Raymond Erick Adams

Raymond Erick Adams, 69, of Mount Hope, died Jan. 6, 2012.

Arrangements are pending completion at the Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, 1901 S. Kanawha St., Beckley.



Adrian Paul Angelona

Adrian Paul Angelona, 37, of Fayetteville, died Jan. 22, 2012, at his home.

Born Dec. 27, 1974, in Warren, Ohio, he was the son of Tony Angelona of Warren, and Kay Sorrell Angelona of Oak Hill, and stepson of Rebecca Angelona.

A brother, Tony Angelona, preceded him in death.

He was a machinist for Datamatic.

Surviving, in addition to his parents: a daughter, Shyan Kay Angelona of Warren, Ohio.

Funeral services will be Thursday, Jan. 26 at 10 a.m. at Tyree Funeral Home in Oak Hill with Pastor Robert Morey officiating. Burial will be at Restlawn Memory Gardens, Ansted.

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

Arrangements by Tyree Funeral Home, Oak Hill.



Curtis Raywood Bowles Sr.

Curtis Raywood Bowles Sr., 64, of Powhatan, Va., formerly of Meadow Bridge, died Jan. 21, 2012, in the St. Francis Medical Center in Chesterfield, Va.

Born Feb. 22, 1947, on Hump Mountain, he was the son of the late Orville and Lucy Bowles.

Curtis was a retired carpenter and served in the United States Army.

Surviving: his wife, June Simms Bowles; daughter, Reba Christine Bowles; sons, Curtis Raywood Bowles II, Kevin Lawrence Bowles, and Steven Young Bowles, all of Powhatan; sister, Lucy McClanahan and husband Howard of Meadow Bridge; niece, Melinda Burdette of Meadow Bridge; great-nephew, Patrick Young Day of Meadow Bridge; a special friend, Lanny Martin of Powhatan; a special cousin, Janet Adkins and husband Dickie of Powhatan; and his best buddy, Rufus.

Services were Jan. 25 at Smathers Funeral Chapel with Pastor Sebby Volpe officiating. Burial followed in the Bowles Family Cemetery on Hump Mountain.

Arrangements by Smathers Funeral Chapel, Rainelle.



Mary Louise Corley

Mary Louise Garrett Corley, 90, of Fayetteville, died Jan. 22, 2012, at The Summit at Hidden Valley in Oak Hill.

Born Sept. 4, 1921, at Camden-On-Gauley, she was the daughter of the late Remington Earl “Jack” and Mariah Estel Callahan Garrett. She also was preceded in death by her husband, Denver Page Corley, in 1974; three brothers; and five sisters.

Mary was a member of Fayetteville United Methodist Church.

She was a retired Fayetteville Elementary School secretary, a member of the Order of Eastern Star at Mt. Hope, the Garden Club, and the Red Hat Society.

Surviving: her sons, James E. Corley and wife Marie of Prattville, Ala., and Denver L. Corley and wife Emily of Hillsborough, N.C.; grandchildren, Bill Corley of Fayetteville, Amy Daniel of Hillsborough, James Earl Corley Jr. of Honolulu, Hawaii, and MaryAnn Gay of Jasper, Ala.; 11 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; and a host of other family and friends.

Funeral services were Jan. 24 at Dodd-Payne-Hess Funeral Home in Fayetteville with Rev. David Sneed officiating. Interment followed at Huse Memorial Park in Fayetteville.

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

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



Christine Gibson

Christine Gibson, 58, of Pax, died Jan. 22, 2012.

Arrangements are pending completion at the Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Beckley.



Nellie Marie Edwards Humphrey

Nellie Marie Edwards Humphrey, 76, of Mount Hope, died Jan. 23, 2012, at Bowers Hospice House in Beckley.

Born Oct. 22, 1935, at Kingston, she was the daughter of the late James and Eva Davis Edwards. She also was preceded in death by her son, James “Jackie” Humphrey Jr.; her husband, James “Jack” Humphrey; brothers, Henry, Harry, Hershel, Howard and Herbert Edwards; and sisters, Martha Acord, Mary Ralston, and Margaret Hornsby.

