Obituaries for the week of May 8

staff reports
Published: May 14, 2008

Elise Almond Babb, 86, of Forest, died on May 4. She was the wife of James L. Babb.
She was born Sept. 2, 1921, in Lynchburg, a daughter of the late Harry D. Almond and the late Ruth Wright Almond.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by two sons, Charles W. Councill Jr. and wife, Betty, of Lynchburg, and G. David Councill and wife, Barrie, of Lake Ridge; one daughter, Carla Councill Friede of Springfield; two sisters, Irene Paris of Dayton, Ohio, and Carolyn Schmidt of Roanoke; one bother, Robert Almond of Madison Heights; six grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by a great-granddaughter, Chloe Alexis Hopke, and a son-in-law, Richard W. Friede.
A private memorial service will be held.

Pauline Klempa Barrett, 81, of Madison Heights, died on April 30.
Born in Chicago, Ill., June 22, 1926, she was the daughter of the late Michael Klempa and the late Helen Lewandowski Klempa.
She was a retired employee of Triton Industries.
She is survived by one daughter, Mary B. York and her husband, Kenneth, of Madison Heights; one sister, Nancy K. Lenzi of Chicago, Ill.; and two grandsons, Erick York and his fiancé, Kelsey Taylor, and Nathan York.
A graveside funeral service was conducted on May 5 at St. Adalbert Cemetery in Chicago, Ill.

Thelma Walsh Beasley, 79, of Esmont, died on April 30.
She was born in Nelson County, daughter of the late Robert Edward Taylor and Mary Agnes Ragland Taylor, and was the widow of Raymond Walsh and Phillip Berryman Beasley.
Survivors include two daughters, Gwen Davis and her husband, Barry, of Barboursville and Gayle Luck and her husband, Wayne, of Esmont; four grandchildren, Angela Allen and her husband, Phillip, Jacob Small and his wife, Joy, Karen Tinsley and her husband, Marcus, and Kelly Davis; six great-grandchildren; and one step grandchild, Josh Sprouse.
She was a 1970 graduate of the University of Virginia Practical Nursing Program and she worked there in the West 2 Pediatric Department until 1979. She then worked in Children’s Rehab from 1979 until 1988 and at the Blue Ridge Epileptic Center from 1988 until 1990. Following retirement, she was active in community activities as well as her church, New Faith United Methodist Church, in Schuyler. At the church, she was Sunday school Superintendent from 1991 until 2005 and was a member of the United Methodist Women for many years.
A funeral service was held on May 2 at Thacker Brothers Funeral Home in Scottsville. Interment followed at Monticello Memory Gardens in Charlottesville.

William “Will” Carson Branham, 26, of Bedford, died on April 30. He was the husband of April K. Branham and the father of Makayla and Makinzee Branham.
Born Jan. 6, 1982, in Lynchburg, he was a son of Preston James and Bertie Johns Branham of Monroe. He was a Police Officer III with the Lynchburg Police Department, assigned to Special Operations, Traffic Safety Unit.
In addition to his wife, children and parents, he is survived by three sisters, Regina B. Miller of Lynchburg, Janet Chittum of Monroe and Annie T. Purvis of Madison Heights; four brothers, Percy Johns of Monroe, Wilby Branham of Madison Heights, Michael Branham of Monroe and Curtis Branham of Madison Heights; his father-in-law, O.T. Smith; his mother-in-law, Linda Saferight; 13 nieces and nephews; and a host of beloved friends.
A funeral service with honors by the Lynchburg Police Department Honor Guard was conducted on May 4 at Whitten Monelison Chapel. Interment followed in St. Paul’s Cemetery, Monroe.

