March 22, 2023
Juanita Dillman Blevins
Juanita Dillman Blevins, 89, died Sunday March 19, 2023 at Smyth County Community Hospital in Marion.
Blevins was born in Smyth County to the late Joseph Glenn Dillman and Lillie Gray Coe Dillman and was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, Their Lee Blevins; son, Barry Kenley Blevins; brother, Edward L. Dillman; brother-in-law, Edward Whitely.
Blevins graduated from Rich Valley High School and West Virginia Business College in Bluefield, West Virginia. She was retired from Smyth County Community Hospital with more than 30 years of service. She was a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and sister. In her younger days she enjoyed cooking, gardening, crocheting and crossword puzzles. She was a member of Mt. Zion UMC in Marion. Her granddaughter and great-grandkids were the joy of her life.
Survivors include, son Greg Blevins and wife, Mary, of Marion; granddaughter Sarah Blevins and fiancee Zachary Parks; great-grandchildren, Layla Skipper and Asher Parks; brother, Garold Dillman Sr. and wife, Patti; sister, Sandra D. Whitely; and several nieces, nephews and great-nieces and -nephews.
Funeral services will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday March 22, at Bradley’s Funeral Home in Marion with the Revs. Mack Blevins, Mark Barker and Steve Wright officiating. The family will receive friends on Wednesday from 5-7 p.m. Interment will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Ridgedale Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions can be made to the Mt. Zion Church, 1598 Old Ebenezer Road Marion, VA 24354. Expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family at www.bradleysfh.com. Bradley’s Funeral Home is serving the Blevins family.
Rebecca Sue Bliss
Rebecca Sue Bliss, 68, of Bastian died Saturday, March 18, 2023. There will be no services. Highland Bland Funeral Chapel, Bland, is serving the family.
Daniel Wyatt Busha
Daniel Wyatt Busha, 16, of Wytheville, died Sunday, March 19, 2023. Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced later by Grubb Funeral Home.
Dennis Reed Counts Sr.
Dennis Reed Counts Sr., 94, of Wytheville died Saturday, March 18, 2023.
He was preceded in death by his wife, June Hicks Counts.
Survivors include two daughters and a son, Susan Tickle, Betty Johnston (Harry) and Dennis R. Counts Jr.; nine grandchildren, Jennifer Tickle (John Carey), Brian Tickle (Ashton), Stephen Tickle, Angela T. Ripp (Kevin), Lauren Johnston (Lee Cross), Grace J. Gray, Mary C. Hagee (Jeremy), Molly C. Henry (Mark) and William Counts (Hilary); and seven great-grandchildren, Reed Carey, Vivian Carey, Seaver Ripp, Walker Henry, Matthew Hagee, Kinley Counts and Rowen Counts.
Counts was a graduate from The Medical College of Virginia School of Pharmacy. He opened Counts Drug Company in 1954 and was in business for 67 years. He served as President of the Southwest Virginia Pharmacists Association. Counts Drug Company was honored to receive the Chancellor’s Award for Leadership and Philanthropy for its contributions to Wytheville Community College in 2010. He was instrumental in forming the Mount Rogers Mental Health and Mental Retardation Services Board, now known as the Mount Rogers Community Services, and served as its treasurer.
He was a long-time member of the Wytheville Rotary Club, served as its President, was a multiple Paul Harris Fellow, and was recipient of the William E. Skelton Endowed Ambassadorial Scholarship Award. He took great joy in serving his community and received the Outstanding Citizenship Award by the Wytheville-Wythe-Bland Chamber of Commerce in 2003, and was the 2010 Town of Wytheville Honored Citizen, having his name placed on The Wall of Honor, Civic Monument. He was a faithful member of St. Paul United Methodist Church and served as Chairman of the Administrative Board, along with many other leadership positions. He was an accomplished musician and took great pleasure in playing the piano and was a founding member of the Wytheville Community College Community Band, playing the tenor saxophone for many years. Reed was a man of service and devotion to his community and to his family and will be greatly missed.
