WAYNE COUNTY OBITUARIES
1997
DIED - October 8, 1997 ** C.H. "JACKIE" MCKOWN, 89, of Huntington, in Mariner Heath Care.Born Oct. l0, 1907
in Ripley, W.Va., Son of the late John Greer and Charlotte (Staats) McKown. Burial Oct.
11, 1998 in Ridgelawn MemoriaI Burial Park. Survived by a son, Charles H. McKown, Jr., M.
D., and a granddaughter,
Sherwin McKown Mouw, M.D.
************************************************************************************************
DIED - Dec. 6, 1997 ** GLEN FRANKLIN CROCKETT, 52 of
Hendersonville, NC, formerly of Wayne, W. Va., at Hendersonville, NC. Born Feb. 6,1945, a
son of the late Virgil Pat Crockett and Verlie Crockett. Preceded in death bytwo sisters,
Lucille Porter and Patsy Jean Saunders. Survivors include two daughters, Kathy Crockett
and Samantha Avant; one sister, Barbara Joan Crockett; two brothers and sisters-in-law,
Bobby Joe and Maxine Crockett and Lee Henry and Bonnie Crockett. Burial Jan. 3, 1988.
************************************************************************************************
DIED - Dec. 12, 1997 ** JOHN MICHAEL
CALDWELL, 49, of Kenova, W.Va. in St. Mary’s
Hospital. Born Aug. 19, 1948 in Wayne County, a son of the late Marie (Fortner) Caldwell
and John Caldwell. Preceded in death by his wife, Lora J. (Workman) Caldwell, and two
brothers, Ronald and Bill Caldwell. Survivors also include two daughters and one
son-in-law, Kimberly and Greg Page, and Crissy Caldwell; one sister, Virginia Combs; and
one brother, Harry Caldwell. Burial Dec. 15, 1997 in Docks Creek Cemetery.
************************************************************************************************
DIED - Dec. 16, 1997 ** MRS. GEORGIA
FINLEY RASNICK, 89, of Wayne and Huntington, W.Va. She
was born, April 26, 1908 in Wayne, County, W.Va., a daughter of the late Andrew Jackson
and Victoria (Smith) Finley. She was preceded in death by her husband, Walter P. Rasnick;
brothers, Lloyd, Orville, William and Eldridge Finley; and a sister, Fanny Holcomb.
Survivors include, two daughters and sons-in-law, Virginia Lucille and Velois Keefer and
Louise and Leonard Bays; and a brother, Elmer Finley. Burial in Community Memorial Gardens
************************************************************************************************
DIED - Dec 17, 1997 ** MRS. RUTH
"ANN" BURGESS, 68, of Kenova, W.Va., in St.
Mary’s Hospital, Huntington, W.Va. She was born Feb. 8, 1929 in Huntington, W.Va. a
daughter of Mildred (Walker) Mitchell. Survivors include her husband, Oley J. Burgess,
Sr.; one daughter, Sandra Ann Fitzpatrick; and one son, Oley J. "Jody" Burgess,
Jr. Burial Dec. 19, 1998 in Hillcrest Cemetery, Kenova, W.Va.
************************************************************************************************
DIED - Dec. 18, 1997 ** MR. MARSHALL J.
HENSLEY, 67, of Kenova, W.Va., in
Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Huntington, W.Va. Born May 13, 1930 in Salt Rock, W.Va.
Survivors include his wife, Phyllis (Chapman) Hensley; four sons and daughters-in-law,
Ralph and Deborah Hensley, Donald and Anita Hensley, Claude
and Pamella Hensley, Marshall Hensley, Jr., and Monica Hensley; three daughters and
sons-in-0law, Peggy and William Hodges, Sharon and Hugo Arango, and Deborah Napier and
Alfred Napier, Jr.; two brothers; and four sisters. Burial Dec. 20, 1997 in Spring Valley
Memory Gardens.
