Misty Kay Boles

Misty Kay Boles, 31, of Fayetteville, died Jan. 6, 2009, from injuries sustained in an automobile accident.

Born March 10, 1977, at Beckley, she was the daughter of Lawrence Tench of Richmond, Va., and Terri Gwinn Tench of Oak Hill.

She is survived by her husband, Brandon Boles.

Misty was an EMT for Jan-Care Ambulance. She was a member of the Cotton Hill Missionary Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by her grandfather, Nicholas Gwinn, and her aunt, Anita McVey.

Surviving, in addition to her husband and her parents: a son, Christopher James Boles, age 7, of Beckwith; a brother, Christopher Tench of Oak Hill; her father- and mother-in-law, Ivan and Yvonne Boles of Beckwith; and her grandmother, Naomi Gwinn of Oak Hill.

Service was Jan. 9 at High Lawn Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Danny Sears officiating. Burial followed in High Lawn Memorial Park, Oak Hill.

Arrangements by High Lawn Funeral Home Chapel, Oak Hill.



Gary Comer

Gary Comer, 51, of Oak Hill, died Jan. 12, 2009, at his residence.

Arrangements by High Lawn Funeral Home Chapel, Oak Hill.



Ronald B. Dempsey

Ronald B. Dempsey, 78, of Shady Spring, died Jan. 6, 2009, at the Beckley Appalachian Regional Hospital following a long illness.

Born Oct. 15, 1930, at Longacre, he was the son of the late Bert Dempsey and Lucy Hammack Dempsey. Mr. Dempsey also was preceded in death by a sister, Jean Carpenter.

Mr. Dempsey was a retired mine foreman and was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of the Korean Conflict.

He was a member of the New Salem Baptist Church at Abraham and the Ansted Masonic Lodge. He was a member of the Beckley Shriner’s and was the past patron of the Ansted Eastern Star.

Surviving: his wife, Lona Faye Clonch Dempsey; a son, Jack Dempsey and wife Delores of Mt. Lookout; a daughter, Cynthia Linkenhoker of Mt. Holly, N.C.; a sister, Helen Carte of Hugheston; grandchildren, Brad Linkenhoker, Heather Allen and Daniel Dempsey; and great-grandchildren, Jacob and Ariana Allen.

Services was Jan. 9 at the New Salem Baptist Church at Abraham, with the Rev. Jack Pittman officiating. Entombment followed in Sunset Memorial Park Mausoleum in Beckley.

Online condolences may be sent to the guest book at www.roseandquesenberry.net.

Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Beckley.



Marjorie Alice Utz Johnson

Marjorie Alice “Margie” Utz Johnson, 83, of Fayetteville, died Jan. 11, 2009, at the Fayette Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Fayetteville, following an extended illness.

Services were Jan. 14 at Dodd-Payne-Hess Funeral Home Chapel, Fayetteville. Burial followed in Huse Memorial Park, Fayetteville.

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

Arrangements by Dodd-Payne-Hess Funeral Home, Fayetteville.



Dotti Wall Kuhn

Dotti Wall Kuhn lost her courageous battle with cancer on Jan. 7, 2009.

Born July 7, 1942, in Fayetteville, she was the daughter of the late Dathard and Algnora Price Wall. She also was preceded in death by brother, Jonathan Wall; and sister, Betty Steele.

She attended Ansted High School in Ansted and graduated in 1964 from Grant Hospital School of Nursing in Columbus, Ohio. She was employed by Mount Carmel East Hospital and recently received the hospital CARE award. She had also done office nursing for Mt. Carmel Health Providers and assisted her husband for many years in his family practice office.

Dotti loved animals, especially the wild birds, her collies, Arabian horses and her faithful companion Miss Kitty. She operated Bedlam Ranch Arabians for many years and bred Arabian show horses.

Surviving: her husband, Dr. Robert Kuhn, who was the light of her life for 38 years; daughters, Tracy (Tom) Wohlgamuth, Cecily (Mike) Davison and Sue (Tom) Sedlacek; grandchildren, Christopher and Sarah Wohlgamuth, Bill (fiancée Jennie) Allison, Tom (fiancée Kristin) Sedlacek; great-grandchildren, Logan and Liam Allison; sisters, June (Kenneth) West and Patricia (Joseph) Baumgartner; and many devoted nieces and nephews.

Funeral service was held at Schoedinger East Chapel Jan. 11. Interment was at Glen Rest Memorial Estate.

Contributions may be made to Mt. Carmel Hospice, c/o Mt. Carmel Foundation, 793 W. State St., Columbus, OH 43222.



Ulysses ‘Elwood’ Maples

Ulysses Elwood Maples, 77, of Oak Hill, died Jan. 5, 2009.