Services will be held at St. Paul United Methodist Church in Wytheville, with visitation from 1 until 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 23, and funeral immediately following conducted by the Rev. Lon Tobin with interment to follow in the West End Cemetery. Expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family at www.grubbfuneralhome.com Grubb Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Betty Sue Horne Denney
Betty Sue Horne Denney, 85 of Rural Retreat died Tuesday, March 14, 2023.
Born in Virginia on March 3, 1938, she was preceded in death by her parents David Jacob Horne and Opal Irene Forrester Horne; husband, Harold Keith Denney; and her sister Helen Ann Corns.
She was a member of the Rural Retreat and Blue Springs United Methodist Church. She was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, Rural Retreat Women’s Group (UMW), a Sunday school Teacher, a Rocking Reader at Sugar Grove School, Young at Heart at Sugar Grove, The Golden Girls High School Friends, the Ladies Book Club in Marion, an avid reader and was active member of the Ladies Bible Study Group.
She is survived by her daughters and son-in-law, Suzanne and Dennis Scott of Rural Retreat and Kristie Myers of Marion; grandchildren Drew and Wendi Porter, Jeremy Porter, Steele Scott and fiancé Kendra Buck, Savanna Scott and Austin Wyatt; great-grandchildren Tucker Porter and Brooklyn Haga; and several nieces and nephews.
Inurnment will be private at Blue Springs Cemetery at a later date.
The family requests that those who prefer may make a memorial donation to Blue Springs Cemetery Fund address 607 Camp Road, Sugar Grove, VA 24375 or the Holston Home for Children address 404 Holston Dr. Greenville, TN 37743.
Lindsey Funeral Home, Rural Retreat, is serving the Denney family. Online condolences may be sent to the family at: www.highlandfuneralservice.com
Maria Torres Espinoza
Maria Torres Espinoza, 60, died Saturday, March 18, 2023, at Gray Ridge Village, Marion.
Espinoza was a beautiful loving woman with an infectious smile and laugh. She impacted many lives and her loved ones have peace in knowing she is walking those glorious streets of gold. She is dearly missed by all of those who knew and loved her.
Espinoza is survived by her sister, Shelda Henry; and nephew, Jerome Owens and his children, Jeraiya and Gray Fox.
A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date in Cades Cove, Tennessee.
To share memories of Maria Espinoza, please visit www.seaverbrown.com.
Anne Cary Wynne Young Graybeal
Anne Cary Wynne Young Graybeal died Monday, March 13, 2023, in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Graybeal was born Aug. 12, 1931 in Lexington, Virginia. She grew up on college campuses where her father taught chemistry, first at the Virginia Military Institute, and later at Emory & Henry College. She was baptized and confirmed in the Episcopal Church, and she was also active in the Girl Scouts. Graybeal graduated valedictorian from William King High School in Abingdon in 1948, and from Emory & Henry in 1952, where she was a member of the Kappa Phi Alpha sorority and earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education. She met Burke Graybeal at a student social in her family’s home when she was 15, and they were married in that same house on Nov. 28, 1951. Graybeal taught school in Charlottesville while Burke attended law school at the University of Virginia. Upon his graduation, they made their home in Marion where she taught mostly fourth grade.
She retired from teaching when her sons Daniel Young Graybeal and David Whiting Graybeal were born. After they were raised, she returned to the school system to volunteer for many years, as a reading tutor and teaching assistant. She was twice honored as the Volunteer of the Year, first for Marion Primary School in 1999 and again at Marion Elementary School in 2016. For Graybeal, teaching was a joy and a delight. She loved to talk about the students she met across the years. She also loved books, gift-giving, good food, birds, flowers, chocolate, the color yellow, and her cats; but most of all, she was entirely devoted to her family.
Graybeal was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Marion, where she taught vacation Bible school, and participated in women’s circles, Bible studies, and her Sunday school class. In 2018 Graybeal moved to Athens, Tennessee, to be close to her family, especially her grandsons, Noah and Wesley,; and then she followed them to Signal Mountain, Tennessee in 2022, until her passing.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Douglas Burke Graybeal; parents, Whiting Faulkner Young and Lucile Marston Young; sister and brother-in-law, Catherine “Kitty” and Max Bowman; and several siblings-in-law who were like brothers and sisters to her.