She retired as admissions clerk from Beckley Appalachian Regional Hospital after 20 years of service and previously worked at Beckley Manufacturing Co. for 13 years.

Nellie attended the Church of God for many years.

Surviving: her daughter, Debra “Debbie” Blake and her husband, Bill; granddaughters, Stephanie Simmons and her husband, Terry, and LeAnn Blake; great-granddaughters, Jacquelyn and Kaitlyn Simmons; a great-grandson due in April, Samuel Wayne; and a brother, Harvey Edwards.

Services were Jan. 25 at Tyree Funeral Home, Mount Hope, with Minister Ken Overdorf and Minister Terry Simmons officiating. Burial followed in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Prosperity.

Donations of sympathy may be made in her memory to Bowers Hospice House, 454 Cranberry Drive, Beckley, WV 25801.

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

Arrangements by Tyree Funeral Home, Mount Hope.



Mary Kathryn Ayres Jacobs

Mary Kathryn Ayres Jacobs of Fayetteville, widow of James Noel Jacobs, was born May 16, 1913, in Charleston, and passed away on Dec. 23, 2011, in the same city.

Kathryn lived most of her life in Fayetteville.

She received her teaching certification from Marshall College and taught in Fayette County, beginning her career in a one-room schoolhouse. She retired in 1978.

Sewing was her lifelong hobby. She could design and create many items using a needle and thread and was an accomplished seamstress.

She was a member of the Fayetteville United Methodist Church and various education-related organizations.

Kathryn was predeceased by her husband and is survived by her daughters, Kathryn Jacobs Wendell and her husband, Charles Houston, and Mary Jacobs Gagnon and her husband, Jeremiah Lee. Her survivors also include grandchildren, Richard Preston Wendell and his wife, Sarah Dixon, Charles Stephen Wendell and his wife, Cabell Belk, Maureen Alexandra Gagnon, Gemarie Kathleen Gagnon and Emerson Jacob Gagnon; and one great-grandson, Houston Taylor Wendell, as well as several nieces and nephews.

Her funeral services were held Dec. 27 at the Fayetteville United Methodist Church with the Rev. Clare Sulgit-Horn officiating. Burial will be at a later date.

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



James Eugene ‘Jim’ Miller

James Eugene “Jim” Miller, 63, of Oak Hill, died Jan. 18, 2012, at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Beckley, of pancreatic cancer.

Born Oct. 7, 1948, at Oak Hill, he was the youngest son of Mark and Frances Gill Miller of Oak Hill.

A Vietnam War veteran, he had proudly served in the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Eleven.

He was a 1967 graduate of Collins High School in Oak Hill and went on to graduate from the Nashville Auto and Diesel College. He worked as a heavy equipment mechanic for over 35 years.

Jim was a lovely man, who was a provider, a hero, a soldier, had a heart full of love and a never-failing sense of humor. He will be missed by all who knew him.

Surviving, in addition to his parents: his wife, Janet Legg Miller; children, Sam Miller and Lesley Miller, both of Oak Hill, and Candice Miller of San Francisco; and grandchildren, Garrett and Jayna Vargo and Hunter Miller.

Funeral services were Jan. 21 at Tyree Funeral Home, Oak Hill, with Rev. Artie Campbell officiating. Burial was at Gethsemane Memorial Gardens, Oak Hill, with military graveside rites by Oak Hill VFW Post #3110.

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

Arrangements by Tyree Funeral Home, Oak Hill.



Mary Lou Smith  Myers

Mary Lou Smith Myers, 74, of Kincaid, died Jan. 22, 2012.

Arrangements by Tyree Funeral Home, Oak Hill.



Chandler Jonah Phillips

Chandler Jonah Phillips, 91, of Oak Hill, died Jan. 22, 2012, at Beckley Appalachian Regional Hospital.

Born Jan. 19, 1921, at Wriston, he was the son of the late Lilburn and Ida Arthur Phillips. He also was preceded in death by his wife, Kathleen Wolfe Phillips; a son, Charlie Bill Phillips; a daughter, Mary Fisher; and brothers and sisters, Charlie Phillips, Donnie Phillips, Lloyd Philips, Jessie Klosski, and Blanche Light.

