LESTER — Estle Harrison, 80, of Old Lester Highway, died Thursday, Dec. 22, 2005, in a Beckley hospital following an extended illness.
Arrangements by Melton Mortuary, Beckley.
Betty Harvey
SUN HILL — Betty Harvey, 69, departed this life Dec. 22, 2005, following a long illness.
Services entrusted to Adam Toler Memorial Funeral Home, Oceana.
U.S. Army Sgt. Brian C. Karim, 22, husband of Rachel Lasley Karim, father of 2-year-old Janessa Karim of Nimitz, and son of Vera and Garland Adkins of Talcott, was killed in action in a roadside bombing on Tuesday, Dec., 13, 2005, northwest of Baghdad, Iraq. Brian was a member of Taskforce Baghdad charged with security in Baghdad and surrounding areas.
Brian was born Jan. 27, 1983, in Summers County, and was a 2001 graduate of Summers County High School. He was an avid outdoorsman, and attended the First Baptist Church in Hinton.
Besides his immediate family, he is survived by one brother, Steven Gill of Talcott; one sister, Shannon Gill of Talcott; father- and mother-in-law Robbie and Susie Lasley of Nimitz; brother-in-law Aaron Lasley of Ft. Sill, Okla.; and sisters-in-law Mandy Seigler of Nimitz and Kelli Gill of Hinton.
Funeral services will be held at 12 noon on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2005, at the Ronald Meadows Funeral Parlors Chapel in Hinton, with Pastor Gary Adkins officiating. Burial with full military honors will be at the Gill Family cemetery near Hinton.
There will be no visitation.
Arrangements are by the Ronald Meadows Funeral Parlors of Hinton.
Ray Francis Kersey
Ray Francis Kersey, 81, of White Sulphur Springs passed away on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2005, at Roanoke Memorial Hospital following a short illness.
Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Tuesday at Shanklin Funeral Home in White Sulphur Springs with the Rev. Brent Sturm, O.S.L., officiating. The family will receive their friends one hour prior to the funeral services at the funeral home. Interment will follow at Greenbrier Memorial Gardens, Lewisburg.
Shanklin Funeral Home, White Sulphur Springs, is in charge of arrangements.
Ernest J. Neely, Sr.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Mr. Ernest J. Neely, Sr., 84, formerly of Beckley, died Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2005, in Philadelphia.
Funeral services were Tuesday, Dec. 13, at Tioga United Methodist Church in Philadelphia. Burial was in Philadelphia.
G. Frank Page, Jr. Funeral Home, Philadelphia, was in charge of arrangements. Submitted by Ritchie & Johnson Funeral Parlor.
Norman Wayne Nelson
CLOVIS, N.M. — Norman Wayne Nelson, 60, died Friday, Nov. 25, 2005, at Plains Regional Medical Center.
He was born April 21, 1945, at Dothan, son of the late Herman and Belle Bragg Nelson. He married Layne Kegel, Sept. 7, 1974, in North Miami, Fla.
Mr. Nelson moved to New Mexico from Pennsylvania 24 years ago. He was service manager for Watson Motor Co., and previously for Richard Barton. He was an avid collector of baseball and football cards and coins. He loved his children and was licensed in Curry City as a foster parent.
He was preceded in death by a sister, Carol Sue (Nelson) Hammond.
Survivors include his wife Layne; a son Matthew and wife Wendy of Roswell, N.M.; two daughters, Julie Nelson of Clovis, and Lisa Nelson of Canton, Ohio. Also, three grandchildren, Marc, Mathew and Mikel Nelson; a brother Gary Nelson of Oak Hill; two sisters, Nancy Sumney and Dixie Arbogast of Canton, Ohio; a mother-in-law, Shirley Kegel, and brother-in-law, Don Kegel, of Virginia; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were held at Lawn-Haven Memorial Garden with the Rev. Dick Doss officiating.
Honorary pallbearers were friends, family and co-workers.
