Register Herald Obituaries for May 26, 1999 Gula V. Ball PRINCETON - Gula V. Ball, 90, formerly of Mount Hope, died Monday, May 24, 1999, in a Princeton hospital following a short illness. Born Jan. 6, 1909, in Winona, she was the daughter of the late James W. and Martha Ellen Bailes Halstead. Mrs. Ball was of the Baptist faith and was a Mount Hope resident for more than 60 years. She was a graduate of Concord College and a retired school teacher with 30 years of service with the Fayette County Board of Education. She was preceded in death by her husband, Virgil A. Ball; a brother; and six sisters. Survivors include a son, Andrew W. Ball and his wife, Linda, of Cartersville, Ga.; three daughters, Myrna L. Painter and her husband, Bill, of Princeton, Myra L. Crotty and her husband, Robert, of Shady Spring and Trisha S. Long and her husband, Randy, of Austin, Texas; a brother, Bob Halstead of Charleston; three sisters, Frieda Edwards of Ona, Regina Jamison of Huntington and Almeda Warner of Houston; five grandchildren; and a great-grandchild. Services will be 11 a.m. Thursday at Blue Ridge Funeral Home, Beckley, with Pastor Ed Garten officiating. Entombment will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens Mausoleum, Beckley. Friends may call one hour before services Thursday at the funeral home. Family and friends will serve as pallbearers. Arrangements by Blue Ridge Funeral Home, Beckley. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ira C. Bennett VINTON, Va. - Ira Clifton Bennett, 81, died Monday, May 24, 1999. Born Dec. 15, 1917, in Raleigh County, he was the son of the late William Harvey and Victoria Bennett. He was preceded in death by three brothers, Oley Bennett, Dexter Bennett and Otley Bennett. Mr. Bennett retired after 43 years of service as an elementary teacher and principal. He graduated from Shady Spring High School in 1934, and received his bachelor of science degree from Concord College and his master of arts degree from West Virginia University. He served 19 years as a teacher and principal in Raleigh County at Tilden and Whitby elementary schools. The next 24 years he was as principal at Alexis I. DuPont Special School in Delaware. He was a U.S. infantry veteran of World War II. Survivors include his wife of 63 years, Mary P. Thomas Bennett; two sons and daughters-in-law, Melvin E. and Judy Bennett of Vinton and Ross E. and Gloria Bennett of North Ridgeville, Ohio; a daughter and son-in-law, Patricia C. and Benton Thompson of Fairview Park, Ohio; a brother, Ray Bennett of Shady Spring; eight grandchildren, Adriane Bennett, Vincent Bennett, Michelle Park, Heath Bennett, Ginger Harmon, Pamela Brown, Melanie Harris and Brenda Brunskole; and 17 great-grandchildren. Graveside services will be 1 p.m. Thursday at Mount View Cemetery with the Rev. Luke Brown officiating. Friends may call 7 to 9 p.m. today at Lotz Vinton Funeral Home Chapel, 305 E. Washington Ave., Vinton. In lieu of flowers, donations of sympathy may be made to the Vinton First Aid Crew. Arrangements by Lotz Vinton Chapel, Vinton. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hope W. Burnam ST. ALBANS - Hope W. Burnam, 77, died Sunday, May 23, 1999, in Thomas Memorial Hospital following a short illness. Mrs. Burnam was a registered nurse, having retired from Thomas Memorial Hospital, and was a graduate of Raleigh General Hospital School of Nursing. She was a member of First Baptist Church, St. Albans, and a Red Cross volunteer. Survivors include two daughters, Anita Leger of Johnson City, Tenn., and Robin Burnam of St. Albans; two granddaughters, Amy and Kim Blaine; and several nieces and nephews. Services will be 11 a.m. today at Casdorph and Curry Funeral Home Chapel, 110 B St., St. Albans, with the Rev. Joel Harpold officiating. Burial will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley. Friends called 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Arrangements by Casdorph and Curry Funeral Home, St. Albans. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ann D. Erskine BLUEFIELD, Va. - Ann D. Erskine, 84, of 103 Dogwood Lane, died Sunday, May 23, 1999, at her home. Born in Pikeville, Ky., she was the daughter of the late James Emmett Roberson and Bertha Roberson. Mrs. Erskine was a retired nurse, having worked at the Bluefield Clinic for many years in the OB Department. She was a member of Virginia Avenue United Methodist Church, where she was a member of the Sarah Creasy Circle and the Wesley Gleaner Sunday School Class. She was preceded in death by her husband, Earl Emmett "Bus" Erskine Jr.; a brother, George Roberson; and three sisters, Linda Curtis, Clelia Abbott and Johnnie Mae Wright. She was the last surviving member of her immediate family. Survivors include a son, Earl E. Erskine III and his wife, Sherry, of Bluefield, Va.; two daughters, Marilyn Miller and her husband, Jim, of Rockville, Md., and Lucy Kutz and her husband, Robert, of Lugoff, S.C.; six grandchildren, Earl E. Erskine IV, Richard Erskine, Michael Thompson, Mark Thompson, Sherri Jones and Mellanie Abernethy; eight great-grandchildren; and a special friend and care giver, Rene Whitehead of Bluefield, Va. Services will be 2 p.m. today at Virginia Avenue United Methodist Church with the Rev. Larry Ramey officiating. Burial will follow in Monte Vista Cemetery, Bluefield (Green Valley). Friends called 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Dudley Memorial Mortuary, Bluefield, Va. Grandsons will serve as pallbearers. Arrangements by Dudley Memorial Mortuary, Bluefield, Va. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Clarence Hammontree WARREN, Mich. - Clarence E. Hammontree, 61, formerly of Lochgelly, died Friday, May 21, 1999, at his home following a short illness. Born July 28, 1937, in Rosedale, he was the son of the late Claude Silver and Dorothy Jane Sisson Hammontree. Mr. Hammontree was a retired machine operator for Chrysler Corp. He was a U.S. Army veteran. Survivors include two sisters, Betty Devier of Warren and Pamela Kizer and her husband, Nick, of Mount Hope; seven brothers, Howard Hammontree, Robert Hammontree and his wife, Brenda, and John W. Hammontree, all of Detroit, Ralph Hammontree and his wife, Ann, of Dalton, Ga., Roger Hammontree and Claude Hammontree, both of Lochgelly, and Larry Hammontree of Detroit; and several nieces and nephews. Services will be 1 p.m. Friday at Tyree Funeral Home, Oak Hill, with the Rev. Louie Stegel officiating. Burial will follow in High Lawn Memorial Park, Oak Hill. Friends may call 4 to 9 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Arrangements by Tyree Funeral Home, Oak Hill. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hubert H. Harris NARROWS, Va. - Hubert H. "Slim" Harris, 82, formerly of Mullens, died Sunday, May 23, 1999, in a Pearisburg, Va., hospital. Born March 7, 1917, in Portersville, Ala., he was the son of the late William Franklin and Sarah Ellen Evans Harris. He was preceded in death by a son, Michael Henry Harris; a great-grandson, Michael Todd Lawrence; four brothers, Arnold, Doc, Arvil and Bill Harris; and two sisters, Gladys Leath and Nell Bates. Survivors include a son and his fiance, Douglas Harris and Chris Mallory of Harrisonburg, Va.; three daughters, Patsy Faul and her husband, Merril, Bobbie Riley and her fiance, Leonard Sparks, all of Narrows, and Ann Buckland and her husband, David, of Rich Creek, Va.; 13 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews; and special friends, Cathy and Reymond McDonald of Peterstown. Services will be 11 a.m. Thursday at Riffe's Funeral Service Chapel, 600 E. Main St., Narrows, with the Rev. Shahn Wilburn officiating. Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral service. The body will be removed to Tankersley Funeral Home, Mullens, where friends may call 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday. Additional services will be 11 a.m. Friday at Tankersley Funeral Home with the Revs. Jack Tankersley and Butch Akers officiating. Entombment will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley. Arrangements by Riffe's Funeral Service, Narrows. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Kelly Nottingham Jr. FAYETTEVILLE - Kelly Nottingham Jr., 57, of Route 2, died Saturday, May 22, 1999, in a Beckley hospital following an apparent heart attack. Born Jan. 8, 1942, in Mount Hope, he was the son of the late Kelly Nottingham Sr. and Thelma Lucille Hamilton Nottingham. Mr. Nottingham was a retired diesel mechanic and maintenance foreman for N&W Railway in Cleveland and a member of the Brotherhood of Railway Employees. He was active with his children and grandchildren. Mr. Nottingham was president of the Policy Council for Head Start in the Greater Cleveland area, and he served in the 101st Airborne Division of the U.S. Army from 1957 to 1964. He was preceded in death by a son, Paul Daniel Nottingham. Survivors include his wife, Juanita Taylor Nottingham; a daughter, Katherine L. Arenz and her husband, Dewey, of Pineville; a son, Kelly A. Nottingham III and his wife, Shelly, of Cleveland; four sisters, Margie Towalski of Maple Heights, Ohio, Judy Nottingham of Oberlin, Ohio, and Anna Ansley and Ellen Waldhour, both of Savannah, Ga.; three brothers, Paul Nottingham of Akron, Ohio, John Nottingham of Cleveland and Charles Nottingham of Medina, Ohio, and seven grandchildren, Chadwick Allen Nottingham, Alexis Ellen Arenz, Loren Arenz, Alicia Arenz, Dewey Arenz Jr., Angelo Crouse and Lani Pomintel. Services will be 8:30 p.m. Friday at Tyree Funeral Home Chapel, Oak Hill. The body will be cremated. Friends may call 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Arrangements by Tyree Funeral Home, Oak Hill. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Nora E. Rose Nora Elizabeth Moye Rose, 95, of Flat Top, died Sunday, May 23, 1999, in a Beckley nursing home following a long illness. Born April 17, 1904, in Camp Creek, she was the daughter of the late Guy and Amanda Lilly Moye. Mrs. Rose was a homemaker and a lifelong resident of the Flat Top area. She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard Hume Rose; a son, James Rose; five brothers; and one sister. Survivors include two sons, Richard J. Rose and his wife, Marilee, of Cincinnati and Paris Rose of Baltimore; a daughter, Alice Smith of Baltimore; five sisters, Ora Meadows of Princeton, Juanita Meadows of Dunns, Snowflake Hutchens of Princeton, Jo Frazier of Princeton and June Lilly of Shady Spring; and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Services will be 11 a.m. Thursday at Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home Shady Spring Chapel with the Rev. Clayton Lilly officiating. Burial will follow in Tom Lilly Cemetery, Ghent. Friends may call one hour before services Thursday at the funeral home. Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Shady Spring. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ George P. Saurborne PARKERSBURG - George P. Saurborne, 101, died Monday, May 24, 1999, at his home. Born in Calhoun County, Mr. Saurborne was a graduate of Pine Alley School and passed the West Virginia Teachers Examination. He was a teacher in Calhoun and Wirt county schools for about seven years, moving to Parkersburg where he taught in Wood County schools for six years, resigning from the school system in 1930. He entered the U.S. Railway Mail Service and worked various assignments around the state until permanently assigned to the Quinnimont and Lester line in 1935. He and his family lived in Quinnimont until 1941, at which time he transferred to Huntington where he lived until 1963. He began doing insurance investigations for Hooper-Holmes in 1968 and continued there until he retired in 1980. Mr. Saurborne had his own woodworking shop from 1980 until 1991, at which time he sold all his woodworking tools after losing part of his thumb. At that time he began polishing stones and making jewelry but eventually had to give this up after developing a severe skin allergy to the glue. In 1993 he began writing poetry and wrote about 100 poems. Several of his poems have been published in the Hillbilly and one in the Calhoun Chronicle. He had always been an avid crossword puzzle worker and was quite an athlete when younger. He managed a winning semi-pro baseball team while living in Quinnimont. Gardening and raising flowers had been an ongoing hobby. He was preceded in death by his parents, Samuel Wise and Hattie Margaret Blankenship Saurborne; his first wife, Essie Dalrymple Saurborne in 1921; his second wife, Garnett Nichols Saurborne in 1956; and his third wife, Lillian Andrews Saurborne in 1999. Survivors include a son, George Saurborne Jr. of Huntington; a daughter, Harriet "Dolly" Rigney of Baltimore; three grandchildren, Rusha Weaver of Baltimore, George Rigney of New Freedom, Pa., and Charles Saurborne of Huntington; nine great-grandchildren; five great-great-grandchildren; and two stepdaughters, Trudie Schaughency of Parkersburg and Ruth Andrews of Florida. Services will be 11 a.m. Friday at Leavittt Funeral Home, Parkersburg, with Bob Rose officiating. Entombment will follow in Sunset Memory Gardens Mausoleum. Friends may call 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. Arrangements by Leavitt Funeral Home, Parkersburg. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dorothy S. Shuemake PAGE - Dorothy Sue Fuller Shuemake, 82, died Monday, May 24, 1999, in an Oak Hill health care center following a long illness. Born July 24, 1916, at Ripplemead, Va., she was the daughter of the late Joseph Ernest and Margie Keffer Fuller. Mrs. Shuemake was a homemaker and a member of Kincaid First Church of God. She was preceded in death by her husband, William Shuemake; a son, Ernest C. Shuemake; a daughter, Wanda P. Tilley; two brothers, William and Sylvin Fuller; and a sister, Betty Maxine Fuller. Survivors include two brothers, Ernest C. Fuller of Allen Junction and David M. Fuller of Oak Hill; four sisters, Lilly M. Muth of Columbus, Ohio, Margaret V. Vass of Richlands, Va., Edith J. Hall of Hilltop and Ruby E. Tilley of Route 2, Fayetteville; four grandchildren, Jack L. Tilley of Oak Hill, William Tilley of Fayetteville, John Hall of Oak Hill and Scott Shuemake of Summersville; and four great-grandchildren, David Hall and Derek Tilley, both of Oak Hill, and Bobby Shuemake and Alyson Shuemake, both of Summersville. Graveside rites and committal services will be 2 p.m. today at Ray Humphrey Cemetery, Long Branch, with the Rev. Jack Tilley officiating. There will be no visitation. Arrangements by Tyree Funeral Home, Oak Hill. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Betty Lou Snedegar RAINELLE - Betty Lou Snedegar, 69, died Monday, May 24, 1999, at her home following a long illness. Born March 5, 1930, at Richlands, she was the daughter of the late Ray Carpenter Jones and Blanche King Jones. Mrs. Snedegar was a retired employee of Haynes Radio and Refrigeration. She was employed by Greenbrier Valley National Bank and also numerous businesses in the past with her janitorial services. Survivors include her husband of 53 years, O.E. "Wimpy" Snedegar; a daughter, Louise W. "Reject" McClung of Rupert; two brothers, Ray C. Jones of Mount Airy, Md., and William P. Jones of Craigsville, Va.; a granddaughter, Misty N. Cook of Rainelle; a grandson, Richard W. Wheeler of Greenwood, Ind.; and a great-granddaughter, Morgan Faith Cook. Graveside services and burial will be 2 p.m. today at Wallace Memorial Cemetery, Clintonville, with the Rev. Bill Cruse officiating. There will be no visitation. In lieu of flowers, donations of sympathy may be made to Greenbrier Valley Hospice, 203 S. Jefferson St., Lewisburg, WV 24901. Arrangements by Wallace and Wallace Funeral Home, Rainelle. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Frederick Lee Tomblin LOS ANGELES - Frederick Lee Tomblin, 72, formerly of Beckley, died Wednesday, April 21, 1999, in Los Angeles following a short illness. Born Dec. 30, 1926, he was the son of the late James Robert Tomblin and Hazel Elizabeth Redden Tomblin. Mr. Tomblin was retired president of Commonwealth Land and Title Co., Philadelphia, and senior vice president of Chicago Title and Trust Co., Chicago. He held a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's degree in history from Marshall University. He also held an MBA and a law degree from the University of Chicago. He was of the Methodist faith. Survivors include his wife, Irene Riddle Tomblin; two sons, Wayne Tomblin of Huntington Beach, Calif., and Michael Tomblin of Brookings, Ore.; two daughters, Frances Tomblin of San Francisco and Karen Smith of Yucapia, Calif.; and six grandchildren. Graveside memorial services will be noon Saturday at Kidwell Cemetery, Table Rock, with Pastor Edward Garten officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations of sympathy may be made to stroke research of the American Heart Association. Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Beckley. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shirley D. Wickline BOCA RATON, Fla. - Shirley Dean Wickline, 62, formerly of Westland, Mich., and Beckley, died Sunday, May 16, 1999, in a Boca Raton hospital following a long illness. Born Jan. 14, 1937, at Metalton, he was the son of the late Hubert Lee and Sylvia Hanson Wickline. Mr. Wickline was self-employed and attended the Methodist church. He was preceded in death by his wife, Kaye Lewis Wickline. Survivors include a daughter, Denise Wickline of Westland; a son, Donald Wickline at home; his companion, Marlene Gelfand of Boca Raton; a sister, Madeleine Hinkle of True; three brothers, Muriel Wickline and his wife, Anita, of Buck, Glen Wickline and his wife, Zella, of Monroe, Ore., and Donald Wickline and his wife, Rose, of Logan; a brother-in-law, Donald Lewis and his wife, Sandy, of Mount Pleasant, Tenn.; and several nieces and nephews. A memorial service was held in Boca Raton. The body was cremated. Information was submitted by Calfee Funeral Home, Beckley. 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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