LEWISBURG — Winston L. Wood, 80, passed away Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2006, at Greenbrier Valley Medical Center after a long illness.
He was born Aug. 25, 1925, in Taunton, Mass., the son of Alice Philbrick Wood and Elmer Roe Wood.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Loren E. Wood; and three sons, Barry Winston Wood, Mark Robinson Wood and Brian Sanford Wood.
He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Corrinne Sanford Robinson Wood; and a son, David Loren Wood and his wife, Deborah, of Sevierville, Tenn. Also surviving is Martha G. Wood, widow of son Barry, of Abingdon, Md.
He was proud of his grandchildren, Marcus S. Wood and Nicholas Winston Wood of San Antonio, Texas, Sarah A. Wood of Estero, Fla., Tara C. Wood and Emily C. Wood of Holliston, Mass.; and a great-grandson, Elijah C. Wood of San Antonio.
Mr. Wood was a B25 pilot in World War II and later retired from the U.S. Army Reserve as a captain.
His professional life was also in the field of aviation. He retired from Eastern Airlines after 32 years, having served in many management positions. Following this, he was employed by Air New England, Henson Air Lines, Butler Aviation, Piedmont Air Lines and US Air Express in similar positions.
He was much interested in scouting, having been an Eagle Scout himself. He was scoutmaster for a troop of 52 boys. He served for several years as a tax assistant for senior citizens, was a Mason and a member and elder at Old Stone Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Wood has donated his body to the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in hopes that the knowledge learned will help others.
Memorial service led by the Rev. Dexter Taylor will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Old Stone Church, Lewisburg.
In lieu of flowers, if one prefers, donations may be made to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 400 Seventh St. N.E., Suite 300, Washington, D.C. 20004, the Baltimore Police Memorial Fund, c/o Laurie Platt, 3312 Rueckert Ave., Baltimore, MD 2121, or Old Stone Presbyterian Church.
Submitted by McCraw Funeral Home, Lewisburg.
Geneva Lilly Bolen
Geneva Lilly Bolen, 82, of Crab Orchard, peacefully completed her earthly journey at the residence of her daughter in Beckley, and went to be with the Lord on the 15th of December 2005.
Born Nov. 20, 1923, at Ellison, she was the daughter of the late Caesar Crockett and Georgia Anna Ellison Lilly.
Geneva was of the Christian faith, a loving mother, grandmother, sister and friend. Affectionately known as “Granny,” her greatest joys in life were her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She leaves her family with memories of love and adoration.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Audrey Doc Bolen; seven brothers, Boone, Woodrow, Carlisle, Thomas, Julius, Stewart and James Robert “Jim Bob” Lilly; and three sisters, Thressie Amick, Chloe Shuck and Irene Lilly.
Those left to cherish her loving memory include three children, Dale Bolen and his wife, Theresa, of Crab Orchard, Gail Brooks and her husband, Terry, of Beckley and Steve Bolen and his wife, Pam, of Crab Orchard; nine grandchildren, Terrie Lynn Bolen, Debbie McCoy, Dianna Adkins, Jenni Farley, Tracy Vass, Mindy Jarrell, Kimberly Bolen, Jeffery Richards and Jake Bolen; eight great-grandchildren, Sarah, Josh, Cassidy, Hannah, Abby, Andrew, Noah and Jessica; a brother, Erastus “Rassie” Lilly of Nimitz; and a sister, Loretta “Rita” Harvey of Nimitz.
Service will be 2 p.m. Sunday at Blue Ridge Funeral Home, Beckley, with the Rev. Boyd England officiating. Burial will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley.
Friends may call 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Pallbearers will be family members and friends.
Blue Ridge Funeral Home, 5251 Robert C. Byrd Drive, Beckley, is serving the family.
Bobby Blake Dodrill
SUMMERSVILLE — Bobby Blake Dodrill, 63, died Sunday, Dec. 11, 2005.
His body was cremated. Memorial service will be 1 p.m. today at Waters Funeral Chapel, Summersville.
Arrangements by Waters Funeral Chapel, Summersville.