Chandler was a former miner, timber man and blacksmith/farrier.

Surviving: his son and daughters, Cathleen Madden of Hickory, N.C., Chandler Bud Phillips of Oak Hill, Dreama Ann Campbell of Scarbro, Louise Southall of Wriston, and Alice Adkins of Webster Spring; 31 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.

Funeral services were Jan. 25, 2012, at the Tyree Funeral Home, Oak Hill, with Rev. Ronnie Persinger officiating. Burial followed in the Phillips Cemetery at Wriston.

The family requests that memorial donations be made to the American Heart Association, 162 Court Street, Charleston, WV 25301.

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

Arrangements by Tyree Funeral Home, Oak Hill.



Van Erskin Redden

Van Erskin Redden, 74, a resident of Brunswick, Ga., died Jan. 20, 2012, in the Southeast Georgia Health System Hospital, Brunswick Campus.

Mr. Redden was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Bertha Redden, and two brothers, Charles C. Redden Jr. and Kirby C. Redden.

Mr. Redden was a native of Meadow Bridge, and had been a resident of Brunswick for the past 3 1/2 years.

He was a graduate of the Meadow Bridge High School and was retired from the Department of Highways for West Virginia as a project engineer.

Surviving: his wife of 46 years, Darlene “Dolly” Redden of Brunswick; his daughter, Wendy Leigh Kendall and her husband, Kevin, of Blacksburg, Va.; his son, Van E. Redden Jr. and his wife, Christina, of Brunswick; his grandchildren, Kevin Kendall Jr., Corey Kendall, Ashley Kendall, all of Blacksburg, Va., and Jack Redden and Tess Redden, both of Brunswick; brothers, Kenneth Redden of Indiana and Charles Jack Redden of West Virginia; sisters, Marcella J. Meadows, Rosa L. Holliday and Brenda K. Barnett, all of West Virginia; and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services were Jan. 24 in the Chapel of the Edo Miller and Sons Funeral Home in Brunswick, with Rev. Darrell Joiner officiating. Interment followed in Palmetto Cemetery with military honors at graveside.

Arrangements by Edo Miller and Sons Funeral Home.



Vivian Lorraine Rice

Vivian Lorraine Rice died Jan. 21, 2012.

Born Aug. 20, 1923, in Kilsyth, she was the youngest child of the late Claude Huston Crawford and Rebecca Edith Shanks Crawford. She also was preceded in death by her sisters, Gladys Crawford Warden and Violet Crawford Reed, with whom she grew up with in Mt. Hope; and her husband and singing partner, Thomas Edward Rice.

Known as Nanny to everyone she met, she was the matriarch of the Rice Family Singers.

She graduated from Mt. Hope High School and soon after married Thomas Edward Rice from Tennessee, “the best lookin’ boy” she had ever seen, on Dec. 6, 1941 — the day before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. She was often heard saying, “Nobody loved each other as much as we did.” Tom was often heard to say, “Two great wars started that week!”

One of her greatest joys in life was spending time with her grandchildren playing, shopping, and traveling with them. She began teaching them to sing and pray as early as two years old. Nanny has left to them a legacy of a love of music and serving the Lord. She often said, “God doesn’t want your junk — he wants your best” in trying to encourage them to make a joyful noise to the Lord. Nanny loved her grandchildren, “her babies,” very much and spent as much time as she could with them.

Nanny’s goal was to live a life that was pleasing to God. She spent her time praying and ministering to others in churches, nursing homes, and jails in Virginia and West Virginia. She would sing and she spoke to everyone she met of the love of the Lord and how he had blessed her life.

During the 1960s The Rice Family Singers (Vivian, Tom and their three children) were responsible for two television programs on WYAH Channel 27, the Christian Broadcast Network in Portsmouth, Va. The “Sunshine Hour” was focused on providing encouragement to Christians and aired on Sundays after church and included music and testimonies from the family and prayer requests from the public. The “Prodigal,” focusing on salvation of lost souls, aired every Saturday evening at 7 p.m. and included songs and testimonies about conversion and salvation.