Born Dec. 13, 1931, at Elverton, he was the only child of the late Ules and Margaret Ruth Forren Maples.

Elwood was a member of the Gatewood Baptist Church. He graduated from Ansted High School in 1949.

He was a proud U.S. Marine, having served in the Korean War. He was a past commander and 50-year member of American Legion Post 149, a past commander of American Legion District 7, and a former member of Lafayette Masonic Lodge 57 and Scottish Rite Masons.

He was a retired coal miner, having last worked as a field representative for UMWA District 29, Sub District 3, and while in this position, was instrumental in getting the New River Health Clinic established.

Elwood served on the Fayette County Zoning Board and Oak Hill City Zoning Board. He also retired from the Fayette County Board of Education, having last worked at Nuttall Middle School. The children there were so special to him, he loved you all.

Elwood was an avid antique lover and enjoyed going to auctions. He dearly loved going back to his home place on the river and spent hours walking the tracks and reminiscing. ust a few years ago, he even “hopped” a train just to see if he could still do it. Elwood will long be remembered for his storytelling.

Surviving: his wife of 57 years, Betty Skaggs Maples of Oak Hill; a son, Ed Maples and wife Monica of Knoxville, Tenn.; daughters, Sue and husband Melvin Smith, and Joetta and husband John Haggerty, all of Fayetteville; grandchildren, Chuck Maples of Knoxville, Stephanie Adkins and Tim Maples, both of Princeton, Nicholas Dildy and Evan Maples, both of Knoxville, and Jessica and husband, Travis Hames of Fayetteville; and great-grandchildren, Faith Adkins and Jordyn Maples of Princeton, and Kalila and Delaney Hames of Fayetteville.

Funeral services were Jan. 9 at the Dodd-Payne-Hess Funeral Home Chapel, Fayetteville, with Rev. Harry Fuller and Rev. Monty Foster officiating. Burial, with military rites conducted by the American Legion Post 149 officiating, followed in Huse Memorial Park, Fayetteville.

Donations of sympathy may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, WV Chapter, 1111 Lee Street East, Charleston, WV 25301 or to a charity of your choice.

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

Arrangements by Dodd-Payne-Hess Funeral Home, Fayetteville.



Charles Lee Morris

Charles Lee Morris, 65, of Edmond, died Jan. 5, 2009, at Hilton Village.

Born Feb. 13, 1943, in Anjean, he was a son of the late Lee Curtis Morris and Opal Virginia Kelly Morris. He also was preceded in death by sisters, Wanda Fisher and Juanita Moss; and brothers, Johnny Morris and Billy Morris.

He was a U.S. Army veteran and an equipment operator for Massey Coal Co.

Surviving: sisters, Bonnie Allport of Edmond and Ruth Hedrick of Danese; brothers, Franklin Morris of Beckley, and Donald Morris and Larry Morris, both of Lynchburg, Va.; and a special niece, Jennifer of Edmond.

Funeral service was Jan. 8 at Wallace & Wallace Funeral Home Chapel in Ansted. Burial followed in Highlawn Memorial Park at Oak Hill.

Arrangements by Wallace & Wallace of Ansted is in charge of the arrangements.



John Hancock Morris

John Hancock Morris, 81, of Elkton, Va., formerly of Oak Hill, died Jan. 11, 2009, at Rockingham Memorial Hospital, Harrisonburg, Va.

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

Arrangements by Tyree Funeral Home, Oak Hill.



Loedda Osborne

Loedda Osborne, 84, of Daniels, formerly of Danese, died Jan. 4, 2009, at Genesis Raleigh Center in Daniels, following a long illness.

Born May 10, 1924, at Danese, she was the daughter of the late Lester and Laura Bare Puckett. She also was preceded in death by her husband, Marion Eugene Osborne, in 2006; a sister, Bertha Hanshew; and brothers, Wesley, Earl, Delmas and Alva Puckett.

She was a graduate of Nuttall High School, and a homemaker.

Mrs. Osborne was the mother of two sons and a grandmother to four grandchildren.

Surviving: sons, Percy Osborne of Daniels and Mark Osborne of Lerona; and grandchildren, Jonathan, Stacy, Christian and Damon.

Service was Jan. 9 at Wallace & Wallace Funeral Chapel in Rainelle, with Pastor Sherman McCombs officiating. Burial followed at Wallace Memorial Cemetery, Clintonville.

Arrangements by Wallace & Wallace of Rainelle.



Charles Coleman Parks

Charles Coleman Parks, 59, of Clifton Forge, Va., died peacefully in his sleep Dec. 28, 2008, after a long battle with cancer.

Born Oct. 29, 1949, in Ritchie County, he was the son of the late W.T. and Carrie Parks. He also was preceded in death by brothers, Don Parks, William Parks and Jim Parks.