Graybeal is survived by her sons, Dan and Dave; daughter-in-law, Tracy Gartmann; grandsons Noah Burke Graybeal and Wesley John Graybeal; and numerous relatives and friends, many of whom affectionately remember her by the nickname she somehow acquired along the way “Bubba.”
Burial was at Holston Conference Emory & Henry Cemetery, Emory.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the First United Methodist Church, 115 South Church Street, Marion VA 24354, Emory & Henry College, Office of Advancement, P.O. Box 950, Emory VA 24327, or the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation online at www.cff.org.
To share memories of Anne Cary Wynne Young Graybeal, please visit www.seaverbrown.com.
Lou Ellen Johnson Greenwood
Lou Ellen Johnson Greenwood, 95, died Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022, at Summit Health & Rehab Center in Lynchburg, Virginia.
She was born in Seven Mile Ford to the late Louis Britton Johnson and Lora Ellen Heath Osborne Johnson. Greenwood’s roots grew strong through watching how her share-cropping parents pushed through Depression-era adversity using abundant love and hard work, managing to raise eight healthy children who created their own loving, tight-knit families. Greenwood’s strong roots were never an anchor, instead became the foundation for her love of reading, writing, storytelling, traveling and making connections with people from all walks of life by exploring shared genealogical and historical tangents, all the things that made her life a non-stop adventure of discovery!
Greenwood cherished community, with her church, family, friends and colleagues. She freely exhibited pride of place to all who would listen – she loved and bragged about her Southwest Virginia roots and the generosity of the remarkable people one can only find in these beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.
While Greenwood made numerous valuable acquaintances throughout her six-company career, it was her volunteer work that blessed her with an abundance of friends, fulfilling her love of community and need to service others. One of her six careers provided the rare opportunity to combine work and service – As March of Dimes executive chairman, she proudly led fundraising for five counties, organized walk-a-thons, and supported both televised and local events. Greenwood felt especially privileged to have met the developer of the first successful polio vaccine, Dr. Jonas Salk, and toured the Salk Institute in California. While Greenwood valued the stability her early factory and Roses’ Department Store employment afforded her, it was her last two Insurance Agent positions before retirement that fed her boundless curiosity, sense of adventure and love of photography and Southwest Virginia history as she happily traveled through three states and bounced down rocky ruts one wouldn’t dare to call roads to bring the comfort of security, collect new stories and make new friends.
Ellen’s retirement gave her total freedom to serve. She volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, Salvation Army, Hospice and supported numerous charitable or educational events as a lifetime member of VFW Post 4667 Women’s Auxiliary and through various offices held with the Business and Professional Women’s Club, where she was also awarded Woman of the Year.
Greenwood channeled the bulk of her service nature through what she called her “second family” at Ebenezer Lutheran Church. In her 76-plus years with Ebenezer, she both followed and stewarded through five pastoral changes, with deep involvement that supported her giving nature and allowed her to take joy in watching generations of children grow to have children of their own, all the while teasingly telling her own children how she had “kinda adopted” yet another sweet child who “needed a mother / grandmother / special friend.” How many congregation members still remember receiving her ticklish kisses on the back of the neck with special encouragements whispered into their ears from childhood until you were too tall for her to reach? Beyond serving as Lector, assisting with Communion and Chrismon tree set-ups, her church activities included 40-plus years Sunday school teacher; Hungry Mother Lutheran Retreat Center volunteer; building drives and charity fundraiser; and supporting church business, particularly through memberships that included holding leadership positions with the Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Aid Association for Lutherans Branch 6803, and the Virginia Synodical Women’s Organization.
