Register Herald Obituaries for October 6, 1999 Carlotta R. East CLEVELAND – Carlotta Rose East, formerly of Beckley, went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, Oct. 3, 1999. Born on June 10, Mrs. East was the middle of three children born to Morrell Elizabeth White Tillman of Hinton and the late Adolphus Tillman. She attended Lincoln High School, Hinton. While attending Caimen Baptist Church, she found the Lord, under the direction of the Rev. Nicholson of Hinton. After moving to Beckley, she joined Ebenezer Baptist Church under the Rev. Mitchel. Mrs. East was known by everyone as "mom or nannie" because of her wonderful, caring and loving personality. She was preceded in death by her stepfather, Roger M. Taylor; a brother, Andre Taylor; two sisters, Sharon and Petie Tillman; and a granddaughter, Natashia Nicole East. Survivors include her husband, James William "Bill" Russell, whom she married Dec. 27, 1953; her mother, Morrell Elizabeth Taylor of Beckley; her children: William Roger East of Gaithersburg, Md., and Elizabeth Ann East and James William Russell East Jr., both of Brunswick, Ohio; an adopted daughter and son, Regina Diane Wright and Dewain Michael Wright; seven grandchildren, DeWayne Deshon East, Antoinette Carlotta, Lethia East, Kathrina Marie East, Travis Alexander Wright, Tyrone Anthony Wright and Tamyra Antoinette Wright; two great- grandchildren, Taylor Nicole East and Damon Tyrique East; two daughters-in-law, Desire Bunkley and Patricia East; three sisters, Marva Morrison of Beckley and Paula Loombard and Elizabeth Tillman, both of Detroit; two brothers, Adolphus Lee Tillman and Norman Tillman, both of Detroit; a host of relatives and friends. Services will be 2 p.m. Thursday at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 317 E. Liberty, Medina, Ohio. Friends may call 7 to 9 p.m. today at Waite & Sons Funeral Home, 765 N. Court St., Medina. Information submitted by Ritchie and Johnson Funeral Parlor, Beckley. ---------- Gloria M. Gwinn MOUNT HOPE – Gloria Marie Gwinn, 77, died Monday, Oct. 4, 1999, in a Beckley hospital following a long illness. Born Aug. 17, 1922, in Kingston, she was the daughter of the late Leo Carl and Maggie Bennett Armstrong. Mrs. Gwinn was a homemaker and a member of Mount Hope Baptist Temple and the Ladies Church Circle. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ray Albert Gwinn Sr., in 1996; a son, Ray A. Gwinn Jr.; and a brother, Russell Armstrong. Survivors include two daughters, Brenda Michael and her husband, Gary, of Richmond, Va., and Mary Lou Maynor and her husband, Sanford, of Pax; a daughter-in-law, Dianna Gwinn Farley of Harper; a brother-in-law, J.C. Gwinn of Mount Hope; a sister, Goldie Stark of Franklin, Ohio; three brothers, Alfred B. Armstrong of Avenger, Texas, Norman D. Armstrong of Branson, Mo., and Stacey K. Armstrong of Valejo, Calif.; two granddaughters, Amanda Goodrich and her husband, Leslie, of Richmond and Julie Anne Michael of Richmond; a stepgranddaughter, Delisa Pugh of Harper Heights; two stepgreat-granddaughters, Katlyn and Alexis Pugh of Harper Heights; and several nieces and nephews. Services will be 1 p.m. Thursday at Blue Ridge Funeral Home Chapel, Beckley, with the Rev. Bill Withers officiating. Burial will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley. Friends may call 7 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home. Friends will serve as pallbearers. Arrangements by Blue Ridge Funeral Home, Beckley. ---------- Catherine Higginbotham BLUEFIELD, Va. – Catherine Crockett Higginbotham, of Colonial Garden Apartments, died Monday, Oct. 4, 1999, in a local hospital. Born in Galax, Va., she was the daughter of the late John Dyer Crockett and Ada Baker Crockett. Mrs. Higginbotham was an active member of First Presbyterian Church of Bluefield and was a member of the Mercer County Committee of the Colonial Dames of America, East River Garden Club, McGuffy Book