NORTON, VA - Mary Lou Burton, 72,
died Friday, February 21, 2014 at her home on Thacker’s Branch Road in
Norton. Born to Tilford Francis and
Vesta Mae Larue Caudill, she was the last of her generation that included 6
brothers and sisters. She was the widow
of Isaac “Ike” Burton and was also preceded in death by a son, Joseph Anthony
Caudill. Mary Lou attended the Freedom
of Worship Church.
Surviving are her daughter,
Teresa Caudill, Bluefield, WV, her grandchildren, William Anthony Thacker and
Jennifer Nicole Thacker, her sister-in-law, Shirley Caudill, and several nieces
and nephews, and a host of friends and church family.
The family will receive friends
from 5-7 PM Sunday at the Hagy & Fawbush Funeral Home in Norton. Funeral services will be at 7 PM in the
funeral home chapel, with the Reverend Robbie Fultz officiating. Family and friends will gather Monday at
10:30 AM at the funeral home where they then will travel in procession to the
White Oak Gap Cemetery on Thacker’s Branch for burial.
JOHN JUNIOR BLEDSOE
NORTON, VA - John
Junior Bledsoe, 87, died Thursday, February 20, 2014 at Mountain View Regional
Medical Center. Born in Keokee,
Virginia, he was a son of Joseph Harrison Bledsoe and Sarah Elizabeth Stanley
Bledsoe. A US Army World War II veteran,
he served in the European Theatre and was a recipient of the Purple Heart. “Big John” was the retired owner and operator
of Bless Homes Construction of Norton, VA.
He was preceded in death by an infant daughter, Donna Michelle Bledsoe,
his sisters and brother: Madeline Johnson, Helen Mainous, and James Bledsoe;
and a grandson, Jake Bledsoe.
Surviving
are his wife of 68 years, Evelyn Bledsoe, his children: Bill Bledsoe and his
wife, Loretta, Sandra Kay Kash, and John D. Bledsoe; his grandchildren: Shaun
Lockhart, Rhonda Saint, Robbie Kash, Karen Allen, Sarah Elizabeth Bledsoe, and
John Henry Bledsoe; great grandchildren:
Hayden Allen, Isabella Allen, Tristen Kash, Hunter Kash, Aspen Kash, Leo
James Bledsoe, and Cypress Saint, and his sister, Ruby Olivett Dickerson.
The
family will receive friends from 5-7 PM Saturday at the Hagy & Fawbush
Funeral Home in Norton. Funeral services
will be conducted at 7 PM in the funeral home with Pastor Jim Wells
officiating. Family and friends will
gather from 1 – 1:30 PM Sunday at the funeral home where they then will travel
in procession to Powell Valley Memorial Gardens for burial with military honors
provided by the Virginia National Guard and local veteran service
organizations.
JACK DARTER
WISE, VA - Jack Darter, 88, died
Wednesday, February 12, 2014 at Mountain View Regional Medical Center. He was the last of his generation of 12
children born to Russell L. and Ella Miller Darter. Jack was a retired coal miner, and a World War
II veteran of the U.S. Army and also the United States Air Force. His wife, Nerva, preceded him in death in
2012.
Surviving are his daughter, Reba
Darter (Kenneth “Tubby”) Ramey, his
sons: Jackie Darter, “Bo” (Irene) Darter, and Paul Darter, all of Wise; five
grandchildren: Jackie Ramey, Jennifer
Hammonds, Nick Darter, Josh Darter, and Jimmy Darter; several great
grandchildren, and his special friends:
Sandra Sutton, Ed Adkins, Byron Large, Jimmy Combs, Keith McFadden, and
Dennis Lee.
The family will receive friends
from 4-6 PM Friday at the Hagy & Fawbush Funeral Home in Norton. Funeral services will be conducted at 6 PM in
the funeral home chapel, with the Reverend Chad Hall officiating. Family and friends will gather at the funeral
home by 10:30AM Saturday morning, where they then travel in procession to the
Darter Family Cemetery in Wise for burial.
LORI WILLIS-MILLER
NORTON, VA – Lori Leigh
Willis-Miller, 37, died Saturday, Feb. 8, 2014 at her home. She was preceded in
death by her father, Bruce Edwin Willis.
She is survived by her husband,
Randy Miller of Norton, VA; her daughter, Morgan Shull of Big Stone Gap, VA;
her son, Brady Shull of Appalachia, VA; granddaughter, Sophia Raign
McCowan; her mother, Nancy Willis of Appalachia, VA; two brothers, Travis
Willis of Norton, VA, Billy Hylton of Appalachia, VA; a sister, Peyton Hylton
of Appalachia, VA.
The family will receive friends
from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM Thursday at Hagy & Fawbush Funeral Home in Norton.
Funeral services will be conducted at 1:00 PM Thursday in the funeral home
chapel with Rev. Larry Hammonds officiating. Burial will follow in the Calhoun
Family Cemetery.
CONNIE JONES
WISE, VA – Connie Jones, 75, died
Friday, Feb. 7, 2014 at Mountain View Regional Medical Center. She was of the Pentecostal
faith and attended the Lighthouse Church in Wise. She was preceded in death by
a sister, Janice Gillespie and her parents, Clarence Lunsford and Nora Wheatley
Lunsford.