Greenwood’s artistic creativity served to decorate all of her lifetime contributions: Her children enjoyed custom prom gowns, award winning Halloween costumes, slide shows presenting the miracle of a buzzing hummingbird to the wonder of the Chesapeake Bay tunnel, and learning how to refinish furniture or up cycle trash into treasure; Ebenezer received hand-made faith banners, professional-quality flower arrangements, heart-felt original stories documenting faith and community, a thoroughly-researched booklet that compiled the history of Lutheran churches in Southwest Virginia and enjoyed countless church dinners on beautifully decorated tables with matching hand-made linens and her special decorative flair (her kids remember living room-hosted church meetings when she presented drinks in her precious China cup collection and took great care to prepare finger foods, all bread crusts carefully cut away); Volunteer organizations received newspaper articles with calls to action (the Greenwood family spent multiple evenings emptying and accounting for thousands of coins from March of Dimes donation canisters!); many received a picture copy of a precious event captured by her ever-snapping camera lens (long before all of us had a camera in our back pocket); and special people received a fully coordinated wedding and/or reception that included flowers, food, decorations and photography, or were granted one of her Bob Ross-inspired oil paintings (the church received two, of course!). Ellen was an artist on canvas while also diversifying to sweatshirts, producing custom liquid-embroidery art to wear proudly; a creative who saw weeds, yet envisioned them painted gold and arranged as a gift to the glory of God; not satisfied with “store bought,” she would overpaint manger scene figurines to create color-palette harmony in the tiny stable, or could transform a yard sale disaster into an heirloom with her trusty sander and paint brush. Until her 80’s, she took immense joy from driving, push-mowing and gardening, being so successful that she had to fight back a huge Kiwi plant from completely destroying her deck! Greenwood’s storytelling led naturally into the printed word, where she truly blossomed, penning hundreds of poems and stories of documentation and fantasy. She was an avid genealogy researcher, having followed family threads to discover a history rich in stories and grow our heritage list of kinfolks from Virginia to California (…Tuell, Heath, Osborne, Johnson, Lindsey, Greenwood, etc.) – plans are in process to establish an Ellen Greenwood Collection at the Smyth County Public Library.
Greenwood’s interests and friendships were wide-ranging, as were the locations of her siblings, children and grandchildren, which gifted her with travel opportunities that made her giddy with excitement: West Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Maryland, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, California and Hawaii. She entertained many with her tales of climbing the Statue of Liberty to view New York City from the crown; finding shells on the shores of Ogunquit, Maine, and Waikiki, Hawaii, beach, where she also captured the graceful swoop of a surfer cresting a huge wave; presenting gift bags to Japanese Choristers after their Boston concert or enjoying Handel’s Messiah presentations at M.I.T. and Harvard. Precious friends, family, children, grandchildren, greats and great-greats gleefully tumbled in and out of her welcoming lap along the way.
In addition to her parents, Greenwood was preceded in death by her son John Howard Greenwood and ex-husband and friend, Howard Eugene Greenwood. Also by her brothers Jack Osborne, Ed Johnson, Charles Johnson, Norman Johnson, LB Johnson and sister Janie Ross.
She is survived by her daughters, Donna Heal, of Clarksville, Tennessee, and Karen Page (Sam), of Goode, Virginia; son by heart, Joseph ‘Jody’ Greenwood (Cat), of Cullowhee, North Carolina; sister, Brenda Blevins (Ralph), of Chilhowie; granddaughters, Dana Neese (fiancé David McKeehan), Greenville, Georgia; Denise Byard (George), Clarksville; grandsons, Dirk Poe (Ashley), Fishersville, Virginia, Joseph ‘JC’ Greenwood (Ellen) Chilhowie, Aaron Page (Brent), Chicago, Illinois, and Noah Page, Henrico, Virginia; 10 great-grandchildren: Michael Atkinson (Lacey), Meagan Teall (Ethan), Ashten, Brennan, Bronson, Carsen, Shirley, Addison, Mason, Emerson; and three great-great-grandchildren Caleb, Hanley and Samantha.
A Celebration of Ellen’s life will be held on Saturday, March 25, at 1 p.m., in the Sanctuary of Ebenezer Lutheran Church, in Marion. The Rev. Kayla Keilholtz will be officiating. A reception for family and friends will follow in the Fellowship Hall. All are encouraged to share special memories of Ellen. Private graveside services will be held at Rose Lawn Cemetery in Marion. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Ebenezer Lutheran Church, 222 W Main Street, Marion 24354. Expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family at www.bradleysfh.com. Bradley’s Funeral Home of Marion is serving the Greenwood Family.
