Sussex-Isle of Wight-Southampton County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Davis, Laura M. Joyner, 1985 

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LAURA MAE JOYNER DAVIS 

  WAKEFIELD - Mrs. Laura Mae Joyner Davis, 92, died Saturday in Harrisonburg.

  Born in Wakefield [sic*], she was the owner and co-founder of the Virginia 
Diner and Restaurant in Wakefield and was the former owner of Davis Café in 
Waverly.

  She was a member of Wakefield Baptist Church.

  Survivors include a daughter, Mrs. Catherine D. Briggs of Waverly; a son, 
D.P. Davis, Jr. of Harrisonburg; a sister, Mrs. Eva J. Giles of Ivor; seven 
grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and a great-great grandchild.

  A graveside service will be conducted at 2 p.m. Monday in Wakefield Cemetery 
by the Rev. Parker Hooper.

  Purviance Funeral Home, Wakefield is in charge.

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LAURA MAE JOYNER DAVIS 
DONATED OBIT
VIRGINIA DINER COFOUNDER’S FUNERAL HELD 

  HARRISONBURG - A graveside service for Mrs. Laura Mae Joyner Davis, 
co-founder and former co-owner of the Virginia Diner Restaurant in Wakefield, 
was held today in Wakefield Cemetery in Wakefield.

  Mrs. Davis, 92, died Saturday in a Harrisonburg nursing home, where she had 
lived for the past five years.

  A native of Wakefield, Mrs. Davis and her husband, the late D’Earcy Paul 
Davis, Sr., founded the Virginia Diner, a restaurant housed in an old trolley 
car, in 1932.

  The Davises kept their diner open and moved in 1935 to Waverly, where they 
opened the Davis Café in an old barn.  They sold the café about 1940 and moved 
back to Wakefield. 

  They later lived in Ivor and owned and operated the Southampton Restaurant 
for two years before selling it.  The Davises returned to Wakefield and sold 
the Virginia Diner and retired in 1944.

  Mrs. Davis later lived in Waverly for 28 years with her daughter, Mrs. 
Catherine Briggs.

  She was a member of Wakefield Baptist kCKhurch, whre she had sung in the 
choir.  She also had donated many quilts, afghans and other handwork items 
she had made to church fund-raising projects.

  Survivors, besides her daughter, include a son, D.P. Davis, Jr. of 
Harrisonburg; a sister, Mrs. Eva Giles of Ivor; and seven grandchildren, nine 
great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. 


Laura Mae (JOYNER; Mrs. D’Earcy P. Sr. [II]) DAVIS, 
owner & co-founder of the Virginia Diner, 
b. 6 Jun 1892, d. 9 Mar 1985, Harrisonburg, 
interred in Wakefield Cemetery*, 11 Mar 1985, 
"The Daily Press" (Newport News, VA), Mar. 10, 1985, p. 47; 
donated obit, publication unknown 

Her husband's obit ("Tidewater News," Mar. 7, 1952, p. 14) is posted at: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/sussex/obits/d120d1ob.txt 

*The cemetery list originally had b. Southampton Co. 
   Wakefield list, an extension of the 
   Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS} Cemetery Project: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/sussex/cemeteries/wakefd.txt 

D.Cert. 85-009970 gives only b. VA. 

Find a Grave gives her parents, Samuel James & "Jennie" Virginia Ann (POND) 
   JOYNER, in a BOWDEN family cemetery, on Sandpit Rd., near Zuni, without 
   attribution.  (Mems. #150877986 & #150878050) 
   However, they do not appear on Isle of Wight County Historical Society 
   {IWCHS} Grave Site Survey Task Force {GSSTF} report #105: 
   http://www.iwchs.com/Cemetery-Reports.html 
   {Their daughter Josephine [JOYNER; Mrs. Charles Lee Sr.] GAY (1881-1916) 
    is buried there.} 

Both natives of Southampton Co., they m. 6 Feb 1878.  (Isle of Wight Co. #26) 

The family appear in the 1900 Census in Hardy Dist., Isle of Wight Co. 

Samuel's D.Cert. 1932-13967 (Williamsburg #61) gives bu. Hopewell. 
 
Virginia's D.Cert. 1931-26156 (Williamsburg #109) gives bu. Isle of Wight. 


Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by 
Mrs. Bruce Saunders (bs4403@verizon.net), 
and re-formatted by File Manager Matt Harris. 

file at: 
http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/sussex/obits/d120l4ob.txt