In the 1970s the family ministered in churches, nursing homes and jails primarily in West Virginia. They were on the radio stations WMTD in Hinton and WBKW in Beckley. These programs focused on encouraging Christians and included songs, testimonies and prayer requests. When the children had left home, she and Tom continued to minister in churches, nursing homes and jails until his death in 1982. Nanny continued to visit nursing homes with her friends and testified and sang for the residents. When she could no longer drive, she began a ministry in her home of praying for and sending cards and notes to those who were ill or needed encouragement.

She has been a devoted and very active member of War Ridge Free Will Baptist Church in Wayside  since 1969. In addition to her church and ministry activities, she enjoyed life and wanted to live it fully. In her 70s she began taking piano lessons and Bible college courses from Liberty University as well as learning how to use a computer.

Vivian “Nanny” Rice was loved and respected by all who knew her. Her family and friends will miss her greatly but are confident she is in heaven with her beloved Tom and her savior Jesus Christ.

Surviving: her children and their spouses, Judy and Rickey Ray of Virginia Beach, Va., Connie and Mike Rodas of Wayside, and Tom and Shelia Rice of Christiansburg, Va.; grandchildren, Jennifer and Bill Pinto of Smyrna, Ga., Rebecca and Randy Fox of Talcott, Angela and Brandon Hodges of Willis, Va., Cameron Rice and Samantha Rice, both of Christiansburg, Va., Debra and Kevin Daugherty and Mark and Evelyn Call; and great-grandchildren, Keegan Pinto of Smyrna, Ga., Zachariah Thomas Hodges of Willis, Va., Ella Lorraine Hodges (Nanny’s namesake) of Willis, Va., and Jesse Call.

The funeral was Jan. 25 at War Ridge Free Will Baptist Church in Wayside. Interment followed at the Oak Grove Cemetery in Ballengee.

Please make memorial donations in Vivian Rice’s name to the Bowers Hospice House, 454 Cranberry Drive, Beckley, WV 25801.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.ronaldmeadowsfp.com.

Arrangements are by the Ronald Meadows Funeral Parlors of Hinton.



James Roseblock

James Roseblock, 83, of Dothan, died Jan. 19, 2012, at Plateau Medical Center.

Born Nov. 27, 1928, at Hico, he was the son of the late George Roseblock and Ida Elsie Martin Roseblock.

Jimmy worked for the Wallace & Wallace Car Wash for many years.

In 1977 he married the love of his life, Elizabeth Dravenstott; together they loved to take day trips in their car to estate and yard sales. Jimmy loved relaxing to music in his garage restoring items they would find on their day trips, and Jimmy loved his cats, which he missed greatly during his stay at Fayette Continuous Care. For the past two years Jimmy sacrificed his time and health taking care of his wife Elizabeth, whom he loved unconditionally; he even moved into the nursing home to be with and help take care of her. On Nov. 4, 2011, his beloved Elizabeth passed away.

Jimmy had two sisters, Georgia Huggins and Anna Mae Gunnoe.

Surviving: his children, Elizabeth Sue Twohy and husband Tim of Wasilla, Ark., Shirley Terrell-Sullivan and husband Bobby of Rex, Ga., Wayne Settle and wife Sharon of Akron, Ohio, and Ronald Settle of Roanoke, Va.; 10 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren; and friends and neighbors from the Dothan community.

Funeral service was Jan. 24 at High Lawn Funeral Home Chapel, Oak Hill, with Rev. James Johnson officiating. Entombment followed in High Lawn Memorial Park.

Condolences may be sent at www.highlawnfuneralhomechapel.com.

Arrangements by High Lawn Funeral Home Chapel, Oak Hill.



Carl E. Shumaker

Carl Edward Shumaker, 88, of Fayetteville, died Jan. 22, 2012, at Plateau Medical Center at Oak Hill.   