Roxanna Lynn Griffey Greer
Roxanna Lynn Griffey Greer, 46, died Monday, March 20, 2023, at Johnston Memorial Hospital, Abingdon.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Sheri Robbins; sister, Tiffany Fields; grandparents, William and Nina Griffey, Wiley Robbins, Eleanor and Bill Hurst.
Greer is survived by her parents, Clarence and Barbara Griffey of Saltville; brothers, Roy Griffey of Saltville and Mark Robbins of Marion; nieces and nephews, Logan, Cory, Cassie, Blake, Austin, Gunner, Zoe, Jaelyn and Aliza; great-niece, Matelynn; several aunts, uncles, and cousins; and special aunts and special uncles, Crystal and Johnnie King, Wylie and Jackie Robbins and Bill Griffey .
Memorial services will be private.
To share memories of Roxanna Lynn Griffey Greer, please visit www.seaverbrown.com.
Darlene Grubb
Darlene Grubb, 59, of Wytheville died Tuesday March 14, 2023.
Born April 18, 1963, in Wytheville, she was the daughter of Mary Albert Grubb and the late John Grubb Jr.
Survivors include her mother, Mary Albert Grubb; two daughters, Cherish Russell and Dominique Russell, all of Wytheville; three grandchildren, Amarah Barcliff, Maliyah Johnson and Jeremiah Devaughn; a sister, Althea Grubb; a brother, John Grubb III, all of Wytheville; two nieces, Brea Lampkins of Roanoke and Lauryn Lampkins of Wytheville; and two great-nieces, Malai Manns and Isabella Jordan.
Barnett Funeral Home is serving the Grubb family.
David Dean “Bird Dog” Haga
David Dean “Bird Dog” Haga died Tuesday March 14, 2023, in Marion.
Haga was born in Chilhowie to the late William Harry Haga, Sr. and Tessie Mays Haga and was preceded in death by his brothers, Virgil, Ronald, Clarence and Harry.
Haga retired from Pepsi Cola after many years of service. He started in the original Pepsi plant downtown Marion, moved to the new plant on Washington Ave and also worked at the Wytheville plant. After retirement, he worked many years at the local convenience stations in Marion. Haga truly loved talking and being around people, and never seemed to meet a stranger. He was baptized at Freedom Tabernacle Church. Haga enjoyed nature, sitting in his rocking chair and his garden. He loved to play the game of Trouble and his Pepsi Cola’s.
Survivors include his wife of 39 years, Judy Haga; daughter, Beverly Hamm and husband, Paul; stepdaughter, Kim Nyvoll and husband, Even; brother, Buford Haga and wife, Patsy; grandchildren, Journey Singh and husband, Jimmy, Hunter Cline and Josh Cline; many nieces and nephews and his pet companion, Peaches.
Burial was at Rose Lawn Cemetery.
Expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family at www.bradleysfh.com. Bradley’s Funeral Home is serving the Haga family.
Christine M. Sykes Helton
Christine M. Sykes Helton, 81, died Monday, March 13, 2023, at Johnston Memorial Hospital, Abingdon.
Helton was a fighter up until the very end, due to the love for her family which kept her going. She was a beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and sister. She loved to go constantly, especially to yard sales and flea markets-but she couldn’t go home of course without something good to eat and a scratch off lottery ticket. Though she never won big with the lottery, she was as rich as she could be with the love of her family who will miss her deeply.
She was preceded in death by the father of her children, Harold Loyd Sykes; second husband, Fred Helton; son, Michael Loyd Sykes; parents, David and Lucile Snodgrass; brothers, David Snodgrass and Doug Snodgrass; sister, Lou Castle; and grandson, Christopher Wade Counts Jr.