Grace England
On Thursday, Dec. 15, 2005, Grace England passed away peacefully at the Villages at Greystone at Beaver. She had been in declining health for a number of years. She was in her 86th year.
Born April 6, 2005, at Beechwood, she was the daughter of the late James Harvey and Alpha Williams Cisco.
Grace spent her childhood at Beechwood. A resident of Beckley since the 1940s, she was a resident of Orchard Avenue for many years, later residing at Redden Lane. An avid bowler, she belonged to a league at Leisure Lanes until her health declined. Grace was a member of Mount Tabor Baptist Church. She will be remembered as a beloved wife, mother and grandmother.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, former Raleigh County Sheriff, Claude M. England, on Dec. 21, 1999; sisters, Maxine Wagner and Thelma Cisco; and brothers, Everett, Walter, Vernon and Herbert Cisco.
Survivors include a son, Ronald England and his wife, Sharon, of Beckley; a daughter, Barbara England of Columbus, Ohio; two grandchildren, Jeff England of Boulder, Colo., Jennifer Meadows and her husband, Brian, of Daniels, two great-grandchildren, Chase and Morgan Meadows; two sisters, Mary Korczyk and her husband, Joe, of Beckley and Flo Chavez of Napperville, Ill.; a brother, Alfred Cisco and his wife, Sue, of Warner Robbins, Ga.; and several nieces and nephews.
Service will be 1 p.m. Sunday at Melton Mortuary Chapel, Beckley, with the Rev. Michael King officiating. Burial will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley.
Friends may call 11 a.m. until time of service Sunday.
Pallbearers will be Greg and Doug Korczyk, Andy Davis, Doff Patton, Earl and Larry Jessup.
Donations of sympathy can be made to Gideons International, Beckley Gideon Camp, c/o A. Keith Walker, 517 Orchard Ave., Beckley, WV 25801.
Arrangements by Melton Mortuary, Beckley.
Elmer Bruce Fink
LEWISBURG — Elmer Bruce Fink, 88, died Thursday, Dec. 15, 2005.
Service will be 11 a.m. Monday at Longanacre Funeral Home, Fort Spring. Friends may call 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.
Arrangements by Longanacre Funeral Home, Fort Spring.
Mok Hyon Garretson
OROVILLE, Calif. — Mok Hyon Garretson, 63, passed away peacefully at home Sunday, Nov. 27, 2005, following a short illness.
Mrs. Garretson was a homemaker for her family for 38 years.
She enjoyed hiking and photography and was a business entrepreneur, having been involved in a variety of businesses.
After living in Huntington for 10 years, she came to Beckley where she resided for the next 15 years, and had been a resident of Oroville since May of 2005.
Survivors include her husband, Dr. Charles A. Garretson; a son, Thomas Garretson of Los Angeles, Calif.; a brother, Chiz H. Cho of Los Angeles; and four sisters, all of South Korea.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the YMCA or the Salvation Army.
There was no service.
Arrangements by Scheer Memorial Chapel, Oroville.
Anthia E. Kiser Godbey
BLUEFIELD — Anthia E. Kiser Godbey, 89, of Bluefield, formerly of Beckley and Wayside, went to be with her Lord the 14th of December 2005.
Born April 23, 1916, in Elkview, she was the daughter of the late Rob and Lillie Simmerly Kiser.
Mrs. Godbey was a member of the Bluefield CEOS Club. She was of the Baptist faith, a loving wife and mother.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 61 years, Denver E. Godbey; three sons, Ansell, Earl and Dale; and three brothers, Counts, Virgil and Loomis.
Those left to cherish her loving memory include her brother and his wife, Herbert and June Kiser of Melbourne, Fla.; a sister and her husband, Ruth and Charles Stevens of Cocoa, Fla.; a daughter, Jean Mitchem and her husband, Troy, of Crab Orchard, with their children, Debbie Hardison, Connie Fleming and Grant Mitchem; a son, Virgil and his wife, Frances, of Lindside, and their children, Joey, Brian and Keith; a son, Robert and wife, Pamala, of Bluefield, with sons, Robert Jr. and Michael; daughters-in-law, Elaine Godbey of Hinton, and children, Dwayne, Bonnie, Reba, Greta and Cecilia, and Teresa Godbey of Shady Spring and children, Linda Doughtery, Catherine Hicks, Carolyn Cook, Raymond E. Jr., Glenn, Robert D. and Jackie Gillenwaters; children of son Dale, Kenneth Godbey, Deanna Ward and Kami DeForrest; 44 great-grandchildren; and 10 great-great-grandchildren.
