Register Herald Obituaries for February 7, 2000 Robert Bennett Jr. CHICAGO - Robert Gregory Bennett Jr., 30, formerly of Rupert, passed away Feb. 2, 2000, in the Illinois Masonic Hospital in Chicago following a long illness. Mr. Bennett was a disabled truck driver for Werner Trucking Co. and was of the Baptist faith. Survivors include his parents, Robert G. and Delores Kessler Bennett Sr. of Chicago; one daughter, Kara Lynn Bennett of Rupert; one foster daughter, Kayla Marie Sapp of Rupert; one brother, Lawrence Edward Bennett of Chicago; and one sister, Loretta Lynn Phillips of Rupert. Services will be 11 a.m. Tuesday at Smathers Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Keith Shumaker officiating. Burial will follow at the Wallace Memorial Cemetery, Clintonville. Friends may call 6 to 8 p.m. today at Smathers Funeral Chapel, Rainelle. Arrangements by Smathers Funeral Home, Rainelle. ---------- Eugene Edward Allen LINDSIDE - Eugene Edward Allen, 79, went to be with our Lord Sunday, Feb. 6, 2000, following a long illness. Born July 15, 1920, in Bozoo, he was the son of the late Lee H. and Lura E. Wills Allen. Mr. Allen had made his home in Lindside since 1957. He was the founder of Allen's Furniture in 1947 and throughout his life dabbled in many ventures such as peddling wares and goods. Through these ventures, he never met a stranger, as he loved to talk as much as breathe. He was his happiest on a tractor, putting up hay or chasing his cattle. Mr. Allen was a disabled coal miner and a member of UMWA Local No. 29. He also was a longtime pastor in the Church of God and evangelized throughout West Virginia and Virginia. He was a charter member of the Lighthouse Church of God in Union. He was preceded in death by a sister, Rena Humphreys; twin sister, Geraldine Shires; and two brothers, Timmy and Clifton Allen. Mr. Allen left behind his beloved wife of 60 1}2 years, Thelma Wickline Allen; four children, Pat Harvey and her husband Jackie, Nancy Utterback and her husband Bill, the Rev. James E. "Jimmy" Allen and his wife Sonie, and Richard "Dicky" Allen and his wife Gayle, all of Lindside; nine grandchildren, Kathy Rushden and her husband Ray of Logan, Debbie Forren and her husband Homer of Greenville, Trina Shoda and her husband Mike, Terry Utterback and his wife Sheila, both of Lindside, Rodney Allen and his wife Amy of Lewisburg, Heather Allen, Kaneetha Allen, Angela Allen and Tiffany Allen, all of Lindside; and nine great-grandchildren. Other survivors include two brothers, John "Harry" Allen and Woodrow "Pudd" Allen both of Peterstown; and two sisters, Betty Mutter and Thelma Pennington, both of Rich Creek, Va. Services will be 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Lighthouse Church of God in Union with the Rev. James E. Allen, the Rev. C.R. Callahan and the Rev. Mike Smith officiating. Burial will follow in the Swope Cemetery at Lindside. Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. today at the Lighthouse Church of God in Union. Pallbearers will be grandsons, Terry Utterback, Rodney Allen, Ray Rushden, Homer Forren, Mike Shoda and Brandon Harvey. Honorary pallbearers will be Dave Humphreys, Melvin King, McClure Miller, Hubert Wills, Gene Craig, Jim Thomas, Watha Rice, Junior Dillon, Jimmy Craig, Jerry Rogers, Jason Johnson, Jeff Davis, Tommy Shires, H.W. Shires, Charles Shires, Sam Shires, Donnie Bradley, Kenny Allen, Robert Allen, Roger Allen, Darrell Pennington, Tommy Wickline, Eddie Joe Wickline, Kevin Wickline, Dean Evans and David Thompson. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to the Lighthouse Church of God or the Lighthouse Youth Center Project, P.O. Box 516, Union, WV 24983. Arrangements by Broyles-Shrewbury Funeral Home, Peterstown. ---------- ---------- Earl Ray 'Red' Burgess OAK HILL - Earl Ray "Red" Burgess, 72, died Saturday, Feb. 5, 2000, at the Veteran's Medical Center, Beckley, following a short illness. Born May 23, 1927, in Minden, he was the son of the late Harry R. Burgess and Mary E. Blethen Burgess. Mr. Burgess was retired from the military, having served in the Korean conflict and the Vietnam war. He was preceded in death by his wife, Alice June Burgess. Survivors