Helton is survived by her four daughters, Debbie Burke (Robert), Kathy Counts (Christopher), Phyllis Rice (Ira) and Diane Miller (Dean); two sons, Wallace “George” Sykes (April) and Hugh “Jay” Lee Helton; sister, Phillis “Rene” Kidd; brother, Garnet Snodgrass (Thelm); 11 grandchildren, Josh Clapsy, Brooke Ann Clapsy, Matthew Miller (Tracy), Paul Sykes (Angel), Samantha Counts (Rusty), Bobbie Testerman (Derek), Dana Chapman (Jeremy), Logan Sykes (Elisha), Jackson Sykes (Alley), Zachary Sykes and James Long; 10 great-grandchildren, Ashlyn Hamm, Aurora Hamm, Erin Testerman, Alex Testerman, Corbin Sykes, Nathan Miller, Aidan Miller, Travis Miller, Brantley Sykes and Emmy Mae Sykes; beloved nieces and nephews including, Lynn Hall (April); and special friends, Judy Jessy, Diane Hutton, Becky Helton and Lucile Horne.
Burial will be held Saturday, March 25, at 1 p.m. at Snodgrass Family Cemetery, 28418 North Fork River Road, Saltville, with family and friends celebrating Christine’s life
To share memories of Christine M. Sykes Helton, please visit www.seaverbrown.com.
June Atkins Helton
June Atkins Helton, 102, formerly of Wytheville, died Saturday, March 18, 2023, at the home of her daughter Brenda Helton Overbay in Marion.
Helton was employed with Wythe County School System, before being employed as Administrative Secretary to the Director in establishing Wytheville Community College, a former branch of VPI University.
She was preceded in death by her husband Mose C. Helton.
Helton is survived by her daughter Brenda Overbay and husband, Weldon, of Marion; special grandson Jim Overbay and wife, Hope, of Christiansburg; three great-grandchildren, Walker, Garrett and Kelsey Overbay; several nieces and nephews; and friends to include special niece Rita Martin of Radford and special friend Margaret Linford of Marion.
Burial was at Rose Lawn Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donation may be made to the Wytheville Presbyterian Church, 285 Church St., Wytheville, VA, 24382. Expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family at www.bradleysfh.com. Bradley’s Funeral Home of Marion is serving the Helton Family.
Judy Elizabeth King Henderlite
Judy Elizabeth King Henderlite died Monday, March 20, 2023, at Johnston Memorial Hospital in Abingdon after a brief illness.
Henderlite was born Feb. 12, 1951, to the late James and Zelma Green King. She is also preceded in death by a brother Randy King.
She retired as a lab technician from Smyth County Community Hospital after 36 years of service. She enjoyed her arts and crafts, making quilts and crocheting. She was devoted to taking care of her family and sharing the quilts she made. She loved to travel. Over the years, she visited all 50 states, Thailand, Belize, Canada and the Bahamas. She was a devout Christian who truly exemplified what a godly woman should be. Henderlite was a faithful member at South Fork Baptist Church. She loved her church and church family and was involved in numerous activities throughout the years. Her most cherished and loved memories was all the times she was able to care for and teach the children at the church.
She is survived by her husband, Donald Henderlite; special friend Debbie Hager; three children Kimberly Steel and husband, Louie, Sherry DeBord and husband, Lance, and Donald Henderlite Jr.; two brothers Jerry King and wife, Lynn, and Billy Albert and wife, Melva; two sisters Paige Bare and Odessa Shupe and husband, Sam; 12 grandchildren; one great-granddaughter; and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held at 7 p.m., Thursday, March 23, at South Fork Baptist Church with the Rev. Jason Mullinax officiating. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday at the church. Private interment will be held in the church cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to South Fork Baptist Church Cemetery Fund. Expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family at www.bradleysfh.com. Bradley’s Funeral Home of Marion is serving the Henderlite Family.
Samuel Sage “Sammy” Holbrook
Samuel Sage “Sammy” Holbrook, 75 of Rural Retreat died Monday, March 20, 2023, at home.
He was born in Wythe County on July 19, 1947, the son of the late Kelly Holbrook and Laura Belle Sage Holbrook. He was preceded in death by his siblings, J.C. Holbrook, Joseph Van Harding Holbrook, Shelby Jean Parks and Teddy Roosevelt Holbrook.