*************************************************************************************************
DIED - Dec. 19, 1997 ** ORETHA
"FRANCES" CANTERBURY, 64 of
Huntington, W. VA., at St. Mary's Hospital. Born May25, 1933, in Wayne, W. Va., a daughter
of the late Mose and Mary (Thompson) Hunt. She was preceded in death by her husband,
Bennie Canterbury. Survivors include two daughters, Diana Rich and husband James and Kathy
Carter; two sons, Jack Canterbury and Bob Canterbury and wife, Susan; a sister, Della St.
Clair; a brother, Carl Hunt. Burial in White Chapel Memorial Gardens.
*************************************************************************************************
DIED - Dec. 20, 1997 ** LOUISE
BOWENS, 69 of Columbus, Ohio, in Park Medical
Center, Columbus, OH. Born Oct. 11, 1928, in Webb, W. Va., a daughter of the late Luther
and Ada (Copley) Meade. Survivors include two sisters, Lorene Perry and Janie Salyers; two
brothers, Walter Meade and Eugene Meade; and a sister-in-law, Berta Delarino. Burial Webb
Community Center, Webb, W. Va.
*************************************************************************************************
DIED - Dec 20, 1997 ** MR.
FISHER BLANKENSHIP, 81, of Wayne, W.Va., in St.
Mary’s Hospital, Huntington, W.Va. Born February 22, 1916, in Wayne, W.Va., a son of
the late Everette and Florence (Hale) Blankenship. He was preceded in death by his first
wife, Mabel (Tooley) Blankenship, and two brothers, Clyde and Truman Blankenship.
Survivors include his wife, Polly A. Blankenship; a son and daughter-in-law, Carl E. and
Carolyn S. Blankenship; two step daughters and sons-in-law, Brenda and Orval L. Perry and
Gloria and John Osburn; two sisters, Erie Kelley, and Lucille Dolby; and three
sisters-in-law, Ona Blankenship, Marie Gifford
and Inez Blanenship. Burial Dec. 20, 1998 in White Chapel Memorial Gardens, Barboursville,
W.Va.
*************************************************************************************************
DIED - Dec. 21, 1997 ** MRS.
MARGARET KATE BAILEY BURGESS, 82, of Kenova, W.
Va., in St. Mary's Hospital. Born May 25, 1915 in Cabell County, a daughter of the late
Weaver and Easter Bailey. Preceded in death by her husband, Willie Sidney Burgess, Sr.;
three sons, Willie Sidney Burgess, Jr., Cecil Burgess and
Freddie Lee Burgess; two brothers and one sister, Mack, Gaylord and Lucy. Survivors
include one daughter, Hellen Marie Burgess Camp; three sons, James Douglas Burgess, Walter
Dale Burgess and Robert Lee Burgess; two brothers, Homer Bailey and Buck Bailey. Burial in
Blair Cemetery, Upper Gragston Creek.
*************************************************************************************************
DIED - Dec. 22, 1997, ** NOAH M.
SIMPKINS, 73, in St. Mary's Hospital. Born Jan.
12, 1924, in Wayne County, W. Va., a son of the late Henry and Anna (Sanders) Simpkins.
Preceded in death by his wife, Coleen Bowen Simpkins; brother, Burgess Simpkins and
sister, Ernestine McGlaughlin. Survivors include two sons, Noah
Simpkins, Jr., and Carl William Simpkins; one daughter, Carolyn Rowe; three sisters, Ella
Johnson, Ona Perry and Delsa Langhurst. Burial Dec. 26, 1997 in Rome Cemetery.
*************************************************************************************************
DIED- Dec. 23, 1997 ** MR.
HAROLD L. OSBURN, 72, of Ashland, KY, at St.
Mary's Hospital. Born Nov. 11, 1925 in Wayne, W. Va., son of the late Rice and Ida (Cyrus)
Osburn. Preceded in death by three sisters, Blanche Ackerman, Mildred Damron, and infant,
Beulah Osburn, and two infant brothers, William Jennings Osburn and Donald Robert Osburn.
Survivors include his wife, Ernestine (Schumann) Osburn; two daughters and sons-in law,
Pamela and Robert Gearhart and Tamara Lynn and Chris Dunkle; two sons and a
daughter-in-law, Randy and
Donna Osburn and Bryan Osburn; two sisters, Lola Lucille Gilbert and Betty June Dowell and
a brother, Howard Franklin Osburn. Burial Dec. 27, 1997, in Elmwood Cemetery.
