Register Herald Obituaries for December 14, 1999 Ralph H. Britt DANESE - Ralph Harold Britt, 91, formerly of Mount Hope, died Saturday, Dec. 11, 1999, at his home following a long illness. Born Feb. 18, 1908, at Hilltop, he was the son of the late Powhatan B. and Margaret Vass Britt. Mr. Britt was a retired miner from New River Coal Co., Oakwood, and was a member of the United Mine Workers of America and the Prince Church of God. He was preceded in death by three brothers, Herbert Britt, Charlie Britt and LeRoy Britt; and three sisters, Carrie Cadle, Bessie Seagraves, and Cora Ivalley. Survivors include his wife, Beulah Cadle Hart Britt of Danese; two daughters, Kattie Marie Britt of Danese and Sylvia Hart-Matheny of Mount Hope; three sons, James A. Hart of Danese, Warren R. Hart of Bonnieville, Ky., and Jackson C. Hart of Fayetteville; 16 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Services will be 2 p.m. today at Tyree Funeral Home, Mount Hope. Burial will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley. Friends may call one hour before the services today at the funeral home. Family will serve as pallbearers. Arrangements by Tyree Funeral Home, Mount Hope. ---------- John L. Burke John Luther Burke, 77, of Autumn Lane, Beckley, died Friday, Dec. 10, 1999, in a Beckley hospital following a short illness. Born Feb. 28, 1922, at Eccles, he was the son of the late Simon Peter and Grace Virginia Arnett Burke. Mr. Burke was known for his musical abilities and had a radio show during the 1940s on WWNR. He attended the Eccles Church of God, and in his leisure time he enjoyed playing music and woodworking. He was preceded in death by a sister, Nelda Clyburn; and a brother, Garland Burke. Survivors include a sister, Effie Burke Kinsley and her husband, Curtis, of Abingdon, Va.; a sister-in-law, Lily Burke Davis of Blue Ridge, Va.; two nephews, Elijah Burke of Blue Ridge, Va., and Bill Kinsley of West Chester, Pa.; and several nieces, Mary Burke, Greta Gay Fellenz, Carol Lee Stephens, Donna Kinsley Gibson and Betty Ballard. Graveside services will be 1 p.m. today at Calfee Cemetery, Mount Tabor Road, Beckley, with the Rev. Rujean Ayers officiating. Burial will follow. Friends may call 11 a.m. until time of the services today at the funeral home. Family and friends will serve as pallbearers. Arrangements by Melton Mortuary, Beckley. ---------- Mabel M. Burke Mabel M. Burke, 83, of Glen Morgan, formerly of Cool Ridge, died Sunday, Dec. 12, 1999, at a Beckley care center following a long illness. Born Oct. 12, 1916, at Kegley, she was the daughter of the late Joseph Howell and Lola Willis. Mrs. Burke was a homemaker and charter member of the Beckley First Church of God, where she was a Sunday school teacher and WCG member. She had been a resident of the Beckley area most of her life. She was preceded in death by her husband, George S. Burke, who passed away Feb. 11, 1981; two sisters, Alice Lively and Annabelle Meade; and two brothers, Hoover and Marvin Howell. Survivors include a son, George L. Burke and wife, Gayle, of Glen Morgan; a daughter, Thelma Burke Whitfield of Beckley; a brother, Howard Howell and wife, Caren, of Denver, Colo.; six sisters, Myrtle Davis of South Carolina, Hazel Warden of Princeton, Marie Shaffer of Anderson, Ind., Gladys Kerstetter of Fredericksburg, Va., Margaret Cook and Evelyn Cooper of Alexandria, Va.; seven grandchildren, George Leland Burke of Oak Hill, Lori Burke Samuel and husband, Blaine, of Midwest City, Okla., Ronald Lee Whitfield and wife, Sandy, of Rock Hill, S.C., Rhonda Marie Whitfield Murdock and husband, Steve, of Cool Ridge, Rowena Whitfield Hendrix of Midway, Robert Whitfield and wife, Johnette, of Elkins and Theresa Whitfield Williams and husband, Timothy, of Mount Hope; and 14 great-grandchildren, Samantha and Zachary Samuel, Greg, Amanda, Megan and George Ryan Burke, Ryan Newman and Alexandria Whitfield, Joseph and Joshua Murdock, James Hendrix and Charletta Whitfield, Kimberly and Timothy Ray Williams II. Services will be 1 p.m. Thursday at Blue Ridge Funeral Home Chapel, Beckley, with the Rev. Vondie Cook and Ronnie Stapleton officiating. Burial will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley. Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Grandsons and other family members will serve as pallbearers. Arrangements by Blue Ridge Funeral Home, Beckley. ---------- John Leslie Cole HURRICANE - John Leslie Cole, 90, formerly of Spanishburg, died Sunday, Dec. 12, 1999, at his home. Born July 23, 1909, at Barn, he was the son of the late Robert L. and Deliah Blankenship Cole. Mr. Cole was a retired employee of the West Virginia Department of Highways. He was a member of the Spanishburg United Methodist Church, the Spanishburg Ruritan Club and the Farm Bureau. He was preceded in death by a brother, Earl Cole. Survivors include his wife of 63 years, Mary Green Meador Cole of Hurricane; a daughter, Bobbie Cole Lilly and her husband, Pete, of Scott Depot; four grandchildren, Bill, Chris and Scott Lilly, and Mary Okin; great-grandchildren, Jennifer, Sam, William and Lauren; and a sister, Lorene Cole Basham of Princeton. Services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at George W. Seaver Funeral Chapel of Seaver Funeral Home, Princeton, with the Revs. Charles Wilson and Ira Hill officiating. Burial will follow in Resthaven Memorial Park, Princeton. Friends may call 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Spanishburg United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 98, Spanishburg, WV 25922. Arrangements by Seaver Funeral Home, Princeton. ---------- Vernon L. Lambert MULLENS - Vernon Lloyd Lambert, 78, of Four Ridgeview Drive, was welcomed into heaven at 4:45 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9, 1999, following a short illness, at Raleigh General Hospital. Born June 1, 1921, at Pierpoint, he was the son of the late George and Cora Meador Lambert. Mr. Lambert was a 1939 graduate of Mullens High School; he later joined the U.S. Army serving from 1942 to 1945, serving in the 339 Engineer Division in the Pacific during World War II. He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather, who spent 35 years in the coal industry before retiring in 1980. He was a member of the VFW, Royal Order of Moose and the Elks. He was preceded in death by a sister, Amy Lambert Ward; and a great-grandson, Joshua Kyer. Survivors include his wife, Freda Jenks Lambert, whom he married Jan. 2, 1942; other survivors include three sons, Vernon L. "Cokey" Lambert II and his wife, Susan, of Southside, Ala., George Lambert and his wife, Donna, of Mullens, and Alan Lambert and his wife, Judy, of Mullens; two daughters, Belinda Barker and husband, Mark, of Ozark, Ala., and Sandra Kyer Cosner and husband, Leon, of Winchester, Va.; a brother, Charles L. Lambert of Mullens; 16 grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; four sisters, Edna Severt of Beckley, Rubye Anderson of Seminole, Fla., Freda McGlothlin and husband, Kermit, of Crab Orchard, and Shirley Roupe and husband, Darrell, of Wyndott, Mich.; and a host of nieces, nephews and friends. Grandsons and Boyd and Dale Cook will serve as pallbearers. Services were 1 p.m. Sunday at the Otsego Bible Chapel, with Mike Endreson and Mike Cook officiating. Burial followed in Sunset Memorial Park, Beckley. Military graveside services were conducted by the Wyoming County Honor Guard. Friends called 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Tankersley Funeral Home, Mullens, and one hour before the services at the church. Arrangements by Tankersley Funeral Home, Mullens. ---------- Joseph W. Lee RONCEVERTE - Joseph William Lee, 87, died Monday, Dec. 13, 1999, at a Fairlea medical center. Born June 7, 1912, he was the son of the late James Ashby and Bessie Leach Lee. Mr. Lee was a graduate of Davidson College with a BA in physics and served as a lieutenant j.g. in the U.S. Navy during World War II; after the war he joined his father at Martin and Jones Hardware in Ronceverte and worked there until his retirement in 1981. He was a former mayor of Ronceverte and board member of Ronceverte National Bank and One Valley Bank. Mr. Lee was a member of the American Legion, Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce, and the National Hole-In-One Association and was a lifetime member of the Lewisburg Lodge No. 1758 BPOE. He received the Silver Beaver Award as an adult volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America and was a lifelong member of the Ronceverte Presbyterian Church, where he served as a deacon and elder. He was preceded in death by his wife, Marjorie Blake Lee; and a sister, Mary Margaret Lee. Survivors include two sons, Joe Lee and his wife, Terri, of Catlettsburg, Ky., and Jim Lee and his wife, Lucy, of Roanoke, Va.; and four grandchildren. Services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Ronceverte Presbyterian Church, with the Rev. Philip L. Graber officiating. Entombment will follow in Rosewood Mausoleum, Lewisburg. The family will receive their friends between 6 and 8 p.m. today at Wallace and Wallace Funeral Home, Lewisburg. The family requests donations of sympathy may be made to the Ronceverte Presbyterian Church, 305 Locust St., Ronceverte, WV 