member of the Breckenridge Missionary Baptist Church at Bolt. She had made her home at Saxon for most of her life.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Theodore Honaker Sr.; brothers, Audley and Juddie Trump; sisters, Maxine Daniel and Delsie Riley; half sisters, Madge McClure and Inez Richardson.
Survivors include a son, Theodore Honaker Jr. and wife, Margaret, of Saxon; daughters, Ann Balcerzak and husband, Eddie, of Cleveland, Ohio, Rosemary Fitzgerald and husband, Doug, of Saxon, Hazel Hale of Fairdale, and Cheryl Wholaver of Pennsylvania; two brothers, Kenzie Trump of Bolt, and Paul Trump of Bolt; nine grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Services will be 2 p.m. Saturday at Rose and Quesenberry Peace Chapel in Beckley with the Rev. Jerry Brooks officiating. Burial will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley.
Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Grandsons and nephews will serve as pallbearers.
Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Beckley.
Vergie Claire Lilly
Vergie Claire Lilly, 89, of Beckley, died Tuesday, May 16, 2006, in a local hospital of natural causes.
Born Oct. 23, 1916, at True, W.Va., she was the daughter of the late Lonnie Earl and Sadie Claire Barker Lilly.
Mrs. Lilly was a school teacher having taught for 35 years, last teaching fourth grade at Crab Orchard Elementary. She was a member of the First Christian Church, Beckley, and Friendship Class at the church. She was also a member of Captain James Allen Chapter Daughters of American Revolution, past member of the Lilly Reunion Board of Director, member of Calico and Jeans Square Dance Club and the Brooks Bird Club.
Mrs. Lilly was preceded in death by her husband, Shawkey Lilly; sisters, Mickey Ellison, Helen Kidd Jones and Gertrude Bellamy; a brother, Hansford, and an infant brother, Clifford Lilly.
Survivors include her brother, Kent Lilly and his wife, Pauline, of Camp Creek; sister, Jean Chappo of Glen Morgan; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Services will be 11 a.m. today at Calfee Funeral Home Chapel, Beckley, with the Rev. Donald R. Snyder Jr. and the Rev. James D. Lowe Jr. officiating. Burial will follow in Sunset Memorial Park, Beckley.
Friends called 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
Nephews and friends will serve as pallbearers.
Arrangements by Calfee Funeral Home, Beckley.
Eva F. Moore
UNION — Eva F. Moore, 87, passed away Tuesday evening, May 16, 2006.
Services will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Groves Funeral Home Chapel, Union. Friends may call 7 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Groves Funeral Home, Union, is in charge of the arrangements.
Robert John Prendergast
Robert John Prendergast, 48, of Richwood, entered into rest on Wednesday, May 17, 2006.
Service will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Simons-Coleman Funeral Home, Richwood. Friends may call 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Arrangements by Simons-Coleman Funeral Home, Richwood.
Mary Elizabeth Bruton Simpson
MT. GILEAD, N.C. — Mary Elizabeth Bruton Simpson, 83, a native of Montgomery, died Wednesday, May 17, 2006.
Service will be 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Sharon cemetery, Highway 731 E., Mt. Gilead. Friends may call from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Pugh-Troy Funeral Home, Troy, N.C.
