Edward Fern Adcock

KEGLEY — Edward Fern Adcock, 74, of Kegley, died Friday, September 3, 2010, at Princeton Community Hospital. Born December 12, 1935, at Buckingham, VA, he was the son of the late Andrew Adcock and Ruth Adcock.

Mr. Adcock was a very devoted husband and a loving dad. He was a member of the Jesus Way Church in Maben. He was a former employee of a furniture company in Virginia. In his spare time he enjoyed wood working, gardening and the outdoors. He enjoyed life and loved to laugh and make new friends.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one brother, Lawrence Adcock; and one sister, Agnes Morris.

Survivors include his wife of 50 years, Shirley Howerton Adcock; two daughters, Shelby Hilal and her husband Zaid of Summerville, SC, and Carolyn Adcock of Princeton; three grandchildren, Zaid Hilal, Neal Hilal and Hana Hilal all of Summerville, SC; one great-granddaughter, Farrah Hilal of Summerville, SC; and his mother-in-law, Ruth Howerton of Garwood.

Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Monday, September 6, 2010, at the Rowland H. Bailey Funeral Chapel of the Bailey-Kirk Funeral Home in Princeton. Interment will follow at Roselawn Memorial Gardens in Princeton. Family and friends will serve as pallbearers.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, P.O. Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090-6011.

Friends may call Sunday, September 5, 2010, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Bailey-Kirk Funeral Home in Princeton.

To view a video tribute to Mr. Adcock, or send the family online condolences, please visit www.bailey-kirk.com.

Vertie Louranna Belcher

OCEANA — Vertie Louranna Belcher, 91, of Oceana, passed away Saturday, Sept. 4, 2010, at the Bowers Hospice House, Beckley.

E-mail letters of sympathy may be sent at www.staffordfamilyfuneralhome.com.

The family is being served by the Stafford Family Funeral Home, Lynco.

Mable Loucille Bennett

TALCOTT — Mable Loucille Bennett, 92, of Talcott died September 3, 2010, at the Summers Nursing and Rehab Center following a short illness.

Born January 14, 1918, at Zion Mountain, she was the daughter of the late Emery and Ida Comer. Mable was of the Methodist faith, attending church as long as her health permitted, a homemaker and the last surviving member of her family.

Besides her parents she was preceded in death by a daughter, Gladys Ann Bennett; two brothers and one sister.

Survived by three daughters, Jean Houchins and Mary Meadows both of Talcott and Gaye Cook of Hinton; one son, John A. “Archie” Bennett of Talcott; three grandsons, Billy Houchins, Bradley Meadows and W.B. Cook; two granddaughters, Myranda Bennett and T.J. Shorter; and four great-grandchildren, Corey Meadows, Gavin Cook, Jada Cook and Lylla Kay Shorter.

At her request she was cremated and the family will have a private memorial service at a later date.

Arrangements are by the Ronald Meadows Funeral Parlors of Hinton.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.ronaldmeadowsfp.com.

Bertie Wilma Simpson DeHart

Bertie Wilma Simpson DeHart, 80, of Crab Orchard, went to her eternal reward September 3, 2010, after a long and courageous battle with declining health. She was a faithful and loving wife and mother, who always put others ahead of herself.

She was born Nov. 3, 1929, in Surry Co., NC, to Mecie and Coley Simpson. She was also preceded in death by siblings Rufus Simpson, Estle Wilson, Audrey Wood, and Wayne Simpson.

She was the wife of Pastor Wayne DeHart who served the Clarksburg Church of God for many years and she was always at his side.

She is survived by all five of her children: Judy Whitlow (Greg) of Kellysville, WV, Rebecca Jenkins (Danny) of Clarksburg, WV, Elizabeth Davis of Princeton, WV, Earl DeHart (Cathy) of Colonial Heights, VA, and Joe DeHart of Altoona, PA. She has eleven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Also surviving are siblings Vernie Johnson, Mildred Wood, Gay Nell Culler, and Robert Simpson and several nieces and nephews.

The family will receive visitors from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, September 5, 2010, at the Clarksburg Church of God (Liberty Addition) with a memorial service following. A second viewing will be Monday, September 6, from 12 p.m. until 2 p.m. at the Sophia Church of God near Beckley with funeral following.

Arrangements are made by Greathouse Funeral Home in Salem, WV. In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to Bowers Hospice House, 454 Cranberry Drive, Beckley, WV 25801.

Online condolences may be sent to greathousesalem@gmail.com.

Earl Calvin Parker

Earl Calvin Parker, 62, of Shady Spring, passed away Sunday, Aug. 29, 2010, at the Raleigh General Hospital in Beckley, following a long illness.

There will be no services or visitation.

Arrangements are by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, 729 Flat Top Road, Shady Spring.

Mary Jo Collins Riffee

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Mary Jo Collins Riffee, 49, of Jacksonville, Fla., formerly of Clear Creek, passed away Friday, Sept. 3, 2010, at her home in Jacksonville.