Born July 31, 1923, at Fayetteville, he was the son of the late Ira and Catherine Elizabeth Henley Shumaker. He also was preceded in death by his brothers, George and Fred Shumaker.

Mr. Shumaker was a member of Fayetteville First Church of God.

He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He was a retired custodian at the Fayette Plateau Vo-Tech Center in Oak Hill.

Surviving: his wife, Betty Burgess Shumaker of Fayetteville; children, Jackie Shumaker and wife Regina of Covington, Va., Charles Shumaker and wife Lana, and Gaylord Shumaker and wife Suzann, all of Fayetteville, Gregg Shumaker and wife Suzanne of Clinton, N.C., Debbie Rothwell of Oak Hill, and Charlie Shumaker and wife Sherry of Fayetteville; brother, Ray Shumaker and wife Shirley of Ravenswood; sisters, Imogene Hambrick and husband John of Ripley and Iris Capelety of Elyria, Ohio; nine grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.

Graveside services were Jan. 24 at Huse Memorial Park, Fayetteville, with Pastor Russell Hays officiating. Burial followed at Huse Memorial Park, Fayetteville.

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

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



Joe Simms

Joe Simms, 67, of Hundley Road, Clintonville, died Jan. 18, 2012, at Greenbrier Valley Medical Center, Ronceverte, following a short illness.

Born March 15, 1944, at Springdale, he was the son of the late Joseph Ray and Althea L. Ford Simms. He also was preceded in death by a brother, Douglas Simms; sisters, Cheryl Sparks and Patricia Simms; and grandchildren, Jennifer Michelle Sims and Joseph Murphy Sims.

Joe loved all animals, but especially birds and chickens. He also enjoyed hunting and fishing.

Joe had served in the National Guard, and was a former auto mechanic at a Chevrolet factory in Michigan.

Surviving: his wife, Connie Lee Neil Simms of Clintonville, to whom he would have been married 46 years on Feb. 5; daughters, Tamala Gipson (Timothy) of Meadow Bridge, Amy Bennett (William) of Nettie, and Johanna Simms of Rupert; sons, Scott Sims (Connie) of Lewisburg, Jason Simms of Quinwood, Joshua Simms (Kim) of Clintonville, and Gerald Simms of Quinwood; sisters, Sharon Lepley of Daniels, Kathy Cales (Otis) of Smoot, Judi Feazell of Fayetteville, and Betty Plumley (Richard) of Meadow Bridge;  brothers, Forrest “Doogie” Simms (Cindy) of Woodbridge, Va., Kevin Simms (Lucinda) of Rainelle, and Tony Simms of Beckley; brothers-in-law, Roger Sparks of Clintonville, and Homer Neil of Lewisburg; 18 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren, all of whom he loved dearly.

Services were Jan. 21 at Wallace and Wallace Chapel in Rainelle with Pastor Otis Cales officiating. Burial followed at Wickline Cemetery of Meadow Bridge.

Arrangements by Wallace & Wallace of Rainelle.



Caroline Smathers

Caroline Smathers, 78, of Hilltop, died Jan. 20, 2012, at Hilltop Center.

Born April 4, 1933, at Milburn, she was the daughter of the late Theron Jarrett Sr. and Mary Drain Jarrett. She also was preceded in death by her husband, Ernest Smathers, in 1992; sisters, Lenore Treadway, and Pauline Workman; and brothers, Jack Jarrett, Theron Jarrett Jr. and Cecil Jarrett.

Caroline was a homemaker and of the Nazarene faith.

Surviving: sister, Shirley Blethen; brothers, Donnie Jarrett, Jim Jarrett, and Bennie Jarrett; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral service was Jan. 22 at High Lawn Funeral Home Chapel, Oak Hill, with Rev. James Johnson officiating. Entombment followed in High Lawn Memorial Park.

Condolences may be sent at www.highlawnfuneralhomechapel.com.

Arrangements by High Lawn Funeral Home Chapel, Oak Hill.



Margaret Pauline Rice Toney

Margaret Pauline Rice Toney, 87, of Lookout, died Jan. 16, 2012, at Plateau Medical Center in Oak Hill.

