Janet M. Ayers

Janet M. Ayers, 60, of Bellburn, died Oct. 27, 2005, at the home of her daughter following a long illness.

Arrangements by Wallace & Wallace Funeral Home, Rainelle.



Freda Howard Babinski

Freda Howard Babinski, 54, of McEwen, Tenn., died Oct. 31, 2005, following a short illness.

She was the daughter of Lois V. Rice Howard Blashak, also known as the poet Jenny Wren, of Lancing, Tenn., formerly of Scarbro, and the late Cager D. Howard.

Freda was a published poet. She loved her God who was foremost in her life. Her favorite pastime was helping veterans.

Surviving, in addition to her mother: her husband, Lyle Stanley Babinski; sister, Louise Whitson and husband, Curtis, of Lancing, Tenn.; nieces, Audrey Korgan and Angela Benton; and many other relatives and friends.

Funeral services were Nov. 2 at Schubert Funeral Home, Wartburg, Tenn., with Rev. John Bowe officiating.

Graveside rites and committal service will be 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 3 at High Lawn Memorial Park, Oak Hill, with Rev. Walter Webb officiating.

Memorial contributions may be made to the family.

Online condolences may be sent at www.tyreefuneralhome.com.

Information submitted by Tyree Funeral Home, Oak Hill.



Bernice Williams Burton

Bernice Garnet Williams Burton, 80, of Fayetteville, died Oct. 27, 2005, in Laytonsville, Md., where she moved three years ago to make her home with her daughter and her husband, Peggy and Martin Ols. She was preceded in death by her husband, James C. Burton, in 1963.

Born Nov. 25, 1924, at Kaymoor, she was the daughter of the late John H. Williams and Mayme Jackson Williams.

Mrs. Burton was a member of Fayetteville Baptist Church and a homemaker.

Surviving: her daughters, Patricia M. Bird of Charleston, Peggy Burton Ols of Laytonsville, Md., and Penny L. Tonelli of Parkersburg; a brother, Burrel “Burley” Williams of Fayetteville; sisters, Virginia Green of Oak Hill and Shirley Sizemore of Parrish, Fla.; grandchildren, Rachel Price, Derek Price, Victoria Ross and Melissa Estep; and great-grandchildren, Zachary, McKenzie, Clayton, Jason, Adam, and Heather.

Service was Nov. 1 at Dodd-Payne-Hess Funeral Home Chapel, Fayetteville, with the Rev. Bill Withers officiating. Burial followed in Huse Memorial Park, Fayetteville.

Memorial donations may be made to the American Diabetes Association, 1221A Ohio Ave., Dunbar, WV 25064, or the Ronald McDonald House, 302 30th St., Charleston, WV 25304.

Online condolences and information available at www. doddpaynehessfuneralhome.com.



June Lee Lay Chandler

June Lee Lay Chandler, 71, of Mount Hope, died Oct. 27, 2005.

Arrangements by Blue Ridge Funeral Home, Beckley.



Billie E. Goodwin

Billie E. Goodwin, 78, of Danese, died Oct. 26, 2005, at Beckley Appalachian Regional Hospital following a short illness.

Arrangements by Wallace & Wallace Funeral Home, Rainelle.



Harold Gerald Johnson

Harold Gerald Johnson, 59, a native of Harvey, died in September in Washington, D.C.

Arrangements by Ritchie and Johnson Funeral Parlor, Beckley.



Cassandra Jean Kessler

Cassandra Jean Kessler, 21-day-old daughter of Justin Carl and Mary Beth Honaker Kessler of Toccoa, Ga., died Oct. 23, 2005, at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

She was born Oct. 2, 2005, at Toccoa.

She was preceded in death by a paternal great-grandfather, Guy Kincaid, and maternal great-grandfathers, Creed Evans Bradshaw and Charles Honaker.

Surviving, in addition to her parents: paternal grandparents, John C. Kessler of Ramsey and Janet Payne of Jodie; maternal grandparents, William E. Honaker of Eccles and Billie Jean Honaker of Beckley; paternal great-grandparents, Jean Kincaid of Victor and John L. and Wanda Kessler of Hico; maternal great-grandmothers, Mary Bradshaw of Shady Spring and Addie Honaker of Eccles; aunt, Buffy Slate and husband, Okey Jr., of Beckley; and uncles, Jerod Kessler of Hico, Joshua Kessler of Jodie and “Boo” Kessler of Jodie.

Service, with arrangements by Tyree Funeral Home, Mount Hope, was Oct. 28 at Mount Hope First Church of God with the Rev. Joe Shaffer and the Rev. Ronnie Stapleton officiating. Burial was at Gethsemane Memorial Gardens, Oak Hill.