Arrangements are pending completion at the Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, 1901 S. Kanawha St., Beckley.

Raymond Ray Sumpter

SCARBRO — Raymond Ray Sumpter, 62, of Scarbro passed away September 2, 2010, at Raleigh General Hospital.

Born December 24, 1947, at Kingston, son of the late Eugene Kenneth Sumpter and Annie Belma Sumpter.

Ray was a retired coal miner and attended Mount Hope High School. He was preceded in death by his father Eugene and a brother, Barry Dwayne Sumpter.

Those left to cherish his memory include his mother Annie Belma Sumpter, his children Kevin Sumpter and wife Vanessa, Jonathan Sumpter and wife Diane, Hope Sumpter, Christopher Sumpter and wife Jessica, and Misty Sumpter, Siblings Ronald Eugene Sumpter and wife Rebeca, Joan Ellen Toney and husband John, William Charles Sumpter and wife Janice, Elizabeth Sue Conley and husband Charles, Donnie Earl Sumpter and wife Brenda, Vivian Ann Gilkerson and husband Butch, Jerry Nelson Sumpter and wife Tina, Grandchildren Amber Rae-lyn Sumpter, Kiersta Eve Sumpter, Brianna Jordyn Sumpter, Jared Steven Sumpter, Autum Leigh Sumpter, Caleb Andrew Sumpter, Shaina Shantelle Sumpter, Alexis Nicole Sumpter, Kaeden Matthew Sumpter, Zachary Tyler Sumpter and Levi Alexander Sumpter.

A memorial service will be held 6 p.m. Monday at Mossy Living Word Church with Rev. Paul Basham officiating.

Following Raymond’s wishes, his remains were donated to science to the Medical Department at West Virginia University.

Arrangements by High Lawn Funeral Home Chapel, Oak Hill.

Merle Kathleen Toney (nee Cantley)

HEMET, Calif. — Merle Kathleen Toney, 83, of Hemet, CA, died July 28, 2010, after a short period of heart problems. Born in Stickney, WV, on February 24, 1927, Merle was the daughter of Clounie and Martha Cantley of Rock Creek, WV.

After her marriage to the late William Bryant Toney in 1951, Merle and he settled in Ohio where they raised two sons. Upon William’s retirement in 1993, the Toneys moved to Hemet, California. William passed away in 2001. In recent years, Merle especially enjoyed her grandchildren, gardening and researching family history from within the Raleigh County area of West Virginia. She was a kind and generous friend and neighbor to all.

Survivors include son Rick Toney of Walnut Creek, CA, and son Barry Toney of Long Beach, CA; three grandchildren, two brothers, John Floyd Cantley of Beckley, WV, and Chester Cantley of Anderson, IN; and several nieces and nephews.

Merle rests with her husband of 50 years, together in peace, at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, CA.

Virginia Phillips Trent

Virginia Phillips Trent, age 82, of Maple Fork Road, our precious wife, mother, grandmother and mother-in-law, went to be with Jesus on Friday, September 3, 2010, at Appalachian Regional Hospital after a long illness.

Born December 31, 1927, in Boone, NC, she was the daughter of the late Clinton and Ola Bledsoe Phillips.

Virginia was a teletype operator having worked for Beckley Newspapers. She spent many of her younger years playing guitar and singing in church. Her beautiful playing and singing will be heard now in Heaven. She also loved to hear her two grandsons play guitar and sing. Loved so much by her precious family, the example of her Christian faith will always be a part of who we are. Daily she encouraged us to love the Lord, do good and pray hard. We are only here for a little while, she would say; every day she showed us the true meaning of a “Christian.”

She never complained, even in extreme sickness. She praised the Lord for “he does everything perfect.

Her shining example will live on in each of us and the joy of her life was Jesus. She loved those close to her with all her heart and had compassion of those she never knew. The greatest blessing were her grand babies, Corban Denny and his wife Deanna and Brandon McIntyre.

When things got tough, she would smile and say “I love you”; this we will miss the most. We will remember the good times; though the pain will only be mended by God’s hand. We love you, Nanny; Jesus will take good care of you. We are so blessed to have called you “Nanny” and you will always be our “Angel.”

In addition to her “grand babies” she will be sadly missed by her husband of 58 years, Leonard F. “Pickles” Trent of Maple Fork Road; her two daughters, Jinny Denny and her husband Matthew of Maple Fork Road and Angie McClellan and husband Sam of Beckley who were her caregivers for the past year at their home.

Special nephew and niece, Sandra and Harold Trent whose love and support is greatly appreciated.

Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, September 5, 2010, from the Tyree Funeral Home, Mt. Hope, with Rev. Jerry Tyree officiating. Burial will follow in Pax Community Cemetery at Pax, WV.

Friends may call at the funeral home from 2 p.m. until the service hour of 3 p.m.

Family members and friends will serve as pallbearers.

Online condolences may be sent to www.tyreefuneralhome.com.

Arrangements by Tyree Funeral Home, Mt. Hope, WV.