Arrangements by Steed-Todd Funeral Home, Clovis, N.M. Information submitted by High Lawn Funeral Home Chapel, Oak Hill.
Linda Newcomb
FANROCK — Linda Newcomb, 48, departed this life Friday, Dec. 23, 2005, at CAMC Memorial Division, Charleston.
Services entrusted to Adam Toler Memorial Funeral Home, Oceana.
Opal J. Reed
PINEVILLE — Opal J. Reed, 68, passed away Dec. 22, 2005.
Born Jan. 30, 1937, she was the daughter of the late Thomas and Maudie Robertson.
She is preceded in death by her husband Freeman Reed; two daughters Phyllis Mills and Connie Reed; four grandchildren Gregory and Teresa Cadle, Justin Wilson and Levi Reed; two brothers Charlie Robertson and Junior Robertson.
Those left to cherish her loving memory include her companion Carl Y. Reed; seven daughters, Mae Graham and husband Clyde of Rhodell, Debbie Smith and companion Mike Friend of Beartown, Sandy Shrewsbury and husband Alvie of Barker’s Ridge, Charlotte Cadle and husband Chuck of Amigo, Lisa Mullis and husband Jimbo of Keystone Heights, Fla., Mary Wilson and companion Jeff Whitley of Mocksville, N.C., Wanda Manning and husband J.T. of Fisher; two sons David Reed of Amigo and Chris Reed and wife Carroll of Corinne; two sisters Alma Graham of Rhodell and Faye Lusk of Basin; a brother Ralph Robertson of Egeria. Also, 27 grandchildren, 37 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2005 at Williams-Blue Ridge Funeral Home, 147 Virginia St., Sophia. Burial will follow at Sunset Memorial Park, Beckley.
Visitation will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.
Arrangements by Williams-Blue Ridge Funeral Home, Sophia.
Josh Vest
Josh Vest, 82, of Shady Spring, with his family by his side, died Thursday, Dec. 22, 2005, at the Raleigh General Hospital in Beckley following a short illness.
Born at Jumping Branch, on Feb. 26, 1923, he was the son of the late Joe and Izola Furrow Vest.
Mr. Vest was a retired coal miner and was of the Baptist faith. He finished his career with Westmoreland Coal Co., at the Riffe’s Branch Division as an electrician. Josh served his country during World War II.
He was a simple man who lived a simple life while working to improve the lives of his family. Josh was a jack-of-all-trades, and the community handyman. He never turned away a person needing a helping hand. His passion of fabricating homemade inventions in his workshop never ceased, even after losing his eyesight.
Josh was a good husband, father, grandfather and friend. He was the last surviving member of his immediate family.
He was preceded in death by brothers Earl, Andy, Omer, Jack, and Hubert Kesler Vest, and his sisters Georgia and Mebel Vest, his beloved son-in-law Christie Meadows and his loyal companion and best friend Trixie.
Survivors include his wife Hulda Smith Vest, a son Howard Vest and wife Karen of Beckley, and daughter Ruth Vest Meadows of Shady Spring. Also grandchildren Christy Ann Meadows Harvey and husband Tommy of Summers County; Amanda Lynn Meadows and James Joshua “J.J.” Meadows of Shady Spring. Surviving stepgrandchildren include Lisa Withrow and husband Keith of Prosperity; Brittany Pachuta of Beckley; and stepgreat-grandchildren, Ellie Withrow of Prosperity, and numerous friends and neighbors.
Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Shady Spring Chapel, with the Rev. Paul Blizard officiating. Burial will follow at Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens at Prosperity.
Friends may call at the funeral home from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday.
Family and friends will serve as pallbearers.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mr. Vest’s memory to the Christie H. Meadows Memorial Scholarship, in care of Shady Spring High School, 300 Hinton Road, Shady Spring, WV 25918.
Arrangements by Rose & Quesenberry Funeral Home at Shady Spring.
Clyde Wood
ANSTED — Clyde Wood passed away Dec. 19, 2005.
Arrangements are incomplete.
Wallace and Wallace of Ansted is in charge of the arrangements.