She is survived by her husband of
55 years, Lloyd Jones of Wise, VA; two sons, Allen Jones and his wife Jackie of
Wise, VA, and Chris Jones of Wise, VA; a daughter, Sherrie Jones of Elizabethton,
TN; two grandsons, Darius Jones and his wife Heather of Wise, VA, Aaron Jones
of Roanoke, VA; a great granddaughter, Chloe Rae Jones and a great grandson,
Austin Miller.
The family will receive friends
from 5-7:00 PM Monday at Hagy & Fawbush Funeral Home in Norton. Funeral
services will be conducted at 7:00 PM Monday in the funeral home chapel with
Rev. Roger Barker officiating. Graveside committal services will be conducted
at 11:00 AM Tuesday at Laurel Grove Cemetery in Norton. Family and friends will
gather at the funeral home by 10:30 AM Tuesday to travel in procession to the
cemetery.
BEATRICE LAWSON
NORTON, VA – Beatrice “Ms. Bea” Lawson,
91, died Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2014 at Mountain View Regional Medical Center Long
Term Care. Ms. Bea retired in 2002 with over 28 years of service to the Norton
City School System as a kindergarten aide. She previously worked at Cohen’s
Dept. Store, Jack and Jill Kindergarten and the Aware Daycare Center. She was a
member of the First Church of God in Norton. She was preceded in death her
parents, Nelson James Holbrook and Addie Elizabeth Steffey Holbrook; an infant
sister, Mabel Holbrook; a sister, Viola Holbrook; three brothers, Robert
Holbrook, James Holbrook and N.J. Holbrook, Jr.
She is survived by her husband of
63 years, Freddie G. Lawson, Sr. of Norton, VA; a son and daughter-in-law,
Gerald and Debbie Lawson of Norton, VA; granddaughters, Mary Beth Lawson and Adam
Scott of Richmond, VA, Allyson Stidham and her husband Brad of Christiansburg,
VA; a soon to be great granddaughter, Ava Beatrice Stidham; several nieces and
nephews; sisters-in-law, Madolin Holbrook, Kathleen Bays and Cora Lauderback
and her husband Klyne.
The family will receive friends
from 5-7:00 PM Friday at Hagy & Fawbush Funeral Home. Funeral services will
be conducted at 7:00 PM in the funeral home chapel with Rev. Gwen Owens officiating. Graveside committal services will be conducted at 2:00 PM Saturday
at Temple Hill Memorial Park in Castlewood, VA. Family and friends will meet at
the funeral home by 1:00 PM Saturday to travel in procession to the cemetery.
Memorial contributions for may be
made to aid students with clothing and other needs to the Norton Elementary and
Middle School Indigent Fund, 205 Park Ave NE, Norton, VA 24273-1505.
JOYCE WINSTON
NORTON, VA - Elizabeth Joyce
Robinson Winston died at home on February 2, 2014, at the age of 89. She was
preceded in death by her husband, Judge Robert T. Winston, Jr., and her
siblings James W. Robinson and Clayetta Robinson Gascoigne.
Born
in Jenkins, Kentucky, and raised in Pound,Virginia, Mrs. Winston was a resident
of Norton for over six decades. She was one of two women in her class at the
Medical College of Virginia, where she received a B.S. in Pharmacy in 1945. She
practiced pharmacy while raising three daughters, beginning her career at the
Norton Pharmacy and working for many years at St. Mary’s Hospital and Wise
Appalachian Regional Hospital.
Mrs.
Winston was a civic leader, serving on the board of Pro-Art and belonging to
the Wise County chapter of the American Association of University Women. She
was an energetic member of All Saints Episcopal Church, where she served on the
Vestry and was Senior Warden. She
belonged to the Women of the Church and worked on the Altar Guild. She gave
generously of her time to the University of Virginia’s College at Wise and was
supportive of the college through a scholarship she established in memory of
her husband. She was a member of the Texas Club. With her husband and siblings,
she was active in Democratic Party politics. Mrs. Winston loved gardening,
cooking, reading, and playing bridge. In
her retirement she became a world traveler.
Mrs.
Winston is survived by her daughters: Julia Robinson Winston (Larry Tapper) of
Big Stone Gap, McKey Winston Berkman (James) of Boston, Massachusetts, and
Martha Leigh Winston of Stamford, Connecticut; four grandchildren, Philip,
Elinor, Winston, and Claire Berkman; her sister Faye Robinson Barker of Pound
and ten nieces and nephews.
The
family will receive visitors at the Hagy & Fawbush Funeral Home, 956 Park
Avenue, Norton, Virginia from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, February 7th. The funeral
service will be held at All Saints Episcopal Church in Norton on Saturday,
February 8th at 11:00 a.m. with The Reverend Robert Beauchamp officiating,
assisted by The Reverend Preston Mitchell, Deacon. Burial will follow on
Sunday, February 9th at 2:00 p.m. at “Blenheim,” the Winston family cemetery in
Hanover Court House, Virginia.
Memorial
contributions may be made to All Saints Episcopal Church, the University of
Virginia’s College at Wise (the Robert T. Winston, Jr. and Joyce R. Winston
Scholarship Fund), Mountain Empire Community College (the James W. Robinson
Scholarship Fund), or Mountain Empire Older Citizens.
