Register Herald Obituaries for September 8, 1999 Delbert W. Farley Delbert Woodrow Farley, 83, of Sophia, formerly of Rhodell, died Monday, Sept. 6, 1999, at a Beckley hospital following a long illness. Born Oct. 26, 1915, in Princewick, he was the son of the late Addy C. and Nannie Phlegar Farley, and his late stepmother, Lizzie E. Farley. Mr. Farley was a retired coal miner and was a member of Sophia Church of God. He was preceded in death by his wife, Bonnie Marie Farley; a brother, Paul; a sister, June; and an infant son. Survivors include a son, Terry Farley and his wife, Judy, of Sophia; two daughters, Glenna Tudor and her husband, John, of Sophia and Mary Lou Blair and her husband, William "Denny," of Cleveland, Tenn.; six brothers, Erskin, Gene and Addy C. Farley Jr., all of Indianapolis, James R. Farley of Tioga, Larry Farley of Beckley and Simon Phlegar of Princeton; four sisters, Claudia Hanna of Bedford, Ind., Betty Cox of Sophia, Vada McCary of Gadsden, Ala., and Freda Walker of Corbin, Ky.; seven grandchildren, John and his wife, Kierstin Tudor, Joel and his wife, Angel Tudor, Kristy, Karla and Steven Blair, and Kari and Jeremy Farley; and one great-grandchild, Kambrie Tudor. Services will be 7 p.m. Thursday at Williams-Blue Ridge Funeral Home Chapel, Sophia, with the Rev. Robert Day officiating, assisted by the Revs. Roy Dale Martin, James Bostic and Judy Farley. Burial will follow in Odd Cemetery. Friends may call one hour before services Thursday at the funeral home. Arrangements by Williams-Blue Ridge Funeral Home, Sophia. Rev. Ray B. Garten RUPERT ­ The Rev. Ray B. Garten, 85, died Sunday, Sept. 5, 1999, in a Beckley hospital following a short illness. Born Feb. 11, 1914 in Summers County, he was the son of the late Alice Hogan and Elijah Joseph Garten. Rev. Garten was the former pastor of Alderson Church of God, a member of Rupert Church of God, a former yardman for Meadow River Lumber Co. and a U.S. Army World War II veteran. He was preceded in death by five sisters, Mabel Wheeler, Della Persinger, Gladys Meadows and Glenna Garten, and an infant sister, Dessie Garten; eight brothers, Roy, Eldridge, Walter, Carl, the Rev. L.A., Howard, Earl and Buren Garten; and a grandson, Daniel Brandon Chamberlain. Survivors include his wife, Ida Lee Raines Garten; two daughters, Drema Martin and her husband, Junior, and Devena Patton and her husband, Robert, all of Rupert; a son, Ronald Garten and his wife, Beverly, of Richlands, N.C.; two sisters, Beulah Hedrick of Hinton and Nora Hicks of Kernersville, N.C.; four grandsons, Ronald Garten Jr., Jason Garten, Matthew Garten and Christopher Patton; four granddaughters, Kimberly Shawver, Serita Patton, Donna Patton and Melissa Patton; and a great granddaughter, Cierra Shawver. Services will be 2 p.m. today at Rupert Church of God with the Rev. Ernest Martin officiating. Burial will follow at Wallace Memorial Cemetery, Clintonville. Friends called 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Wallace and Wallace Chapel, Rainelle, and may call one hour before services today at the church. Arrangements by Wallace and Wallace Funeral Home, Rainelle. Meredith V. Holliday RAINELLE ­ Meredith V. Holliday, RN, 81, of Florida, formerly of Rainelle, died Tuesday, Aug. 10, 1999. Born Feb. 7, 1918, she was the daughter of the late Frank and Cora Fox Spencer. She was the widow of U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Wils M. Holliday, and their assignments in the military took them to Europe and the eastern United States. Mrs. Holliday was a graduate of Grace Hospital School of Nursing, Detroit. She served as state investigator of the Indiana Board of Health and as a private duty nurse for many years. She enjoyed bowling, needlepoint and corresponding. Survivors include a son, Terry S. Holliday and his wife, Chic; a grandson, Christopher S. and family; and Community Hospice of Northeast Florida. Burial was in Arlington National Cemetery beside her husband. Arrangements by Hatcher Cremation, Jacksonville, Fla. Donald K. Keener ROCKY MOUNT, Va. ­ Donald K. Keener, 74, formerly of Beckley, died at 12:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 5, 1999, in a Rocky Mount hospital following