James “Jim” Goss Ferneyhough II, 72, of Monroe, died on May 3. He was the husband of Helen Abbitt Ferneyhough for 39 years.
Born Dec. 17, 1935 in Richmond, he was the son of the late Grigsby Colville and Mary Anne Flippen Ferneyhough. He was a graduate of St. Christophers and Hampden-Sydney College and was the owner and president of JGF Trucking Company.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a son, James Goss Ferneyhough III.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by one son, Zane G. Harvey Jr. and wife, Betty Lou of Madison Heights; one sister, Mary Anne Simmons of Richmond; four grandchildren, James Goss Ferneyhough IV of Milton, Del., Daniel Grey Harvey and his wife, Michele, James Kyle Harvey and friend, Amanda, and Kevin Junior Harvey and friend, Chelse; and numerous friends.
A graveside service will be conducted on May 10 at 11 a.m. at the Family Cemetery on Hico Road.

Rebecca Nan Dawson Fox, 67, of Lee’s Summit, Mo., died on April 21.
She was born on Aug. 28, 1940 in Lynchburg. She worked in accounting for General Electric for many years and later went on to work in banking as well. She was the treasurer for the Independence Pioneers Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolutions, Colonial Dames XVII Century and the Rucker Society.
Born the granddaughter of a plantation owner in Amherst County, she had strong family values and ties to the community. She developed a love of history and genealogy and worked diligently over the last 15 years researching the ancestry of her family. She was a volunteer for any DAR activity and a committed friend to her DAR sisters. She met and married John Fox in Lynchburg in 1964.
She was preceded in death by her husband, John Ivan Fox of Lee’s Summit, Mo. and her parents, Owen Barksdale Dawson and Josephine Thompson Dawson of Madison Heights.
She is survived by her daughters, Rebecca Josephine Fox Weaver (Mark E. Weaver), Susan Marie Fox Eick (Stephen Eick), Patricia Ann Fox Bracht (Roger Bracht), and Barbara Jane Fox Rosner (Donald Rosner); son, James Alan Fox (Gloria Fox); grandchildren, Stephanie M. Eick, Sarah K. Weaver, Hannah J. Weaver, John Bracht, Stephen Bracht, Laura Bracht, Stacey Fox, Tracey Fox; four great-grandchildren; brothers, Thomas Dawson and Harry Dawson; one niece and one nephew.

Julianne Harpstreit Greene, 74, of Amherst, died May 3. She was the wife of Roy Daymond Greene.
Born June 5, 1933, in Decatur, Ill., she was a daughter of the late Theodore A. and Virginia Harpstreit. She was a member of Clifford Baptist Church and attended Belleville Junior College in Belleville, Ill., and Millikan University in Decatur, Ill.
She is also survived by three sons, Michael R. Greene and wife, Diane, of Mineral, John T. Greene and wife, Dotty, of Amherst, and Colin S. Greene and wife, Regina, of Lynchburg; a daughter, Rebecca Greene Rhodes of Myrtle Beach, S.C.; a sister, Elizabeth Kress and husband, Joseph, of St. Louis, Mo.; and seven grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.
A memorial service will be conducted at 3 p.m. on May 8 at Clifford Baptist Church.

Robert “Bob” Marion Harlow Jr., 41, of Madison Heights, died on May 2. He is survived by his wife of 16 years, Kimberly Cooke Harlow, and their two children, Megan Nicole Harlow and Jacob Marion Harlow, all of Madison Heights.
Born Oct. 28, 1966, in Lynchburg, he was the son of Robert Marion Harlow Sr. and Juanita Sprouse Harlow, of Madison Heights. He was employed at BMG as a general manager and was an assistant coach for Davis Plumbing, Little League baseball team.
He was preceded in death by his lifelong friend, Jerry Wayne Cooke; and grandfather-in-law, James R. Cooke Sr.; and maternal grandparents, Harry and Sarah Sprouse, and paternal grandparents, Lewis and Eva Harlow, of Roanoke.
Survivors also include two sisters; Penny Jean Harlow-Clare and husband, Anthony, of Sevierville, Tenn., and Tina Louise Harlow, of Madison Heights; brother-in-law, Kevin Cooke, of Madison Heights; and many other relatives and friends.
A funeral service was conducted on May 7 at Whitten Monelison Chapel. Interment took place in Fort Hill Memorial Park.

