RAINELLE — William Forrest Ennis, 92, passed away Wednesday, April 12, 2006, at Greenbrier Valley Medical Center in Fairlea following a long illness.
Born July 21, 1913, in Fayette County, he was the son of the late William and Catherine White Ennis.
Mr. Ennis had served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was a member of the UMWA and a retired coal miner.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Lenore, in 2002; and several brothers and sisters.
Survivors include a niece, Mary Lou Sheppard and husband, Allen, of Hampton, Va.; a nephew, James Marshall Ennis and his wife, Jean; a sister-in-law, Maggie McClung; and several other nieces, nephews and cousins.
Graveside service will be 11 a.m. Monday, April 17, at Ennis cemetery, Backus Mountain, with Evangelist Shirley Fox officiating. Burial will follow immediately thereafter with military rites.
There will be no evening visitation.
The family would like to thank the staff of Heartland nursing home in Rainelle for their care and concern for William.
Arrangements by Wallace & Wallace Funeral Home, Rainelle.
George Edward Kessinger
LORAIN, Ohio — George E. Kessinger, 84, a Beckley native who lived in Lorain since the 1950s, died Thursday, Feb. 9, 2006, in Elyria, Ohio, following a brief illness.
He was the son of the late Clisby Theodore Kessinger and Chloe Alice Dejarnette Kessinger, both of Beckley. He was preceded in death by three brothers, Robert F. Kessinger, William E. Kessinger and James B. Kessinger, also of Beckley.
Survivors include his brother, Clisby T. Kessinger of Davisville, his sister, June Genevieve Jones of Crab Orchard, his sons, Greg Kessinger of North Olmstead, Ohio, and Mark Kessinger of Houston, Texas; and his daughter, Sharon Nerad of Rockwell, N.C.
Graveside memorial service will be officiated by VFW Post No. 3110 at 11 a.m. Sunday, April 30, at Calfee Mount Tabor cemetery, Mount Tabor Road. A brunch will follow in the dining room of Brier Patch Golf Links, also on Mount Tabor Road. His family invites friends of George Edward to join them for this remembrance. For details and RSVP, call Greg Kessinger at 440-779-5153.
Viola Dimples Maddy
OAK HILL — Viola Dimples Maddy, 74, passed away Thursday, April 13, 2006, at the Hilltop Center.
Born Feb. 21, 1932, at Sewell, she was the daughter of the late Lewis Rowe and Mary Elizabeth Adkins Rowe.
Viola was preceded in death by her husband, five brothers and four sisters.
Survivors include a sister, Margaret Queen of Danese; a brother, Theodore Rowe of Powellton; and several nieces and nephews.
Service will be 1 p.m. Monday at High Lawn Funeral Home Chapel, Oak Hill, with the Rev. Jerry Sears officiating. Private interment will be in High Lawn Memorial Park, Oak Hill.
The family will receive friends noon until time of service Monday at the funeral home.
Arrangements by High Lawn Funeral Home Chapel, 1435 E. Main St., Oak Hill.
Beatrice Blankenship
PITTSBURGH — Beatrice (Rice) Blankenship, 82, died Friday, May 5, 2006, in Pittsburgh at the home of her daughter, Debby Sherwood, following a long illness.
Born May 7, 1924, in Bon Air, Tenn., Beatrice was a former resident of Iaeger and Hanover.
She was preceded in death by a son, Michael Steven Blankenship; a daughter, Angela Kay Blankenship, and her husband, F.H. Blankenship, all former Wyoming County residents; her parents, the late Sidney Stanton and Daisy (Hodge) Rice, formerly of Iaeger; six brothers, the late Jesse, Claster, Cleveland, Russell, Hubert and Sidney Rice Jr.; and a sister, Bessie (Rice) Davidson, all formerly of McDowell County.
“Bea,” as she was known to her family and friends, was the most unselfish, gentle, kind and loving person her family has known. Integrity, compassion, courage and honesty were important to her, and she taught those values to her children by word and example.
