Bristol, Virginia, Obituaries: Bristol Herald Courier, June 27, 2004 Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Bristol Herald Courier http://www.bristolnews.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=TRI/Page/TRI_FrontPage ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities, when written permission is obtained from the contributor, so long as all notices and submitter information are included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bristol Herald Courier Sunday, June 27, 2004 Today's Deaths Roberta Alice Burnett, 89, Bristol Virginia Boyd Lee Castle Sr., 60, Coeburn Polly Sue Gregory, 73, Abingdon Hazel D. Johnson Powers, 95, Cleveland, Va. Robert C. Skeens III, 63, Bristol Virginia Hugh Cleveland Smith, 86, Groseclose, Va. Marvin Eugene Thomas, 69, Bristol Tennessee Mary Frances Ager The funeral service for Mary Frances Ager will be conducted at 3 o’clock Sunday afternoon, June 27, 2004, in the Mausoleum Chapel in Mountain View Cemetery, with Rev. Larry Stallard, Rev. Tom Holliday and Dr. Kyle Barr officiating. Burial will follow the service. Condolences and memories may be sent to the family by visiting www.oakley-blevins.com. Mary Frances Ager, 81, passed away Monday, June 21, 2004, at Oak Crest Care Center, Baltimore. Mrs. Ager and her family are in the care of Oakley-Blevins Funeral Home, 417 Lee St., Bristol, Va. Roberta A. Burnett BRISTOL, Va. – Roberta Alice Burnett, age 89, of Carriage Hills Condos, 1875 Lee Highway, Apartment 66, a very loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and sister, went to be with the Lord Friday, June 26, 2004, in the Bristol Regional Medical Center. Mrs. Burnett was born on Jan. 3, 1915, in Washington County, Va., to the late Steven and Fannie Worley Morton. She was a former resident of Oak Ridge, Tenn., and had lived in the Bristol area for the past 12 years. Mrs. Burnett was a seamstress and a member of the Glenwood Baptist Church in Oak Ridge. Mrs. Burnett was preceded in death by her husband, Howard Murphy Burnett. Mrs. Burnett is survived by one daughter, Doris Chafin and husband Dewitt; two grandchildren, Rusty Chafin and wife Vickie and Tim Chafin and wife Janet; two great-grandchildren, Clint and Katie Chafin; one brother, Clarence Jordan, and several nieces and nephews. Funeral service will be held Monday, June 28, 2004, at 8 p.m. in the Weaver Funeral Home Chapel, with the Rev. Todd Crusenberry and Rev. Dan Birchfield officiating. Music will be provided by Jack Willis. Graveside service will be held Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the Forest Hills Memory Gardens. The family will receive friends Monday evening from 6 until 8 p.m. in the Weaver Funeral Home, or any other time at the home of Mrs. Burnett. The family would like to say a special thanks to Dr. John Sherrill, Dr. John Green and the nursing staff of 4 West at Bristol Regional Medical Center. Online condolences may be sent at www.weaverfuneralhome.net. Weaver Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Boyd Lee Castle Sr. COEBURN – Boyd Lee "Rab" Castle Sr., 60, died Friday, June 25, 2004, at Johnson City Medical Center in Johnson City. He was preceded in death by his father, Robert Theodore (Ted) Castle. Survivors include his wife, Donna Jean Sigmon Castle; daughter and son-in-law, Virginia Lee Castle Collins and Joshua Thomas Collins, Duffield; son and daughter-in-law, Boyd Lee Castle Jr. and Rhonda Jean Castle, Coeburn; his mother, Virginia Alice Hall Castle; sister and brother-in-law, Betty Jean and Ernest "Tubby" Campbell, Coeburn; granddaughters, Kayla Large and Brooke Large, both of Coeburn, and nephews, Robert Barnette and Brad Barnette, both of Coeburn. Funeral services for Boyd Lee Castle Sr. will be held Monday, June 28, 2004, at 2 p.m. at Estes Funeral Home Chapel, with Rev. R.L. Crawford officiating. Burial will follow in the Greenwood Memorial Gardens in Coeburn. Visitation will be held at Estes Funeral Home on Sunday after 6 p.m. Estes Funeral Home Inc., (276) 395-2441. Sylvia Katz Gaylor BRISTOL, Tenn. – Graveside services for Dr. Sylvia Katz Gaylor will be held Sunday, June 27, 2004, at noon in the B’Nai Sholom Congregation Cemetery, corner of Bradley and Floyd Streets, in Bristol Virginia, with Rabbi Brian Nevins- Goldman officiating. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, contributions in Dr. Sylvia Katz Gaylor’s memory be sent to B’Nai Sholom Congregation, 2510 Highway 126, Bristol, TN 37620. E-mail condolences may be sent to the family at akardfh@peercom.net. Dr. Sylvia Katz Gaylor, age 79, died suddenly just two days after her 79th birthday on June 24, 2004. Akard Funeral Home, 1912 West State St., Bristol, TN 37620, (423) 989-4800, is serving the family of Dr. Gaylor. Polly Sue Gregory ABINGDON – Mrs. Polly Sue Gregory, age 73, died Saturday, June 26, 2004, at the Johnston Memorial Hospital. Arrangements will be announced by Farris Funeral Service. Hazel D. Powers CLEVELAND, Va. – Hazel D. Johnson Powers, 95, passed away on Saturday, June 26, 2004. A lifelong resident of Russell County, Va., she was born on July 21, 1908, to the late