Mr. Parks was the general manager of Best Western, Compare Inn and American Best Value Inn for 19 years in Covington, Va. He was a former superintendent for the West Virginia Department of Tourism Division of Parks for 18 years.

He was a faithful member of New Hope Baptist Church in Covington.

Surviving: his loving wife of 21 years, Kay; daughters, Laura Dempsey and husband Ron of Clifton Forge, Shelia Martin and husband Larry of Beckley, Sherry Parks of Charleston, Ellen “Sissy” Baker and husband Jimmy of Covington; sons, Charles, Samuel and Nathan Parks, all of Beckley; Cheryl Deacon and husband Mike of Covington; grandchildren, Brandon, Alyssa and Kaitlyn Dempsey, Baylee Huddleston, Jamie, Kristina and Renee Baker, Tommy Wills and wife Ashley, Alyssa and Amy Martin; great-grandchildren, Haley Harmon and J.P. Brewster; brother, Robert Parks and wife Karen of Little Hocking, Ohio; sisters, Loretta Stanley and husband Ed, and Donna Jean Richards and husband Cecil, all of New London, Ohio, Eva Snyder of Beatrice, Virginia Boswell and husband Bill of Stafford, Va., Carolyn Fulper of Beatrice and twin sister Sue Weese and husband Clifford of Harrisville; special nephews, Ed Stanley of Oberlin, Ohio, and Gene Krise of Fayetteville; best friend, Eric Huddleston of Covington; two who were like daughters for many years, Melissa Humphreys and Kristal Mayberry, both of Covington; and numerous loving nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

In keeping with Charlie’s wishes, his body has been cremated. He requested generous donations please be made to the New Hope Baptist Church Building Fund, 1403 S. Dee, Covington, VA 24426.

A celebration of his life was held Dec. 30 in the Arritt Funeral Home Chapel, with the Rev. Jim Menefee officiating.

The online guest book is available at arrittfuneralhome.com.

Arrangements by Arritt Funeral Home.



Julia A. Puckett

Julia Ann Puckett, 68, of Oak Hill, died Jan. 9, 2009, at her residence.

Born Feb. 13, 1940, in Kanawha County, she was the daughter of the late Bruce and Margaret Holdren. She also was preceded in death by her husband, John Puckett Sr., in 1996, and her sister, Vickie Johnston.

Mrs. Puckett was a retired nurse with over 30 years of service. She loved spending time with her family and grandchildren.

Surviving: her son, John William Puckett Jr., and wife, Sue, of Oak Hill; daughters, Jeanetta Murphy of Oak Hill and Rose Morton of Fayetteville; a brother, Larry Holdren of Michigan; sisters, Pennie Whitten of Charlton Heights and Cindy Browning of Ocala, Fla.; and grandchildren, John Puckett III and his wife, Felicia, Jessi Morton, James Murphy, and Dylan Morton.

Funeral services were Jan. 12 at Dodd-Payne-Hess Funeral Home Chapel, Fayetteville, with Pastor Jerry Bush officiating. Burial followed at High Lawn Memorial Park, Oak Hill.

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

Arrangements by Dodd-Payne-Hess Funeral Home, Fayetteville.



Pauline C. Ramey

Pauline C. Ramey, 76, of Mount Hope, died Jan. 10, 2009, at Sunbridge Pine Lodge, where she was a patient for 13 years.

Born May 29, 1932, at Clifftop, she was the daughter of the late Clarence and Bessie Parrish Coy. She also was preceded in death by a sister, Betty Jo Ramplewich, and a brother, Clarence R. Coy.

Mrs. Ramey was a disabled office manager for Tamroy Mining Inc. and was formerly employed by the Bank of Mount Hope and New River Banking and Trust in Oak Hill.

She was a member of the Mt. Hope Baptist Temple.

Surviving: her husband of 56 years, William B. Ramey of Mount Hope; a son, William Bruce Ramey and wife Rita of Cool Ridge; grandchildren, Shannon E. Ramey and William Benjamin Ramey, both of Cool Ridge; a brother, Frank Coy of Scarbro; a sister, Wanda Pennington of Oak Hill; and 32 nieces and nephews.

Services were Jan. 12 at Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens Chapel of Peace at Prosperity, with Rev. Randall Smithson officiating. Entombment followed in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Mausoleum, Prosperity.

Donations of sympathy may be made to Multiple Sclerosis Society, All American Chapter, WV Office, #2 Players Club Drive, Suite 104, Charleston, WV 25311.

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

Arrangements by Tyree Funeral Home of Mount Hope.



Benjamin Thomas Settle Jr.

Benjamin Thomas Settle Jr., 88, formerly of Layland, Maplewood, Beckley and Charleston, died Jan 5, 2009, in Sarasota, Fla., following an extended illness.