a long illness. Born May 27, 1925, in Beckley, he was the son of the late Harmon F. Keener and Emma Perrine Keener. Mr. Keener was a retired truck driver and a World War II U.S. Navy veteran. He was of the Baptist faith and had resided at Rocky Mount for 10 years, having previously lived in New Martinsville. He was preceded in death by 10 brothers and sisters. Survivors include his wife, Mary Haught Keener; two sons, Ray Keener and his wife, Sue, of Glen Daniel and Justin Keener of Rocky Mount; two grandchildren, Tonya Moran and her husband, Paul, of El Paso, Texas, and Tracy Samples and her husband, Dwayne, of Bolt. Services will be 1 p.m. Thursday at Rose and Quesenberry Peace Chapel, Beckley, with the Rev. Rick Martin officiating. Burial will follow in Oak Grove Cemetery, Oak Grove. Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home. Pallbearers will be Kenny Samples, Luther Fitzgerald, Carl O¹Hara, Carson Keener, Ray Keener and Shawn Harpel. Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Beckley. Wayne M. Laws BROWNS MILLS, N.J. ­ Wayne M. Laws, 62, formerly of Prosperity, went to be with our Lord on Aug. 27, 1999, at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Philadelphia. Born April 15, 1937, he was the son of Billie E. Laws of Prosperity and the late Wayne W. Laws. Mr. Laws was a retired operating engineer of heavy equipment with the Union of Corporation Engineers Local No. 825. He was a member of Pemberton First Baptist Church, Pemberton, N.J. and a Navy veteran who served during the Korean War. He was preceded in death by a brother, Dewey Gene Laws. Other survivors include his wife, Edith; two sons, Kenny Laws of Wilmington, N.C., and Russell Feldmann of Browns Mills; a daughter, Natalie Karlburg of New Leslon, N.J.; five grandchildren; and a sister, Elaine Kershner of Covington, Va. Services were 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 1, at Lankenau Funeral Home, Pemberton, N.J. Burial followed in Jacobstown Cemetery. Arrangements by Lankenau Funeral Home, Pemberton. Mary A. Lewis Mary Ann "Tootsie" Lewis, 78, of Crab Orchard, died Tuesday, Sept. 7, 1999, in a Beckley hospital following a long illness. Born Dec. 15, 1920, in Vulcan, Ky., she was the daughter of the late Greenway and Hattie McCoy Mounts. Mrs. Lewis was a longtime homemaker, wife and mother and was of the Christian faith. She was preceded in death by two brothers, Arnold and Oval Mounts, and a sister, Lucille Mounts, all of the Williamson area. Survivors include her devoted husband, Dwight T. Lewis; a son, Dwight "Pete" Lewis and his wife, Norma, of Shady Spring and their children, Dorothy "Dottie" Farley of Cool Ridge and Dwight Lewis Jr. and Brian Lewis, both of Shady Spring; two daughters, Kitty Sizemore and her husband, Alvah "Mickey," of Beckley and their children, Connie Clark of Beckley, Leslie Dotson of Ransom, Ky., and Bruce Allen Hatfield of Ohio, and Pamela Piziak and her husband, Alex, of Beckley and their children, Michael Joseph Piziak and his wife, Michelle, of Winfield and Melanie Piziak of Beckley; five great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; and a sister, Ruby Wallace of Bluefield. Services will be 3:30 p.m. today at Calfee Funeral Home Chapel, Beckley, with the Rev . Phil Shields officiating. Burial will follow in Calfee Cemetery, Mount Tabor. Friends may call 3 p.m. until time of services at the funeral home. Family members will serve as pallbearers. Arrangements by Calfee Funeral Home, Beckley. Georgia T. Overby HUNTINGTON - Georgia E. Thurbon Overby, 75, passed away, Sunday, Sept. 5, 1999, in a Huntington hospital. Born Oct. 11, 1923, in Slab Fork, she was the daughter of the late George William and Cora Cobb Johnson Thurbon. Mrs. Overby was a retired employee of the Coca Cola Bottling Co. of Huntington. She was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, having served during World War II. She was a 1941 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School of Beckley and a 1951 graduate of Marshall University. She was a member of DAV Chapter 2 of Huntington where she was a volunteer driver for veterans, American Legion Post 16 of Huntington, Howard P. Hall VFW Post 1064 of Huntington, Veterans for Civic Improvement, Marine Corps League and the Waves. She was also a member of the Tri-State Amateur Radio Association and a lifetime member of the Moose Lodge. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jimmy Owen Overby; and two brothers, Woodrow Johnson and Franklin Thurbon. Survivors include two sons, George William Overby and his wife, Debbie Brown, of Atlanta and Jimmy L. Overby of Huntington; a daughter, Ruth Ann Overby Lynch and her husband, Mike Lynch, of Vienna; a grandson, Andy Lynch of Vienna; two brothers, William Thurbon and his wife, Louise, of Florida and G.W. Thurbon and his wife, Shirley Mitchem, of Crab Orchard; two sisters, Almeta Collins of Portsmouth, Va., and Nancy Pat and her husband, Don Carpenter, of Statesville, N.C. Services will be 11 a.m. Thursday atReger Funeral Chapel, Huntington, with the Rev. Dr. James Sturm officiating. Burial will follow in Spring Hill Cemetery, Huntington. Military graveside rites will be performed by VFW Post 1064. Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. today at Reger Funeral Home, 1242 Adams Ave., Huntington. Carl Aikin, Rush Williams, Ralph Honaker, Walter Felty, Jerry Johnson and special friend Jerry will serve as honorary pallbearers. Arrangements by Reger Funeral Home, Huntington. James W. Perdue Sr. FAYETTEVILLE ­ James W. "Jack" Perdue Sr., 66, died Monday, Sept. 6, 1999, in a Charleston hospital following a short illness. Born May 5, 1933, at Harewood, he was the son of Clara Violet Perdue of Oak Hill and the late Harold E. Perdue. Mr. Perdue was a disabled coal miner and attended Cotton Hill Baptist Church. He was preceded in death by a brother, Roger Perdue; a sister, Phyllis Perdue; and a grandson, Wallace Craft III. Survivors include his wife, Anna I. Pinson Perdue; a daughter, Diana Lynn Craft and her husband, Sheldon, of Gatewood; four sons, Michael Edward Perdue and his wife, Becky, of Oak Hill, Jeffrey Allan Perdue and his wife, Rose, of Franklinton, N.C., James Wesley Perdue Jr. and his wife, Betsy, of Beckwith and Jackie Lee Perdue and his wife, Amy, of Oak Hill; seven grandchildren; three sisters, Sue Phillips of Scarbro, Norma Jordan of Oak Hill and Shirley Blackburn of Bradley; and three brothers, Bob Perdue of Smithers and Ernest and Curtis Perdue, both of Oak Hill. Services will be 11 a.m. Thursday at High Lawn Funeral Home Chapel, Oak Hill, with the Rev. Bill Menefee officiating. Entombment will follow in High Lawn Memorial Park Mausoleum, Oak Hill. Friends may call 7 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home. Pallbearers will be Michael Perdue, Jeffrey Perdue, James Perdue Jr., Jackie Perdue, Wallace Craft and Curtis Perdue. Arrangements by High Lawn Funeral Home, Oak Hill. Lena M. Serreno HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. ­ Lena Melito Serreno, 84, formerly of Beckley, died of natural causes Sunday, Sept. 5, 1999, in a Huntersville care center. Born Feb. 4, 1915, in Beckley, she was the daughter of the late Dominick and Crea Melito. Mrs. Serreno was a retired seamstress and cafeteria cook and server. She was a member of St. Theresa Catholic Church, Mooresville, N.C. Survivors include a son, William Serreno of Huntersville; four daughters, Catharine Bennett of Levitown, N.Y., Patricia Biegel of San Rafael, Calif., Elizabeth Merklin of Freeport, N.Y., and Josephine Kelty of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii; four sisters, Frances Goetz of Sunnyside, N.Y., Catharine Mula of Forrest Hills, N.Y., Josephine Schoenfelder of Middle Island, N.Y., and Agnes Melito of Beckley; 12 grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren. Funeral liturgy will be 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, Beckley, with the Rev. Pericles Malacaman as celebrant. Rite of committal will follow in Sunset Memorial Park, Beckley. Friends may call 6 to 8 p.m. today at Calfee Funeral Home, Beckley, where a prayer service will be held at 7:30 p.m. Members of the Knights of Columbus will serve as pallbearers. Arrangements 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. 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. ****************************************************************