Sim and Mary Ball Johnson. She attended the Church of God in Castlewood. In addition to her parents, she was also preceded in death by her husband, James Walter Powers, sons, Edward Powers and Johnny Donald Powers, sister, Lois Kiser, and brothers, Walter Johnson, Carl Johnson, Willard Johnson, James Johnson and Jack Johnson. Survivors include daughters and sons-in-law, Lora B. and Tom Sarver of Louisville, Ky., Trula and George Wood of Bluff City, Junell and Dan Amyx of Kingsport, Jean Sutherland of Cleveland, Lyla Elswick of Mansfield, Ohio, and Mary and Arvil Amos of Cleveland; sons, Bob Powers and Marvin Powers, both of Cleveland; sister, Beulah Sutherland of Spring Grove, Pa.; brothers, Lester Johnson of Martinsville, Ind., and Berlie Johnson, Cleveland; 21 grandchildren; 37 great-grandchildren; six great-great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews also survive. Funeral services for Ms. Powers will be held at 8 p.m. on Sunday, June 27, at Owens Funeral Service Chapel, with Rev. Duane Musick officiating. A graveside service will be held at the Johnson Family Cemetery in Cleveland at 1 p.m. on Monday, June 28. Those wishing to attend are asked to meet at the cemetery. The family will receive friends on Sunday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. Owens Funeral Service, Lebanon, is in charge of arrangements. Robert C. Skeens III BRISTOL, Va. – Robert C. "Bobby" Skeens III, age 63, went to be with the Lord, Friday, June 25, 2004, at the Bristol Regional Medical Center. He was born Oct. 31, 1940, and was a lifelong resident of the Bristol area. He was former produce manager of Barkers Supermarket. He was preceded in death by his father, Robert C. Skeens Jr. Survivors include mother, Frances Almany Skeens; two brothers, William "Bill" Skeens and wife Joan and Walter Skeens and wife Eva; two sisters, Ann Capps and husband Jimmy and Lucille Stowers and husband Willard, and several nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be conducted at 6 p.m. Sunday, June 27, 2004, in the Weaver Funeral Home Chapel, with Rev. Johnny Dillard officiating. The committal will be at 2 p.m. Monday at the Susong Cemetery. Online condolences may be registered at www.weaverfuneralhome.net. The family will receive friends from 4 to 5:45 p.m. Sunday at the Weaver Funeral Home. Hugh C. Smith GROSECLOSE, Va. – Hugh Cleveland Smith, age 86, died Friday, June 25, 2004, in Frederick, Md. He was the son of the late Grover and Bessie Smith. He was preceded in death by his wife, Ruth Smith, and two sons, Hugh Smith Jr. and Charles Smith. Mr. Smith served in the 83rd Infantry Division of the U.S. Army during World War II and received the Purple Heart along with other medals. He is survived by one daughter and son-in-law, Nina and Robert Hagy of Monrovia, Md.; two sons and three daughters-in-law, Donald and Hope Smith of Marion, Jimmy and Flo Smith of Salem, Va., and Bonnie Smith of Marion; one sister and brother- in-law, Lucille and Clyde King of Crockett, Va.; four sisters-in-law, Mae Smith, Della Smith, Evelyn Smith and Lucy Stowers; 13 grandchildren and 20 great- grandchildren. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, June 29, 2004, at 2 p.m. at Seaver-Brown Chapel. Burial will follow in Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Groseclose, where military rites will be conducted by Marion VFW Post 4667. The family will receive friends Monday evening from 7 until 9 p.m. at Seaver-Brown Chapel. Expressions of sympathy may be made to the family at www.seaverbrown.com. Seaver-Brown Funeral Service and Crematory is serving the Smith family. Marvin E. Thomas BRISTOL, Tenn. – Marvin Eugene "Slick" Thomas, age 69, of 1320 Broad St., went to be with the Lord, Thursday, June 24, 2004, in the James H. Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Mountain Home, Tenn. He was born Aug. 18, 1934, and a lifelong resident of the Bristol area. He was a son of the late Robert D. and Mary Ellen Osborne Thomas. He was a retired brick mason and was of the Baptist faith. He was a U.S. Army veteran serving during the Korean War and was a member of the VFW American Legion Lodge 145. He was preceded in death by a son, Roy Allen Hicks, a brother, William E. "Tommy" Thomas, and wife, Hazel. Survivors include children, Barry Wayne Carrier, Michael Lynn Hicks and wife Freda, Joyce Ann Wolfe and husband James, Robert Eugene Thomas and wife Lisa, Tony Dewayne Thomas and wife Goldie and Rhonda Nicole Corvin and husband Dave; four brothers, James W. Thomas, Roy L. Thomas, Robert David "Bobby" Thomas II and Kenneth R. Thomas; three sisters, Lois White, Helen Cress and Shirley Hess; 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be conducted at 8 p.m. Sunday, June 27, 2004, in the Weaver Funeral Home Chapel, with Rev. Jack Bowery officiating. The committal will be at 11 a.m. Monday at the National Cemetery in Mountain Home, with military honors conducted by the VFW Patton Crosswhite Post 6975. Online condolences may be registered at www.weaverfuneralhome.net. The family will receive friends from 6 to 7:45 p.m. Sunday at the Weaver Funeral Home.