Bristol, Virginia, Obituaries: Bristol Herald Courier, April 20, 2003 Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Bristol Herald Courier http://www.bristolnews.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=TRI/Page/TRI_FrontPage ==================================================================== Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ==================================================================== Bristol Herald Courier Sunday, April 20, 2003 H. Marie Aldridge BLUFF CITY -- Hattie Marie Aldridge, 83, of 404 Pine Ridge, died Friday, April 18, 2003, at the home of her daughter. Mrs. Aldridge was born June 20, 1919. She was a member of numerous Baptist churches pastored by her husband, Rev. Roger Aldridge, who preceded her in death. Survivors include one daughter, Treva Lady and husband Don of Bluff City; and three sons, Windell Aldridge and wife Linda and Wayne Aldridge and wife Deb, all of Bristol Virginia, and Perry Aldridge and wife Mary Ann of Bristol Tennessee. Also surviving are five grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild. Funeral services will be conducted at 8 p.m. Sunday, April 20, 2003, in Akard Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Les Ketron officiating. Graveside services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Monday, April 21, 2003, in Glenwood Cemetery. Honorary pallbearers will be members of State Line Baptist Church, Laurel Bloomery, Tenn., and Central Baptist Church of Cleveland, Va. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday prior to the service. E-mail condolences may be sent to the family of Mrs. Aldridge at akardfh@peercom.net. Akard Funeral Home is serving the family of Mrs. Aldridge. Ernest Jackson Bise GLADE SPRING -- Mr. Ernest J. Bise, 71, died Saturday, April 19, 2003, in the Wellmont Bristol Medical Center. He was retired from Moss Trucking Co. He received Driver of the Year in 1970 and 1971. He was a member of Glade Spring Church of God of Prophecy. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ballard and Lillian Bise; four stepsons, Robert Brooks, Charles Brooks, R.D. Brooks and Jim Brooks. Survivors: two sons, Ronald Bise and wife Ruth Ann, Glade Spring and Jackie Bise and wife Mary Ann, Meadowview; stepdaughter, Louise Kelly and husband Richard, Kingsport; two brothers, Rudy Bise and wife Charlotte, Glade Spring and Marvin Phipps and wife Elaine, Clarksville, Va.; two granddaughters, Johnna Bise and Lindsay Bise; his fiancee and care giver, Cecile Eddy, Glade Spring; his former wife, Ethel Bise, Valley Health Care Center; several step-grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 22, 2003, at the Church of God of Prophecy with the Rev. Geary Jonas officiating. Interment will follow at Mount Rose Cemetery in Glade Spring. The family will receive friends from 7 until 9 p.m. Monday evening at the Church of God of Prophecy in Glade Spring. D.R. Henderson Funeral Home of Saltville is serving the Bise family. Holly Coe STAUNTON, Va. -- Funeral services for Holly Coe will be conducted at 11 a.m. Monday from the Clintwood Baptist Church with Rev. Allen Bonnell officiating. Burial will follow in the Phipps Memorial Cemetery, Clintwood. The family will receive friends from 7-9 p.m. Sunday at the Clintwood Funeral Home. Deacons of the Clintwood Baptist Church will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Bill Deel, Ronald Shortt and Marshall Hughes. Additional memorial services will be conducted from the First Church of God in Christ, Staunton, Friday, April 25, 2003, at 1 p.m. with Elder Joseph Pride and others officiating. The family suggests in lieu of flowers, please make a memorial contribution to the First Church of God in Christ, 864 Middlebrook Ave., Staunton, VA 24401 or a memorial contribution to Clintwood Baptist Church, Box 710, Clintwood, VA 24228. Ms. Coe, 37, went home to be with the Lord on Wednesday, April 16, 2003. Clintwood Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. Sue Couch ST. PAUL -- Committal services for Sue Couch will be held Sunday, April 20, 2003, at 2 p.m. in Temple Hill Memorial Park, Castlewood. The family will meet at the funeral home and go in procession to the cemetery at 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Pallbearers will be Charlie Boothe, Kenneth Gullett, Grant Marshall, Stephen Phillips, Jimmy Phillips, Lester Boothe, Leo Boothe and Jim Campbell. Online condolences