24970. Arrangements by Wallace and Wallace Funeral Home, Lewisburg. ---------- Martin Wynn McCoy PUEBLO, Colo. - Martin Wynn McCoy, 49, formerly of Bluewell, graduated from this life on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 1999, to continue his education with his Father in heaven. Mr. McCoy was born May 26, 1956, in Bluefield; he was the youngest son of James B. McCoy and Virginia Lee Strickler McCoy. He attended elementary and junior high school in the Denver public school district. Marty completed his education at Provo High School in Provo, Utah. He was a lover of all animals, and his hobbies included the owning and training of all breeds of horses. He loved and cared for animals of any kind, and any stray had a home. His last and foremost love was riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle, which exemplified his free spirit and wind in his face. He spent more than 20 years of his adult life working in the automobile industry until diabetic complications forced his early retirement. Survivors include his father, James B. McCoy of Provo, Utah; two sisters, Patricia Vigil of Boise, Idaho, and Rebecca Jane McCoy of Pueblo, Colo.; four brothers, Robert McCoy of Nephi, Utah, James McCoy of Orem, Utah, Elbert "Ebb" McCoy of Pueblo, Colo., and David McCoy of Orem; and many nieces and nephews, living from the east coast to west coast, whom he loved. Services were Saturday, Dec. 11, at the Montgomery and Steward Chapel in Pueblo, Colo. Graveside services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at Woodlawn Cemetery, Bluewell. Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Beckley. ---------- James E. Richardson James E. "Paw Paw Eddie" Richardson, 61, of Fairdale (Maple Meadow), died Sunday, Dec. 12, 1999, at his home following a long illness. Born Oct. 9, 1938, at Maple Meadow, he was the son of the late Raymond J. Richardson and Ethel Cecil. Mr. Richardson was a retired coal miner with 33 years of service, a veteran in the U.S. Navy, a member of the UMWA Local No. 1961, having last worked at Maple Meadow Mining as a beltman. He was an avid sportsman and never met a stranger. Survivors include his wife of 42 years, Mary F. Barber Richardson of Fairdale; two sons, Jeff Richardson and wife, Lynette, of Cordova, Ala., and Rusty Richardson and wife, Marshal, of Daniels; a daughter, Donna Withrow and husband, David, of Scarbro; a brother, Johnny Richardson and wife, Mary, of Harper; a sister, Annetta Burris of Fort Worth, Texas; his mother-in-law, Mabel Barber of Fairdale; and seven grandchildren, Scott, Sean and Mary Beth Withrow, Kimberly and Katlyn Richardson, Hank Richardson and his fiancee, April Carlee, and Donna Jean Richardson and her fiancé, Damon Martin. Services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at Blue Ridge Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. James Bailey and Don Cochran officiating. Burial will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley. Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home. Pallbearers will be Sean Withrow, John Cook, Jesse Harding, Mike Williams, Darrel Worley, and Scott Martin. Arrangements by Blue Ridge Funeral Home, Beckley. ---------- Dorothy E. Todorovich OAK HILL - Dorothy Emelie Kinser Todorovich, 78, died Sunday, Dec. 12, 1999, in an Oak Hill medical center following an apparent heart attack. Born Dec. 9, 1921, at Kincaid, she was the daughter of the late George S. Kinser Sr. and Julia Belle Kincaid Kinser. Mrs. Todorovich was a loving wife and mother. She attended the Summerlee Freewill Baptist Church and formerly attended the Calvary Baptist Church, Oak Hill. She was a member of the Oak Hill Chapter No. 107 OES, Page-Kincaid Reunion Committee, the Democratic Women's Club and Senior Friends. She was preceded in death by her husband, Mike Todorovich, on July 5, 1995; and a daughter, Rebecca Ann Todorovich. Survivors include two sons, Michael Todorovich of Clendenin and Bruce Todorovich of Oak Hill; a sister, Ruby May of Oak Hill; two brothers, George Kinser of Oak Hill and Woodrow Kinser of Roseville, Mich.; four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at Tyree Funeral Home, Oak Hill, with the Rev. Michael Todorovich officiating. Entombment will follow in High Lawn Memorial Park Mausoleum, Oak Hill. Friends may call 6:30 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home. Arrangements by Tyree Funeral Home, Oak Hill. Submitted by Karen Monk **************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. Files may be printed or copied for personal use only. ****************************************************************