She demonstrated loyalty, kindness, integrity and responsibility in every aspect of her life.
Beatrice created a peaceful and happy home wherever she lived, even while in declining health during the years she resided with her daughter in Pittsburgh.
She was always there for her children and grandchildren, whether making a home-cooked meal or simply spending time with her family.
When asked what she hoped to leave behind in this world, she said, “My heritage is my children and grandchildren.”
Beatrice loved the Lord in her own quiet way and enjoyed attending churches of the Baptist faith. She loved talking to friends, wearing pretty clothes, going out to eat and going to movie theaters.
She spent the final years of her life sharing her memories and movie collections with her daughter, caregiver and companion in Pittsburgh. During this time, they shared each other’s lives and enjoyed many activities together.
Beatrice was an avid collector of family photos, having fashioned several albums with pictures dating back to the early 1920s in her native Bon Air, Tenn., and later while growing up at Iaeger, where her father, the late Sidney S. Rice, worked with the N&W Railroad.
Beatrice worked at the Iaeger Theater prior to her marriage to F.H. Blankenship, a Wyoming County businessman, who preceded her in death in 1992.
Survivors in addition to her daughter and son-in-law, Samuel Sherwood, include a son, John Blankenship and daughter-in-law Linda Lee of Daniels; three granddaughters, Susan Sherwood Dunfee and son-in-law Brian of Proctorville, Ohio, Samantha Sherwood of Pittsburgh and Tiffany Blankenship of Oceana.
She will be sadly missed but lovingly remembered.
Service will be 1 p.m. Monday at Mounts Funeral Home, Gilbert. Entombment will follow in Palm Memorial Gardens, Matheny.
Honorary pallbearers are Russell Rice of Welch, Samuel Sherwood of Pittsburgh, David Godfrey of Hanover, Brian Dunfee of Proctorville, Ohio, Jerry Richmond and Dwayne McGrady, both of Beckley.
The family will receive friends 11 a.m. until time of service Monday at the funeral home.
Arrangements by Mounts Funeral Home, Gilbert.
Clyde Norman Ferrell Sr.
ORGAS — Clyde Norman Ferrell Sr., of Orgas, died Saturday, May 6, 2006.
Service will be 1 p.m. Monday at Armstrong Funeral Home, Whitesville. Visitation will be two hours before service Monday at the funeral home.
Arrangements by Armstrong Funeral Home, Whitesville.
Mary Belle Polley Hale
RICHMOND, Va. — Mary Belle Polley Hale, 82, widow of Clyde Franklin Hale, died Friday, May 5, 2006, in Henrico Doctors Hospital in Richmond. She formerly resided in Fort Myers, Fla., and Beckley.
She was born Nov. 4, 1923, in Beckley, the daughter of Emma Katherine Polley and John Gordon Polley.
She attended Lindenwood College, St. Charles, Mo., and graduated from West Virginia University.
She is survived by daughters, Frances Hale Twigg and husband, James Twigg, of Richmond and Polley Hale Cunningham and husband, William Cunningham, of Huntington; grandchildren, Kathleen Twigg of Richmond, Katherine Cunningham of Mountain View, Calif., and Richard Cunningham and wife, Emily, of Washington, D.C.
Service will be 3 p.m. today at Tuckahoe Presbyterian Church, 7000 Park Ave., Richmond,with the Rev. Dr. Fred Rose officiating.
The family will receive friends after the service.
Interment will be at St. Paul Presbyterian Church, Morristown, Tenn.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to St. Paul Presbyterian Church or the Salvation Army.
Margaret Elizabeth Bostic
CONYERS, Ga. — Margaret Elizabeth Bostic, 90, formerly of Monroe County, passed away Saturday, May 26, 2007, at Rockdale Medical Center.
Arrangements by Broyles-Shrewsbury Funeral Home, Peterstown.
Mary Gayle Cromer
KING GEORGE, Va. — Mary Gayle Cromer, 89, passed away Sunday, May 27, 2007.
Service will be 2 p.m. Thursday at Bethel United Methodist Church, Durbin. Friends may call noon until time of service Thursday at the church.