Born June 9, 1924, in Layland, she was the daughter of the late Wilbur Clayton and Edna Grimmett Rice. She also was preceded in death by three brothers and four sisters; and her husband, William (Bill) Toney, in 2002.

Mrs. Toney graduated from Morris Harvey College in 1967 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. She was a school teacher with the Fayette County School system for 24 years.

She was also a member of the Lookout Baptist Church.

Surviving: her daughters, Carol (Richard) Jannace of Oakton, Va., and June (Rodney) Pompei of Laurel, Md.; son, Bill (Sandra) Toney Jr. of Danese; grandchildren, Jeremy Toney of Rainelle, Jennifer Rodriguez of Centreville, Va., Joseph Toney of St. Clairsville, Ohio, Amy Webb of Daniels, and Kyle Pompei of Laurel, Md.; great-grandchildren, Hannah Toney, Jackson Rodriguez, Jillian Webb and Hayley Toney; a sister, Bernice Sowers of Morgantown; and sisters-in-law, Sara DeHart of MacArthur and Bertha Rice of Danese.

Service was Jan. 23, at the Lookout Baptist Church at Lookout, with the Rev. David Bennett officiating. Burial followed in Restlawn Memory Gardens at Victor.

Arrangements by Wallace & Wallace Funeral Home, Ansted.



Thena Phylliss Wilborne

Ms. Thena Phylliss Wilborne, 49, of Long Beach, Calif., formerly of Greentown, died Jan. 8, 2012, after a short illness.

Born Jan. 16, 1962, in Manhattan, N.Y., she was the daughter of the late Aaron Leroy and Phyllis Yvonne Harrison Wilborne. Experiencing the loss of her mother at an early age, she was raised by her loving grandmother, the late Claire Belle Saunders. Thena also was preceded in death by her grandfather, Temious Harrison; sister, Emerald Wilborne-Romero; and brother-cousin, Gordon Harrison.

Thena grew up as an active member of First Baptist Church of Greentown, Greentown, under the leadership of Rev. James Youngblood. She later joined and served at Calvary Baptist Church, Pacoima, Calif., under the leadership of Apostle William T. Broadous Sr.

She developed a love for music at a young age. As she attended middle school, she pursued her love for the language of music by becoming a first chair saxophonist. She thrived as an ambitious student and graduated from Oak Hill High School, Oak Hill. Although she was firmly instructed by her dear grandmother to attend college and major in business at Marshall University, Huntington, with her sense of wit, she could resist the temptation of having a double major. One would be “PARTYING.”

Thena later relocated to the west coast, where she resided in Long Beach. She worked at several businesses in the Valley as general manager — Circuit City, CVS Pharmacy, and FedEx/Kinko.

Thena’s heart was centered on her family and she forever cherished the bond she had with her sisters and brother as her best friends. With her motherly instinct, she loved and cared for her special niece, Tamika Reneé Wilborne, and her special nephew, Eric Von Bolland, as if they were her own. She was known for her kind heart and was a true friend to many.

She lived her life with a free-spirited nature.

Surviving: siblings, Marilyn Wilborne Bolland of Long Beach, Calif., Aaron Wilborne of Delaware, and Annette Wilborne of Charleston; nieces, Tamika, Octavia, Erin, and Quitta; nephew, Eric; great-nieces, Amya, Antionette, and Ayanna; great-nephews, Elijah and Josiah; beloved aunts and uncles, Alder Allen, LeeAnna Alexander, Temious Harrison and Richard Harrison; brother-cousins, John Harrison, Steven Allen, James Allen (Patty), Ellwood Allen (Debra), Davis Allen (Gloria), and Temious Allen (Treasa); sister-cousins, Tracy Swafford (Calvin) and Angela Alexander; brother-in-law, Robert Romero; special friends, Lexi, Pam, Phyllis, Laura M., Verlinda, and John; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Memorial service was held Jan. 21 at First Baptist Church of Greentown, Greentown, with Bishop David F. Allen officiating.

Submitted by Ritchie and Johnson Funeral Parlor, Beckley.