Born Aug. 23, 1920, in Thayer, he was the son of Benjamin T. and Ethel Morton Settle. He also was preceded in death by sisters, Virginia M. Skaggs of Beaver, and Dorothy J. McCutcheon of Tarpon Springs, Fla.; and a brother, John M. Settle of Fort Wayne, Ind.

He graduated from Nuttall High School in 1937, attended Beckley College and graduated from Funeral and Embalming College in Chicago, Ill. He was a funeral director and embalmer for Toale Brothers Funeral Home in Sarasota, Fla., for several years, retiring in 2002.

He served in World War II, from 1942-1945, as a U.S. Army paratrooper in France.

He was a member of the Sarasota Masonic Lodge, 32nd degree Mason, Shriners since 1965, Scottish Rites in Tampa, Sahib Shrine Temple, Oriental Guide Ritual Unit, Secretary Corvette Unit, Ambassador of Ambassador Unit, Ky., Col. of Ky. Col. Unit and a member of the Jesters.

Surviving: his wife, Ruth Ellen Settle; his son, Carl E. Settle and wife Nancy of Fort Worth, Texas, four grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren in Texas; stepson, Peter Viergever and his wife, Rita, of Howell, Mich., stepdaughter, Susan Shea and husband Tim of Beverly Hills, Mich., five stepgrandchildren in Michigan, sisters, Nina Neff of Cross Lanes, and Lucille Campbell and husband Kenneth of Springfield, Ohio, sister-in-law, Joan Settle of Fort Wayne, Ind., brother-in-law, Garland McCutcheon of Lookout; and many nieces and nephews.

Memorial service was Jan. 8 in Sarasota, at St. Paul Lutheran Church. Burial will be in Sioux City, Iowa, at a later date.

Arrangements by Brown Funeral Home, Bradenton, Fla.



Eula Jane Stover

Eula Jane Stover, 74, died following a long illness on Jan. 7, 2009, at the home of her son and daughter-in-law, with whom she had made her home for several years in Belington.

Born Nov. 14, 1934, in Ameagle, she was a daughter of the late Buster and Clohea Dickerson. She also was preceded in death by her husband, Albert Ray Stover, in 1989, and her special friend, James Epperly from Cabin Creek, in 2008.

She was originally from Cabin Creek and Colcord. She was a longtime member of Colcord Presbyterian Church and a member of the choir. She also taught Sunday school there for many years.

Surviving: a son, Victor Stover and his wife, Dee, of Belington; grandsons, Russell Stover and Brian Stover and his wife, Sherry; great-granddaughter, Marlee Stover, all of Belington; sisters, Arbutus Wriston and her husband, Glenn, of Scarbro, and Marilyn Gay Wright and her husband, Bill, of Chelyan; several nieces and nephews, and several great-nieces and great-nephews along with several friends.

Graveside services were Jan. 10 at the Estep Cemetery, Ameagle. Burial followed in Estep Cemetery at Ameagle.

The family requests that donations be made to Mountain Hospice Inc., 1600 Crim Ave., Belington, WV 26250.

Arrangements by Armstrong Funeral Home, Whitesville.



Derril D. Thomas

Derril D. Thomas of Sullivan, Mo., a native of Hico, died at his home on Jan. 4, 2009, at the age of 80 years, six months and four days.

Born June 30, 1928, at Hico, he was one of six children born to Russell and Vesta (Paxton) Thomas. Along with his parents, Derril was preceded in death by brothers, Garland, Keith and Lowell Thomas.

On Sept. 1, 1950, Mr. Thomas was united in marriage to Betty Johnson at Kingston.

He was employed as a supervisor at the McLouth Steel Corporation and retired from there after 29 years of service. Derril and Betty later made their home in Sullivan, Mo., where he enjoyed car shows and would often display his 1964 Ford Mustang and 1961 Ford Starliner.

He loved his church and was a member of New Testament Baptist Church for 24 years. Derril loved camping and gospel singing, but his greatest enjoyment was his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Surviving: his wife, Betty, of the family home; sons, Gerald Thomas and his significant other, Nettie McIntosh, both of Monroe, Mich., Russell Thomas and wife Vicki of Washington, Mich.; daughter, Cheryl McIntyre of Monroe; brother, Kyle Thomas of Malvern, Ark.; sister, Kate Harrah of Summersville; a brother-in-law, Donald Johnson and wife Brenda of Ellabell, Ga.; and a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Funeral service was Jan. 8, at Wallace & Wallace Funeral Home Chapel in Ansted with the Rev. Gary Harrah officiating. Burial followed in Restlawn Memory Gardens at Victor.

Arrangements by Wallace & Wallace, Ansted.