Barret Matthew Hepler, 27, of Forest, died on May 1.
Born Jan. 23, 1981, in Lynchburg, he was a son of Elvis Glen Hepler and Carolyn Cantrell Hepler. He was a member of Timberlake Baptist Church and was employed at Royal Chevrolet.
Survivors also include his fiancé, Ashley Taylor, of Forest; his sister, Kendra Hepler and her fiancé, Chase Tanner, of Lynchburg; a niece; great-grandparents, Carlton and Sadie Wilkerson, of Madison Heights; three aunts, Celina Morgan, of Concord, N.C., Judy Cantrell, of Culpepper, and Wanda Crafton, of Summersville, S.C.; his uncle, Warren Hepler; and other relatives and many friends.
A celebration of his life was conducted on May 5 at Timberlake Baptist Church. Interment took place in Virginia Memorial Park.

Hazel Miller Hight, 82, of Roseland, died on May 5.
Born in Nelson County on Dec. 9, 1925, she was a daughter of the late Clarence M. and Maude Little Miller.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, Robert Preston Hight.
She was a member of Bethlehem United Methodist Church and was a charter member of the Roseland Rescue Squad Auxiliary.
She is survived by a son, Robert Hight Jr. and his wife, Nancy, of Level Green; a daughter, Ellen Catherine Hight of Lovingston; one brother, Pettit Miller of Amherst; two sisters, Virginia M. Bryant of Piney River and Grace M. White of Lynchburg; three grandchildren; three great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.
A funeral service will be conducted on May 8 at 2 p.m. at Byrum-Parr Funeral Home. Burial will be in Bethlehem UMC Cemetery.

Lowell “Gene” Eugene Meadows, 76, of Amherst, died on May 3. He was the husband of Geraldine Bailey Meadows.
Born Feb. 14, 1932, in Dunns, W.Va., he was a son of the late Lacy Clarence and Lakie Lilly Meadows. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Monroe, a retired employee of the Bailey Saw Mill, a former employee of Driskill Funeral Chapel and a U.S. army veteran of the Korean conflict.
He is also survived by two daughters, Debbie Massie and husband, Joe, of Amherst, and Sharon Lester and husband, Greg, of Forest; a brother, Carl Meadows and wife, Wilma, of Camp Creek, W.Va.; two sisters-in-law, Lola Meadows of Summersville, W.Va., and Carolyn Meadows of Spanishburg, W.Va.; a brother-in-law, Franklin Bailey and wife, Sylvia, of Madison Heights; and three grandchildren, Joseph Massie, and Nathan and Deron Lester.
Funeral services were conducted on May 7 at Driskill Funeral Chapel. Burial followed in the Amherst Cemetery.

Charles Calvin Phelps, of San Antonio, TX, died on April 24.
He was born in Amherst County on Feb. 13, 1937, to the late Charlie T. and Elsie M. Phelps.
He was also preceded in death by his in-laws, Walter M. and Selma B. Petty, and an infant grandson, Andrew P. Gates.
He is survived by his wife, Mary Elizabeth Petty Phelps; daughter, Jennifer Michele Phelps Gates and her husband, Tom; granddaughters, Addison and Samantha Gates; and numerous friends and relatives.
He received his architecture degree with a master’s in urban planning from Virginia Tech in 1967. He began his career in Roanoke, with Kinsey, Motley, Shane and Associates and ended it with RRMM Architects. Retirement took him and Mary to San Antonio, to participate in the lives of their daughter and her family.
While in Roanoke, he was a member of Ridgewood Baptist, Connelly Memorial and North Roanoke Baptist Churches. He served his churches in many capacities and enjoyed lending his beautiful voice to their choirs - a tradition he continued at Parkhills Baptist Church in San Antonio.
Funeral services were conducted on May 7 at Oakey’s North Chapel. Interment followed at Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens.