Online condolences may be sent at www.tyreefuneralhome.com.



George Lewis Kincaid Jr.

George Lewis Kincaid Jr., 82, of Meadow Bridge, died Oct. 24, 2005, at his home following a short battle with cancer.

Arrangements by Smathers Funeral Chapel, Rainelle.



Odella Myrick

Odella Myrick, 91, of Hilltop, died Oct. 28, 2005, at her home, following a lengthy illness.

Arrangements by Ritchie and Johnson Funeral Parlor, Beckley.



Ruby P. Schrader

Ruby P. Schrader, 61, of Mount Hope, died Oct. 28, 2005.

Arrangements by Blue Ridge Funeral Home, Beckley.



William E. ‘Bill’ Sharpless

William E. “Bill” Sharpless of Apache Junction, Ariz., died Oct. 16, 2005.

Born Aug. 21, 1958, in Akron, Ohio, he was the son of Barbara Wright of Beckley and the late Frank Sharpless. He also was preceded in death by his stepmother, Betty Sharpless of Apache Junction.

William was a veteran of the U.S. Army and had resided in Apache Junction for the past 20 years. He had previously resided in Mount Hope.

Surviving: his mother, Barbara Wright, and stepfather, Earl Wright, of Beckley; sister, Rosemary Miller and husband, John, of Beckley; brothers, Robert Sharpless of Beckley, Mark Sharpless and wife, Lynn, of New Bern, N.C., Chuck Sharpless and wife, Brenda, of Mesa, Ariz., Elmer Wright of Mount Airy, N.C., and Billy Joe Wright of Beckley; sister, Teresa Thompson of Pax; and aunts, uncles, and nieces, nephews and friends.

Memorial service was Oct. 20 at Apache Junction Mortuary.

Remembrance service was Oct. 29 at the Pax Community Room next to Pax City Hall.

Online condolences may be sent at www.tyreefuneralhome.com.

Submitted by Tyree Funeral Home, Mount Hope.



Helen Rose Skaggs

Helen Rose Skaggs, 78, of Victor, died Oct. 25, 2005, at Plateau Medical Center following a long illness.

Born Dec. 7. 1926, at Jodie, she was the daughter of the late Gaymond Golden and Norah Virginia Ewing Preast. She also was preceded in death by her husband, Basil L. Skaggs, to whom she had been married for over 50 years, on May 10, 2001.

Surviving: her brothers, William Edward Preast and Hazel of Goldsboro, N.C., Ralph Damon Preast and Frances of Russellville and Gaymond G. Preast and Judy of Cheney, Wash.; a sister, Betty Jean Preast Hahn and Joe of Bath, Maine, and Largo, Fla.; and a brother-in-law, Byrl Skaggs of Fredricksburg, Va.

Graveside service, with arrangements by Wallace & Wallace Funeral Home, Ansted, was Oct. 29 at The Chapel of Rest Mausoleum, Victor, with Pastor Greg Auxier officiating. Entombment followed in the mausoleum.



Suzann Hamrick Smith

Suzann Hamrick Smith, 57, of Oak Hill, died Oct. 31, 2005, at her home.

Born Nov. 23, 1947, at Powellton Hollow in Montgomery, she was the daughter of the late Opie and Hazel Hartwell Hamrick. She also was preceded in death by brothers, Donnie Ray, Jerry Lawrence and Jackie Lee Hamrick.

Mrs. Smith was a disabled dietitian for Beckley ARH.

She was a member of the Pentecostal faith.

Surviving: her husband, Gene A. Smith; son, Anthony John Smith of Oak Hill; brother, Jimmy Hamrick of Philadelphia, Pa.; sister, Gloria Thomas of Oak Hill; granddaughter, Carley Beth Smith of Ansted; and step-grandchildren, Brandon and Cassy Moorehead of Ansted.

Service will be 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4 at Tyree Funeral Home, Oak Hill, with the Rev. Ronnie Persinger and the Rev. Jimmy Hamrick officiating. Burial will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley.

Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.

Online condolences may be sent at www.tyreefuneralhome.com.



Ozzie G. Stewart Jr.

Ozzie G. Stewart Jr., 68, of Mountain View, Ark., died Oct. 20, 2005, at the Stone County Medical Center.

Born May 15, 1937, in Fayetteville, he was the son of the late Ozzie G. Sr. and Denise (Kelly) Stewart.

Mr. Stewart was a former owner-operator of an electrical contractor business in West Virginia.