Bob Brewer
JUSTICE — Bob Brewer, 59, died Monday, Jan. 2, 2006.
Service will be 1 p.m. Thursday at Lilly of the Valley Freewill Baptist Church, Riffe Branch. Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. today at Mounts Funeral Home Chapel, Gilbert.
Arrangements by Mounts Funeral Home, Gilbert.
Katie Marie Dameron
HINTON — Katie Marie Dameron, 93, of Hinton, died at 5:23 a.m. Monday, Jan. 2, 2006, at Summers County Appalachian Regional Hospital following a long illness.
Born Nov. 20, 1912, in Greenup, Ky., she was the daughter of the late Albert Lee and Anna Gearhart Sullivan.
Mrs. Dameron was a former resident of Alleghany County, Va., and was a member of White Sulphur Springs Presbyterian Church.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Sydney Bryan Dameron, in 1961; a sister, Frances Woods; two brothers, Richard and William Sullivan; and a grandson, Dale Dameron Cole.
Survivors include a daughter, Ann Cole and her husband, Carroll, of Nimitz; seven grandchildren, Timothy Bryan Cole and wife, Gale, Davie Lee Cole, Kay Ann Wright and husband, Wayne, Joan Carroll Lane and husband, Calvin, Deborah Lynn Pittman, Stephen Christopher Cole and wife, Katie, and Jennifer Leslie Cole; eight great-grandchildren, Tara Leah and Holly Nicole Romanello, Michael Christopher and Nicholas Wayne Wright, Samantha Ann Lane, Gaylan Bryan, Travis Dale and Dakotah Lee Cole; a brother, Edward Sullivan of Obetz, Ohio; two sisters, Virginia Mae Caldwell of Pataskala, Ohio, and Evelyn Flowers of Lancaster, Ohio; and several nieces and nephews.
Service will be 2 p.m. Thursday at Ronald Meadows Funeral Parlors Chapel, Hinton, with Pastors Bill Fox and Sonny Angell officiating. Burial will follow in Lilly-Crews cemetery, Nimitz.
Friends may call noon until time of service Thursday at the funeral parlor.
Pallbearers will be her grandsons and Calvin Lane, Jeff Gilley and Steve Haynes.
Arrangements by Ronald Meadows Funeral Parlors, Hinton.
Jean Michelinie Ferrarini
WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. — Jean Michelinie Ferrarini, 81, passed away Sunday, Jan. 1, 2006.
Born July 10, 1924, she was the daughter of the late James Michelinie and Annie Watts Michelinie.
Jean is survived by her husband, Dominick D. Ferrarini; a daughter, Barbara; a son, David, and daughter-in-law, Teresa; two brothers, William and James Michelinie; and grandchildren, Nicole and Michael Ferrarini.
Memorial service will be 2 p.m. Sunday at Family Funeral Care, 7565 Red Bug Lake Road, Oviedo, Fla.
The family requests in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, in Jean’s name, at 1601 West Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32804-7005 or 1-800-ACS-2345.
Arrangements by Family Funeral Care, Oviedo.
Lillian C. Fink
MULLENS — Lillian C. Fink, 67, of Mullens, died Monday, Jan. 2, 2006, at Wyoming Nursing and Rehabilitation Center at New Richmond following a long illness.
Mrs. Fink was a homemaker, a former employee of the Beckley Wal-Mart, had been a 45-year resident of Mullens, and prior to her illness, she attended First Pentecostal Holiness Church of Mullens.
Survivors include a daughter, Christy Dean and her husband, Michael, of Buckhannon; a son, William W. Fink and his wife, Jeanne, of Silver Spring, Md.; and two granddaughters, Laura and Casey Dean, both of Buckhannon.
Committal service and entombment will be 2 p.m. Thursday at Sunset Memorial Park Mausoleum, Beckley, with the Rev. Lewis Arnold officiating.
Friends may call noon to 12:30 p.m. Thursday at Tankersley Funeral Home, Mullens.