Massie Leonard Staton, 73, of Concord, died on May 2. He was the husband of Ashby Wright Staton.
Born in Amherst County on Oct. 2, 1934, he was the son of the late William Smiley Staton and the late Nancy Diana Hughes Staton.
He was retired from Thomasville Furniture Company after 15 years of service and was a former employee of Lynchburg Foundry with 18 years of service.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by two sons, Roger L. Staton and Mark A. Staton, both of Concord; four brothers, Will H. Staton of Harrisonburg, Frank Staton of Monroe, Bernard Staton of Big Island and Tommy Staton of Amherst; and two sisters, Madalene Smith of Madison Heights and Leana Ragland of Shipman.
A funeral service was conducted on May 6 at Whitten Monelison Chapel. Interment followed in Mt. Olivet United Methodist Church Cemetery.

Louis Edward Stinnett Jr., 77, of Lynchburg, died on May 3. He was the husband of Eggy Carwile Stinnett for 57 years.
He was born Jan. 26, 1931, to Mary Tyree Stinnett and the late Louis Edward Stinnett Sr. He was also preceded in death by a brother, John M. Stinnett.
He was retired from Central Fidelity Banking where he was Vice President and Branch Manager.
In addition to his mother and wife, he is survived by a daughter, Myra Trent, and son-in-law, Kevin R. Trent, of Brookneal; two grandchildren, Kevin Jr. and Bailey Trent, both of Brookneal; his aunt, Irene Tyree of Madison Heights; his sister, Jean Banton of Forest; and sister-in-laws, Linda Stinnett of Lynchburg, Katherine Wildemann and husband, Fred, of Forest, Joyce Hammersly of Lynchburg, and Betty Carwile of Lynchburg; along with many other family members and friends.
A funeral service was conducted on May 7 at Rivermont Avenue Baptist Church.

William Blair Thurmond Sr., 81, of McDaniel, Md., died on April 22.
Born April 29, 1926, in Faber, he was the son of the late Charlie Boaz and Sallie Bowling Thurmond.
He is survived by his wife, the former Edwina Kinzel, whom he married Jan. 12, 1952; three children, Lori Ann White and her husband, John, of Centennial, Colo., William Blair Thurmond Jr. of Gaithersburg, Md., and Sallie Jane Schaper and her husband, Samuel, of Englewood, Colo.; a sister, Louise McDearmon of Amherst; a brother, Melville Thurmond of Forest; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by a sister, Virginia Newman.
A memorial service was held on May 3 at the Easton Presbyterian Church. Burial was private.

Joseph Randolph Ware, of 399 Bellvue Ave., Oakland, Calif., died on April 27.
He was born Sept. 18, 1949, in Madison Heights, to Lillie Thomas Ware and the late Lawrence Ware Sr.
He is preceded in death by an infant sister, Jacquline Ann and two infant brothers, Bruce Edward and Larry Darnell.
He graduated from Virginia State University. While a student, he interned with Sears Company and went on to a 25-year career in retail with Sears and many other retail companies. From there, he went on to create a bed and breakfast, the Bates House, which he opened in 1998. The city of Oakland had already given the residence a landmark designation in 1995. The Bates House was host to stars, authors, and politicians alike. Located in historic Adams Point of downtown Oakland, the Bates House held the unique distinction of being the first African American owned Bed and Breakfast in the state of California.
He joined Scott Zion Baptist Church at an early age. He was also a member of the Orchid Society of California for many years.
He is survived by his mother, Lillie Thomas Ware; two sisters, Thelma Mundy (James) of Lynchburg and Louise Reed (Irving) of Madison Heights; two brothers, Lawrence Jr. (Eunice) and Winston Sr. (Delores), both of Madison Heights; aunts, Dorothy Jackson (Samuel) of Madison Heights, Margaret Thomas of Madison Heights, Gladys, Harris, Lottie Campbell and Ethel Jackson (Woodrow) all of Lynchburg; two uncles, Peyton Thomas (Esther) of Newark, N.J. and Woster Thomas Jr. of Madison Heights; and numerous other nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.
A memorial service will be held at a time to be announced.