Club and Fincastle Country Club. She was educated in local schools and was a graduate of the Medical College of Virginia as a registered nurse. She was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Upshur Higginbotham; a brother; and a sister. Survivors include her children: Upshur Higginbotham Jr. and his wife, Alice, of Beckley, John Thomas Higginbotham and his wife, Joan, of Alexandria, Va., Ann Higginbotham Gibson of Destin, Fla., and Henry Kessler Higginbotham and his wife, Victoria, of Pulaski, Va.; two brothers, Joseph Pierce Crockett and Buford Baily Crockett, both of Galax, Va.; and four grandchildren. Graveside rites will be 11 a.m. Thursday at Monte Vista Park Cemetery, Green Valley, with Dr. W.D. Hasty Jr. officiating. The family will receive friends from noon to 2 p.m. today at 2116 Mount View Avenue, Bluefield, Va. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations of sympathy be made to First Presbyterian Church, 208 Tazewell Ave., Bluefield, WV 24701 or to the charity of your choice. Arrangements by Mercer Funeral Home, 1231 W. Cumberland Rd., Bluefield. ---------- Oras Otis Jackson Oras Otis Jackson, 91, of Beckley, died Saturday, Oct. 2, 1999, in a Beckley hospital following a long illness. Born April 8, 1908, in Macon, Ga., Mr. Jackson was a member of the Mount Zion Baptist Church. He had been employed in New York most of his life and was a World War II veteran of the U.S. Navy. He was preceded in death by his wife, Blossom Jackson, in September 1990. Survivors include a host of nieces and nephews; the Maniece, Jackson and Boyden families of Beckley; the Mann family of Woodbridge, Va., and the Poe, Maxwell and Wolfe families of Gary. Services will be 1 p.m. today at Ritchie and Johnson Funeral Parlor Chapel, Beckley, with the Rev. Nelson Staples Jr. officiating. Burial will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley. Friends may call one hour before services at the funeral parlor. Arrangements by Ritchie and Johnson Funeral Parlor, Beckley. ---------- Victoria McKnight Victoria McKnight, 89, of Eunice, Whitesville, died Monday, Oct. 4, 1999, at the home of her daughter, Louise Aliff of Eunice, following a long illness. Born April 15, 1910, in Marfork, she was the daughter of the late John Henry and Launa Gunnoe Asbury. She was preceded in death by her husband, Austin K. McKnight; a daughter, Gail Lona; two sisters, Alice Carr and Nellie Pettry; and a brother, Henry Asbury. Other survivors include a daughter, Shirley Scarbro of Cleveland; six sons, Charles Lee of Whitesville, Clyde Dempsey of Rock Creek, Arley Guy of Cleveland and Bobby Lee, Austin K. Jr. and Billy Joe, all of Ratcliff, Ky.; a brother, Golden Asbury of Columbus, Ohio; 42 grandchildren; 88 great-grandchildren; and eight great-great-grandchildren. Services will be 1 p.m. Thursday at Armstrong Funeral Home Chapel, Whitesville, with the Rev. Cecil McClellan officiating. Burial will follow in Miller Cemetery, Rock Creek. Friends may call from 6 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home. Grandsons will serve as pallbearers. Arrangements by Armstrong Funeral Home, Whitesville. ---------- Gerald E. Sears Gerald Edward Sears, 61, of 408 Orchard Ave., Beckley, died Sunday, Oct. 3, 1999, in a Beckley hospital following a short illness. Born July 22, 1938, in Winona, he was the son of Frances Allen Sears of Beckley and the late Godfrey Sears. Mr. Sears was retired from the New York Transit Authority as a bus driver. He was a member of the Mount Zion Baptist Church, a U.S. Army veteran and a member of John Scott Lodge No. 1070. Other survivors include his wife, Delia Sears of New York; two sons, Gerald Sears of Queens, N.Y., and DaiQuan Sears of Beckley; two aunts, Edith Davis of Beckley and Bertha Jones of Washington, D.C.; a special friend, Sherie Hairston of Beckley; and a host of other relatives and friends. Services will be 1 p.m. Thursday at Mount Zion Baptist