may be sent to the Couch family through our Web site at www.castlewoodfuneralhome.com. Mrs. Couch, 62, died Thursday, April 17, 2003, at her residence. Castlewood Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. Retha Elam LEBANON -- The funeral service for Retha Marie Kegley Elam will be conducted at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 20, 2003, in the Combs Funeral Service Chapel with the Rev. Jessie Jones and the Rev. Gene Brooks officiating. Burial will follow in the Grassy Creek Community Cemetery. Serving the family as pallbearers will be Randall Skeens, Carson Skeens, Will Skeens, Daniel Beavers, Roger Hurd, Charles Jennings and Michael Salyers. Mrs. Elam, 77, died Thursday, April 17, 2003, in Wellmont Holston Valley Hospital in Kingsport. Combs Funeral Service is serving the family of Mrs. Elam. Lillard Lester VANSANT, Va. -- Lillard Lester, 91 years of age, of Route 2, passed away Friday, April 18, 2003, at Buchanan General Hospital following an extended illness. Born in Buchanan County, he was a son of the late Tom and Sarah Lester. He was a life-long resident of Buchanan County and was of the Baptist faith. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, receiving the Army Occupation Medal (Germany), World War II Victory Ribbon and was a member of V.F.W. Childs Gentry Post 7360. He was a retired employee of Norfolk & Western Railroad with 32 years of service and a life time member of the Brotherhood Maintenance of Way Employees of AFL-CIO and C.C. He was the last surviving member of his immediate family. Mr. Lester is survived by his wife Emma Gay Boyd Lester, Vansant; three grandchildren; and a special brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Faye Coleman and Hershel Coleman, Vansant. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Stella Keen Lester; two sons, Bobby Lester and an infant son; one grandson, William Lester; one sister; and two brothers, Tom and Kenis Lester. Funeral services will be conducted Tuesday, April 22, 2003, at 11 a.m. at Grundy Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Ancil Childress and Rev. Kenny Jackson officiating with burial to follow in Mountain Valley Memorial Park, Big Rock, Va. Friends may call at Grundy Funeral Home Chapel Monday evening at 6 p.m. with services at 7 p.m. conducted by Raymond Lester and Lester Boyd. Active pallbearers: Roger Coleman, Herman Bostic, Randy Bostic, Roger Cuddy, Keith Boyd, Paul Ray Coleman and Carl Jackson. Full military rites will be conducted at the cemetery by members of John Ratliff Post 164 of the American Legion. Grundy Funeral Home of Grundy is in charge of all arrangements. Vivian Virginia Mulkey NORTH TAZEWELL, Va. -- Funeral services for Vivian Virginia Mulkey will be conducted Monday, April 21, 2003, at 2 p.m. at Hurst-Scott Funeral Chapel, Tazewell, with Revs. Lance West and Ron Carpenter officiating. Interment will follow at Grandview Memory Gardens, Bluefield, Va. Pallbearers will be Kenny Mulkey, Greg Mulkey, Michael Mulkey, Andy Waddell, Scott Mulkey and Adam Waddell. Honorary pallbearers are the members of Pounding Mill Christian Church. Friends may call at the funeral home Sunday evening after 6 p.m. Friends may contact the family at 701 W. Riverside Drive, North Tazewell. Mrs. Mulkey, 94, died Thursday, April 17, 2003, at a Tazewell Hospital following a brief illness. Hurst-Scott Funeral Home of Tazewell is in charge of arrangements. Those wishing to express sympathy online may do so at www.hurstscottfuneral-homes.com. Richard M. Parrott The funeral service for Richard "Dick" Maurice Parrott will be conducted at 6 p.m. Sunday in the Akard Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Fred Dearing and the Rev. Jane Taylor officiating. The eulogy will be given by Glenda Petty Davis. The committal service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Monday in Glenwood Cemetery. Honorary pallbearers will be Carl Marcum, Richard Crumley, Frank Easterly, Kenneth Lawson, Clarence Lawson, Jerry Mumpower, Lee Baker; and his brothers-in-law and nephews. In lieu of flowers, the family request memorial contributions be sent to the East Tennessee Pharmaceutical Association. The family will receive friends prior to the service from 4-6 p.m. Sunday at Akard Funeral Home. E-mail condolences to the family may be sent to akardfh@pe- ercom.net. Mr. Parrott, 65, of Bristol Tennessee, passed away Thursday, April 17, 2003, at Wellmont Bristol Regional Medical Center. Akard Funeral Home is serving the family of Mr. Parrott. Floyd Wayne Taylor Sr. ABINGDON- Mr. Floyd Wayne Taylor Sr., 57, died Friday, April 18, 2003, in the Johnston Memorial Hospital. He was the son of the late Samuel J. Taylor and Margaret M. Taylor of Saltville. He was preceded in death by an infant daughter and a twin brother. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Damascus. Survivors: his wife of 36 years, Mollie Tolbert Taylor; two daughters, Callie Mae Houser, Bluff City and Juanita Jean (JJ) Taylor, Abingdon; two sons, Floyd Wayne Taylor Jr., Abingdon and Samuel Blake Taylor, Abingdon; three sisters, Mrs. Glen (Wilma) Bandy, Salem, Va., Edith Osborne, Bristol Tennessee, and Opal King, Bristol Virginia; two brothers, Billy Ray Taylor, Manassas, Va., and Harold Lane Taylor, San Francisco; three granddaughters, Jessica Wynona, Alice Marie and Virginia Rose Houser; several nieces and nephews; special brother-in-law, Bill Tolbert; sister-in-law, Lena G. Stevenson; and special friends, Eddie and Mary Barbrow. Graveside services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 22, 2003, in the Elizabeth Cemetery with the Rev. Tracy Puckett officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society. The D.R. Henderson Funeral Home in Saltville, is serving the Taylor Family. C.G. Thomas GLADE SPRING -- Mr. C.G. "Simon" Thomas, 81, died Friday, April 18, 2003, at his home in Glade Spring. He was preceded in death by his wife, Sylvia Thomas. He was a retired policeman for the Town of Saltville, retired from United Telephone Co. and was a U.S. Navy veteran. Survivors: son and daughter-in-law, Rick and Lynda Thomas, Glade Spring; two brothers, Lawrence Thomas, Glade Spring and Kenny Thomas, Glade Spring; two sisters, Joy Hurd, Glade Spring and Delvene Jackson, Glade Spring; two grandchildren, Levi Thomas and Shannon Thomas; and several nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be conducted at 10:30 a.m. Monday, April 21, 2003, at Henderson Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Val Burgett officiating. Interment will follow at Mt. Rose Cemetery. The family will receive friends Sunday evening from 6-8 p.m. at the funeral home. D.R. Henderson Funeral Home of Saltville is serving the Thomas family. Lettie M. Van Huss ABINGDON -- Mrs. Lettie Mae Van Huss, 89, died Thursday, April 17, 2003, at her home. Born in Russell County on July 5, 1913, she was a daughter of the late Houston James Kiser and Orphie Wolfe Kiser. She was the widow of John R. "Bob" Van Huss and was also preceded in death by her children, Marie Tugman, Charles H. Van Huss, Ella Mae Faw, James C. Van Huss, John A. Van Huss, Paul A. Van Huss and Ralph H. Van Huss. Mrs. Van Huss was a resident of the Watauga Community for many years and was a longtime and devoted member of the Macedonia Church of Christ. She is survived by three sons: Robert L. Van Huss and wife Ruth of Biloxi, Miss.; Harold D. Van Huss and wife Brenda of Roanoke, Va.; and Gary M. Van Huss and wife Terry of Abingdon; four daughters: Bonnie J. Estep of Abingdon; Doris Yarber and husband Riley of Glade Spring; Linda C. Anderson and husband Lewis of Mouth of Wilson, Va.; and Janet McClelland and husband Herbert of Lake City, Fla.; a brother, Grover Kiser of York, Pa.; two sisters: Frances Smith of Silver Creek, N.Y.; and Minnie Cox of Melbourne, Fla.; 27 grandchildren; several great- grandchildren; several great-great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. The funeral service will be conducted at 1 p.m. Monday, April 21, 2003, in the Macedonia Church of Christ with Evangelist Michael McCoy and James Ling officiating. Burial will follow in Knollkreg Memorial Park. Casketbearers will be Andrew Dolinger, Richard Williams, Jeff Widener, James Self, John Stiltner and Ray Shortridge. Grandchildren will serve as honorary casketbearers. Flowers will be accepted or memorial donations be made to the Hospice of Southwest Virginia, 540 W. Main St., Wytheville, Va. The family would like to give a special thank you to the nurses and staff of the Hospice of Southwest Virginia. Those wishing to send messages of sympathy online may do so by visiting www.farrisfuneralservice.com. The family will receive friends from 7-9 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Farris Funeral Service, 427 E. Main St., Abingdon, is serving the family of Mrs. Lettie Mae Van Huss.