*************************************************************************************************
DIED - Dec. 23, 1997, ** HAZEL
MAE WILEY SMITH, 85, of Ranger, W. Va. Born Oct.
12, 1912, at Cove Gap, W. Va., a daughter of the late Marion and Caroline Nelson Wiley.
Preceded in death by a son, Thomas Midkiff, a step-son, Ray Smith and two infant sons.
Survivors include her husband, Wetzel Smith; two daughters and sons-in-law, Es telle and
Jarrett Maynard and Gloria and David Bell; three step-daughters and sons-in-law, Fern and
Dale Manns, Bonnie and Bill Damron, and Betty Jo and Pete DeVore; a daughter-in-law, Lou
Creda Midkiff; three sons, Dale Midkiff, Dwight Midkiff and Cliff Alan Smith and his wife,
Cheryl Ann; a sister-in-law, Dora Wiley. Burial Dec. 27, 1997 in Sanders Cemetery, Ranger,
W. Va.
*************************************************************************************************
DIED - Dec. 24, 1997 ** LORA MAY
"GRANNY" CLAY, 89 of Lavalette,
formerly of East Lynn, W. Va., in Mariner Health Care Center, Huntington, W. Va. Born
May14, 1908, in Lincoln, Co., W. Va. a daughter of the late Charles W. and Betha (Adkins)
Baker. Preceded in death by her husband, Tilden "Tucker" Clay, two sons, James
Ivan Clay and Burl Clay, a grandson, Gary Eugene Clay, three brothers, Woodrow, Milton and
Wiley Baker and son-in-law, Charles Pinson. Survivors include four daughters and two
sons-in-law, Opal Midkiff, Ailene Pinson, Freda and Chalmer Adkins and Maxine and Cleon
Clay; two sons and daughters-in-law, Eugene "Duge" and Linda Clay and Charles
and Brenda Caly; a former daughter-in-law, Sylvia Mathis and her son Ed; a sister Mayme
Mathews; a brother James "Bud"Baker. Burial in Watson Cemetery near Branchland,
W. Va.
*************************************************************************************************
DIED - Dec. 24, 1997 ** MISS
RUTH E. THOMPSON, 91, of New Smyrna Beach, FL,
formerly of Kenova.Born June 10, 1906, in Ceredo, a daughter of the late Charles W. and
Leah (Staley) Thompson. Preceded in death by two sisters, Faye Frazier and Irene New.
Survived by one sister, Dorothy Barringer; one niece, Jo Barringer; one
nephew, Robert Frazier. Burial Dec. 29, 1997 in Woodmere Memorial Cemetery, Huntington, W.
Va.
*************************************************************************************************
DIED - Dec. 25, 1997 ** MRS.
BETTY JEAN MICHAELS, 53, of Ceredo, in Cabell
Huntington Hospital. Born June 27, 1944, in Huntington, W. Va., a daughter of Robert
Fuller, Sr. of Huntington and the late Dorothy (VanMeter) Fuller. She is survived by her
husband, Ted Michaels; two daughters, Sherry and Donald Perry and
Paula and Lance Moore; two brothers, Paul Fuller and Robert D. Fuller, Jr. Burial in Maple
Hill Memorial Cemetery, Kenova, W. Va.
*************************************************************************************************
DIED - Dec. 28, 1997 ** MR. GLEN
H. THOMPSON, 71, of Route #1, Genoa, W. Va., at
St. Mary's Hospital. Born May 4, 1926, at Sidney, W. Va., a son of the late Henry and
Belle (Farley) Thompson. He was preceded in death by a sister, Fannie Aliff and two
brothers, Russell Thompson and Earl Thompson. Survivors include two daughters, Glenna
Artrip and April Schmuker; a son, Norman Thompson; a sister, Myrtle Scott; three brothers,
Ford Thompson, Foley Thompson and Cletis Thompson. Burial Dec 31, 1997 in Huff Cemetery
near Genoa, W. Va.