include his companion, Dora Gibson of Oak Hill; two sons, Eddie Ramsey of Fayetteville and Gene Ramsey of Albany, Ga.; one sister, Charlotte Burgess; four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Services will be 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Tyree Funeral Home Chapel, Oak Hill, with the Rev. Ron George Jr. officiating. Entombment will follow at Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens Mausoleum, Prosperity. Friends may call 7 to 9 p.m. today at Tyree Funeral Home, Oak Hill. Arrangements by Tyree Funeral Home, Oak Hill. ---------- Taylor Farren Gillespie Taylor Marie Farren Gillespie was stillborn Feb. 6, 2000, at Raleigh General Hospital in Beckley. Survivors include her mother and father, Carrie Ann Farren of Oak Hill and William Morris Gillespie II, of Scarbro; grandparents Susan Farren of Oak Hill, Bill Farren of Alderson, William and Bonnie Gillespie, of Scarbro; great-grandparents, Ted and Margaret Whitaker of Roanoke, Va., Anna and Tom Farren of Alderson, Janet Sutphin of Scarbro, and Joann Gillespie of Oak Hill. Graveside services will be 11 a.m. today at High Lawn Park, Oak Hill with Rev. Bernie Jernigan officiating. Arrangements by High Lawn Funeral Chapel, Oak Hill. ---------- ---------- Oliver Kenneth Lawson FAYETTEVILLE - Oliver Kenneth Lawson, 82, formerly of Sandyville, died Saturday, Feb. 5, 2000, at his residence following a short illness. Born Feb. 5, 28, 1917, in Sandyville, he was the son of the late Fred Lawson and Oma Hurd. Mr. Lawson was a retired truck driver and meter man for Columbia Carbon and Cities Service Gas Company with 42 years of service. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving during WWII, was of the Baptist faith and had been a consistent farmer all of his life. He was preceded in death by two brothers, Robert and Delbert Lawson; and a sister, Ruth Waggoner. Survivors include a daughter, Mary L. Persinger McCurdy of Fayetteville; a granddaughter, Olivia Mae McCurdy of Fayetteville; a brother, Charles "Chuck" Lawson of Ravens-wood; a sister-in-law, Blanch Lawson of Sandyville; and several nieces and nephews. Services will be 2 p.m. Tuesday at Dodd-Payne-Hess Funeral Home Chapel, Fayetteville, with the Rev. Jerry Bush officiating. Entombment will follow at Highlawn Memorial Park Mausoleum, Oak Hill. Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home. John Droppleman, Randall "Butch" Nelson, Levi McClung, Raymond Bragg, Bill McCurdy and Hugh Broughman will serve as pallbearers. Arrangements by Dodd-Payne-Hess Funeral Home, Fayetteville. ---------- Emmett Joseph Martin LAFAYETTE, Va. - Mr. Emmett Joseph Martin, 87, formerly of Summers County, died Saturday, Feb. 5, 2000, in the Meadowbrook Nursing Home, at Shawsville, Va., following a short illness. Born Jan. 22, 1913, in Bertha, he was a son of the late Arthur and Bessie Elma Mitchell Martin and had lived most of his life in Virginia. Mr. Martin was retired from E.F. Nichols Trucking Co., as a foreman/mechanic following 30 years of service. He was also certified in air conditioning and refrigeration. He was an avid outdoorsman and hunter, and was of the Baptist faith. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Lorine Mann Martin; second wife, Belvia Ann Martin; two brothers, Howard T. and Claude C. Martin. Survivors include two sons, Bobby Martin and wife Rena and John Alex Martin and wife Judith; four daughters, Donna Rich and husband John, Patty Ryan and husband John, Linda Faye Kilbourne and husband Bobby, and Melinda K. "Katie" Martin; one brother, Jim Martin and wife Chick of Talcott; two sisters, Mrs. Glendora Jones of Forest Hill and Mrs. Gladys Meadows of Hinton; several grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild. Services will be 2 p.m. Wednesday at Ronald Meadows Funeral Parlors Chapel in Hinton with Pastor Jim Martin officiating. Burial will follow in the Fairview Baptist Church Cemetery at Forest Hill. Friends may call 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Arrangements by Ronald Meadows Funeral Parlors, Hinton. 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. 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