Church, Beckley, with the Rev. Nelson Staples Jr. officiating. Burial will follow in Locus Lane Cemetery, Lookout. Friends may call after 3 p.m. today at Ritchie and Johnson Funeral Parlor, Beckley, and one hour before services Thursday at the church. Daughters of the Elks will serve as flowerbearers. Brothers of the Elks will serve as pallbearers. Arrangements by Ritchie and Johnson Funeral Parlor, Beckley. ---------- Mary E. Smith Mary Elizabeth Fisher Smith, 85, of Glen Morgan, died Tuesday, Oct. 5, 1999, in a Beckley hospital following a long illness. Born March 6, 1914, in Scarbro, she was the daughter of the late James Lewis and India McGlothan Fisher. Mrs. Smith was a homemaker and a member of Wesleyan Baptist Church, Daniels. She was preceded in death by her husband, Mickey Rancy Smith; two sons, Norman Leslie Smith and Carl Wilson Smith; a daughter, Joan Dale Rakes; and three sisters, Martha Fisher, Violet McKinney and Beatrice McClung. Survivors include five sons, Leonard Edward Smith, Bobby Roger Smith of Midway, Michael E. Smith of Glen Morgan, Clifford T. Smith of Ohio and Gary W. Smith of Wyoming County; six daughters, Lorrain Joyce Bowles of Quinnmont, Betty Carol Hall of Beckley, Norma Jean Schultz of Wisconsin, Linda Sue Ayers of Glen Morgan, Patricia Ann Smith of Shady Spring and Debra D. Dillon of Beckley; two brothers, Sherman Fisher and Charles Fisher, both of Tacoma, Wash.; a sister, Goldia Kondi of Maryland; and 39 great-grandchildren. Graveside services will be 11 a.m. Thursday at Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley, with the Revs. Dean Adams and Gene Hall officiating. Burial will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley. Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. today at Blue Ridge Funeral Home, Beckley. Family and friends will serve as pallbearers. Arrangements by Blue Ridge Funeral Home, Beckley. ---------- ---------- Paul A. Thompson NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. – Paul Alton Thompson, 94, formerly of Crawley, died Monday, Oct. 4, 1999, at his home. Born Oct. 22, 1904, in Crawley, Mr. Thompson was of the Protestant faith. He was a former superintendent and caretaker of The End of the Trail and Wallace Memorial cemeteries from 1930 until his retirement in 1973. He had been a resident of New Port Richey since 1993. He was preceded in death by his wife, Theora Christian Thompson, in 1980. Survivors include a son, Gerald Wayne "Jerry" Thompson of Elfers, Fla.; a sister, Edgel Perkins of Rupert; and three grandchildren. Services will be 11 a.m. Thursday at Wallace Memorial Mausoleum Chapel, Clintonville, with the Rev. Leroy Crane officiating. Entombment will follow in Wallace Memorial Mausoleum Sanctuary, Clintonville. Friends may call 7 to 9 p.m. today at Wallace and Wallace Funeral Home, Rainelle. Arrangements by Wallace and Wallace Funeral Home, Rainelle. ---------- Brinnie S. Workman Brinnie Sherman Workman, 87, of Beckley, died Sunday, Oct. 3, 1999, in a Beckley care center following a long illness. Born May 24, 1912, in Workmans Creek, he was the son of the late Billie and Rosa Williams Workman. Mr. Workman was a lifelong resident of the Clear Creek area and was a retired farmer and sawmill worker. He was of the Christian faith. He was preceded in death by two brothers, Kelly and Dellmer Workman; and three sisters, Winnie Burgess, Margie and Mellie Workman. Survivors include a sister, Wanda Atha of Bidwell, Ohio. Services will be 1 p.m. Thursday at Melton Mortuary Chapel, Beckley, with the Rev. John Burgess officiating. Burial will follow in Workmans Creek Cemetery. Friends may call noon until time of services Thursday at the funeral home. Family members and neighbors will serve as pallbearers. Arrangements by Melton Mortuary, 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. 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. ****************************************************************