Surviving: his wife, Betty Stewart of the home; daughters, Lisa Wardell of Naperville, Ill., and Tori Stewart of Norcross, Ga.; sons, Ron Stewart of Daytona Beach, Fla., and Steven Stewart of Sumner, Ill.; and grandchildren, Stacia, Lauren, James, Sondra, Luke, Justin all of Naperville, Ill., and Steven of Russellville, Ark.

Memorial services will be private.

Arrangements by Roller Funeral Home.

Online guestbook at www.rollerfuneralhomes.com.



Keith Thomas

Keith Thomas, 74, of Hico, died Oct. 23, 2005, at CAMC General Division after a short illness.

Keith grew up in Ansted, the son of the late Russell Thomas and Vesta Paxton Thomas. He also was preceded in death by two brothers, Lowell Thomas and Garland Thomas.

Mr. Thomas served honorably in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War.

After returning home from military service, he spent several years in Charleston, and in Michigan and California. Eventually he returned to Hico, where he lived the past 15 years.

Surviving: his former wife and companion, Barbara Wills at Hico; their four children, Kevin Thomas of Bowling Green, Ky., Valerie Frankel of Knoxville, Tenn., Keith Allen of Clarksville, Tenn., and Allyson Rogers of Mesquite, Texas; 12 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; brothers, Kyle Thomas of Malvern, Ark., and Derril of Sullivan, Mo.; and sister, Kate Harrah of Hidden Valley Nursing Home, Oak Hill.

Keith wished for his body to be donated to medical science, and there will be no visitation or funeral service. A family memorial service will be held at a later date.



Marie E. Treadway

Marie E. Treadway died Oct. 25, 2005, at Raleigh General Hospital Emergency Room.

She was the daughter of the late Charles Wilburn and Bessie Ethel Wilburn Pannell, and the stepdaughter of the late Shirley Cecil “Pete” Pannell. She also was preceded in death by her husband of 49 years, Walker J. Treadway; and brothers, Charles MacRae and Houston Gordon Wilburn.

Mrs. Treadway was a 1936 graduate of East Bank High School. She worked with the Navy Department in Washington, D.C., the Department of Human Services, and later joined the staff at Beckley VA Medical Center when it opened in 1949. There she became the supervisor of the ward secretaries and the secretary to the administrator until her stroke in 1967 which caused her to take an early retirement.

She was a devout Christian and she and her husband were members of Calloway Heights Missionary Baptist Church since 1952. She held office in the circles of the church and was a choir member for several years, until the time she could no longer take part in the activities.

She married Howard Cecil Fout on Dec. 26, 1936, and their union produced one daughter, Phyllis Jean, who is married to Roy Verdine, with whom she made her home the last days of her life here on earth.

She was a member of Beta Sigma Phi sorority for over 50 years and was currently a member of Alpha Master Chapter. She was a member of the American Association of Medical Records Librarians.

Also surviving: grandchildren, Phillip LeeRoy (Trudy), William Joseph (Arlene), Shirley Jeanelle “Jeannie” (Don Riffe Jr.), Susan Reanelle (Tony Sanderson) and Thomas Scott (Christina); 19 great-grandchildren and 19 great-great-grandchildren; and one nephew, Larry Houston Wilburn and wife, Sue, of Florida.

Service, with arrangements by High Lawn Funeral Home Chapel, Oak Hill, was Oct. 28 at the chape with Pastor Bill Parker officiating. Entombment followed in High Lawn Memorial Park Mausoleum, Oak Hill.



Jewel Wills Wriston

Jewel Wills Wriston, 83, of Oak Hill, died Oct. 27, 2005, at Hidden Valley Healthcare Center in Oak Hill following a long illness.

Born May 23, 1922, at Putney, she was the daughter of the late Edward and Goldie Harper Wills. She also was preceded in death by her husband, James C. Wriston; a son, James F. Wriston; a brother, Richard Wills; and sisters, Margaret Smith and Beulah Aliff.

Mrs. Wriston was a homemaker and a member of the Apostolic faith.

Surviving: a daughter, Judith Kaye Ward and husband, Dennis, of Orange Park, Fla.; a son, Thomas W. Wriston of Mossy; a sister, Clara Henrey of Ohio; brothers, James Wills of Glen Jean and William Wills of Montgomery, Ala.; seven grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and a great-great-grandchild.

Service was Oct. 30 at Tyree Funeral Home, Oak Hill, with the Rev. Carlos Lewis officiating. Burial followed in Rinehart Cemetery, Mossy.

Online condolences may be sent at www.tyreefuneralhome.com.