Service will be 1 p.m. today at Blue Ridge Funeral Home, Beckley, with Pastor Jack Thomas officiating. Burial will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley.
Visitation will be one hour before service today.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 102454, Atlanta, GA 30368-2454. The family will receive friends after the service at 107 Meadow Lane, Crab Orchard.
Pallbearers will be Robert Godbey Jr., Michael Godbey, Brian Godbey, Kenneth Godbey, Glenn Godbey, Dewayne Godbey, Keith Godbey, Joseph Godbey, Robert D. Godbey and Grant Mitchem.
Blue Ridge Funeral Home, 5251 Robert C. Byrd Drive, Beckley, is serving the family.
Eva ‘Mimmie’ Halsey
PINEVILLE — Eva “Mimmie” Halsey, 91, passed away Thursday, Dec. 15, 2005, in a Beckley hospital.
Born Oct. 8, 1914, at Saulsville, she was the daughter of the late Thomas and Louise Milam Buchanan.
Mrs. Halsey was a homemaker and of the Baptist faith. Mimmie loved spending time with her family, feeding her birds and tending to her flowers.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Lacy Halsey, in 1972; a daughter, Jean Wallen; seven sisters, Sadie Olson, Ethel Johnson, Ruby Muncy, Pearl Halsey, Ada Carroll, Sylvia Hurt and Lucy Cook; and four brothers, Harding Buchanan, Jack Buchanan, Emmett Buchanan and Howell Buchanan.
Survivors include two sons, Alvin Halsey of Chesterland, Ohio, and Larry Halsey of Pineville; four daughters, Mary Lambert of Itmann, Linda Hamilton and her husband, Clinton, of Pineville, Sharon Johns and her husband, Jimmy, of China Grove, N.C., and Karen Aliff of Bluefield; three sisters, Cora Halsey of Pineville, Marie Stiles of Glen Fork and Billie Mathena of Wyandotte, Mich.; a brother, Jackie Buchanan of Whitesville; 17 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; a special sister-in-law, Reva Buchanan McMillion and her husband, Don, of Newcomerstown, Ohio; a very special friend and neighbor, Evelyn Farley; her caregiver, Helen Walker of Simon; and a host of nieces, nephews and friends.
Service will be 1 p.m. Sunday at Calfee Funeral Service Chapel, Pineville, with the Rev. Alfred Laxton officiating. Burial will follow in Jackson cemetery, New Richmond.
Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Family and friends will serve as pallbearers.
Calfee Funeral Service, Pineville, is serving the Halsey family.
Service will be noon Sunday at Pentecostal House of Prayer, Lynco. Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. today at the church.
Arrangements by Stafford Family Funeral Home, Lynco.
Mary Patricia Kremer
HINTON — Mary Patricia Kremer, 75, died at 9:16 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 15, 2005, at Summers County ARH in Hinton following a long illness.
Born July 25, 1930, in Hinton, she was the daughter of the late Meredith and Addie Payne Nicely.
Ms. Kremer was a homemaker and a member of First Presbyterian Church in Hinton. Mary Pat grew up outside Washington, D.C., and she and her late husband retired to Hinton in 2002 after living in New Jersey, Arizona and South Carolina.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Allen D. Kremer.
Survivors include a son, Scott Allen Kremer of Phoenix, Ariz.; a daughter, Julia Kremer-Ross of Fairfax Station, Va.; a sister, Carolyn Myers of San Antonio, Texas; and three grandchildren.
Memorial service will be 11 a.m. today at Pivont Funeral Home Chapel, Hinton, with Dr. Mickey Rice officiating. Interment will be in Greenbrier Burial Park, Hinton.