Arrangements by Wallace & Wallace Funeral Home, Arbovale.
Virginia Mattie DiLorenzo
MONROE, Ga. — Virginia Mattie DiLorenzo, 86, formerly of Beckley, died Sunday, May 27, 2007, at Anmed Health Center in Anderson, S.C.
Born Sept. 17, 1920, in Buckingham County, Va., she was a daughter of the late Melvin Stanley and Edith Eppard Stanley.
Mrs. DiLorenzo had resided in Monroe for 13 years, moving from Beckley where she lived most of her life and was a member of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church. She was a retired kitchen employee of St. Francis de Sales Catholic School. She was very active in FISH (Faith In Serving Humanity) in Monroe and was a member of St. Anna’s Catholic Church in Monroe.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Louis DiLorenzo; and a son, Milton “Buster” Watkins.
Survivors include her children, Mary (Barney) Atkinson of Anderson, Mauro (Nancy) DiLorenzo of Beckley, Palley (Cindy) DiLorenzo of Monroe, Joe DiLorenzo of Nashville, Tenn., and Ed West of Kennesaw, Ga.; sisters, Annie Berry of Farmville, Va., and Margaret Carter of Farmville; a brother, Melvin Stanley of Richmond, Va.; 12 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
Funeral Liturgy will be 11 a.m. Friday at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, Beckley, with the Rev. Pericles Malacaman officiating. Rite of Committal will follow in Sunset Memorial Park, Beckley.
Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Beckley, where a Christian prayer service will be held at 8 p.m. by the Rev. Mr. Don Wise.
Pallbearers will be Jimmy DiLorenzo, Justin DiLorenzo, Joe DiLorenzo, David West, Todd Morrison and Jamie Spinks.
Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Beckley.
Martin Angel ‘Bull’ Durham
Martin Angel “Bull” Durham, 87, of 200 Juliana St., Beckley, formerly of 523 Bero Ave., Beckley, passed away at 8:13 p.m. Saturday, May 26, 2007, at the Bowers Hospice House in Beckley.
Mr. Durham was born June 25, 1919, in Giles County, Va., and was the son of the late Eugene and Mattie Durham.
Mr. Durham was a retired coal miner and former employee of Meadows Lumber Co. He was of the Christian faith.
Mr. Durham was a World War II veteran in the tank corps and saw action in France where he was wounded and received a Purple Heart. He was a member of that Great Generation which helped preserve the American dream of freedom and hope. We all owe him, and others like him, a deep debt of gratitude for his service and sacrifice on the field of battle.
Other than his parents, he was preceded in death by five brothers and a sister.
Those left to cherish his name include his loving and faithful wife of 65 years, Lura Taylor Durham; three sons, Martin E. Durham and wife, Ina, of Beckley, Michael G. Durham and wife, Robbin, of Flat Top and Gary D. Durham and wife, Cathy, of Princeton; a daughter, Kimberly L. Redden and husband, Roger, of Grandview; eight grandchildren, Rachel Pauley, Lura Jane Barbera, DeWayne Durham, Gene Durham, Travis Durham, Carrie Ray, Andrew Redden and Matthew Redden; nine great-grandchildren; two sisters, Eloise Pierce of Beckley and Betty Watson of California; and a brother, Tommy Durham of North Carolina.
Service will be 2 p.m. today at Rose and Quesenberry Peace Chapel, Beckley, with Minister Gary D. Durham, his son, officiating, assisted by the Rev. Robert Wagner. Burial will follow at Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley.
Friends and family will serve as pallbearers.
Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Beckley.
Dana Marie Gerczak
WHITE SUILPHUR SPRINGS — Dana Marie Gerczak, 33, passed away Monday, May 28, 2007.
Memorial service will be 11 a.m. Friday at the Chapel of Shanklin Funeral Home, White Sulphur Springs. Friends may call a half hour prior before service Friday at the funeral home.
Arrangements by Shanklin Funeral Home, White Sulphur Springs.