Surviving are his wife of 55 years, Beverly F. Holbrook; children, Melissa Ann and Tony Ray Fowler of Wytheville, Samuel Scott and Rebecca Winesett Holbrook of Bland; grandchildren, Haley Betty Ann Fowler, Sharon Shewey, Tara Lynn Blea and fiance’ A.J. Coleman, Laura Grace Holbrook and Carson Reid Holbrook; great-grandchildren, Bradley Scott Blea, Julie Rebecca Blea, Maverick Sean Coleman, Nathan Saunders and Ember Rae Olinger; siblings, Danny Wallace Holbrook of Rural Retreat and Frances Laverne Frye of Wytheville; and several nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held 7 p.m. Friday, March 24, at the Lindsey Memorial Chapel with the Revs. Jack Rutherford and Mike Sage officiating. Private inurnment will take place at a later date. The family will receive friends from 6 to 7 p.m.
The family requests that those who prefer may make memorials to the Wythe Hospice of Southwest Virginia, 1155 North 4 th Street, Wytheville, VA 24382.
Lindsey Funeral Home, Rural Retreat, is serving the Holbrook family. Online condolences may be sent to the family at: www.highlandfuneralservice.com
William Otis Hutton Jr.
William Otis Hutton Jr., 77, died Friday March 17, 2023, at Johnston Memorial Hospital in Abingdon.
Hutton was born in Smyth County to the late William O. Hutton Sr. and Carrie Mae Johnson Hutton and was preceded in death by his wife, Nancy Odham Hutton, and his sister Joanne Pennington.
He worked as a contractor for United Telephone and was a farmer and a trader. He and his wife they traveled all 48 states by motorcycle.
Survivors include his son, William O. “Billy” Hutton III and wife, Jill of Glade Spring; daughter, Sharon Melissa Hutton of Chilhowie; and grandchildren, Daniel Hutton and Kelly Hutton.
Private graveside services were held in Middle Fork Cemetery. Expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family at www.bradleysfh.com. Bradley’s Funeral Chapel is serving the Hutton family.
James H. “Jimmy” Joines
James H. “Jimmy” Joines died Monday, March 20, 2023, at his home in Chilhowie.
Joines was a lifelong member of the Grosses Creek Baptist Church and was owner and operator of Joines Meat Processing for many years. He was preceded in death by his wife, Peggy Jean Tuell Joines; his parents, Vernie T. Joines and Ida L. Joines; brothers, Bob Joines and Vernie L. Joines.
Survivors include his son, Danny Joines and wife, Jenell; grandchildren, Amber Joines and boyfriend Bobby Kilby and Cody Joines and wife, Kayla; siblings, Helen Joines Sage and husband, Stanley, Larry Joines, Reba Joines Baker and husband, Glen, Mary Joines and Eric Joines and wife, Sandra; and several nieces, nephews and special friends.
Funeral services will be conducted 1 p.m. Thursday, March 23, 2023 in the Grosses Creek Baptist Church with the Rev. George Jessee officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from noon until 1 p.m. prior to the funeral service at the church.
Condolences can be made to the family online at www.williamsfuneralhomeofchilhowie.com. Williams Funeral Home of Chilhowie is serving the Joines Family.
Robert Daniel Lindamood
Robert Daniel Lindamood, 85, died Tuesday, March 14, 2023, at Cookeville Regional Medical Center, Cookeville, Tennessee.
Lindamood was a wonderful, generous and loving dad, brother, husband, grandad, and friend to many. He enjoyed genealogy and reaching out to family. He was a sharp shooter and paratrooper in the U.S. Army; and was a proud veteran. He was a skilled and sought after upholsterer, furniture maker, and antique restorer. Robert could fix anything. When he wasn’t working, he was happy outside where he enjoyed camping, fishing, and being with wildlife.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Martha E. Lindamood Goodman; wife, Dorothy Janella Smith Lindamood; and sister, Elaine Mayne.
Lindamood is survived by two daughters, Danita Lock and husband, Steven Caswell, of Cookeville and Lisa Ann Lindamood of Nashville, Tennessee; son, Timothy Daniel Lindamood of Alexandria, Tennessee; three sisters, Linda McClure of Marion, Patricia Hubbard of Xenia, Ohio, and Theresa Taft of Lake Charles, Louisiana; brother, Harry Goodman and wife, Tina of Marion; three grandchildren, Logan Lee Lindamood, Charles Scott Woods III, and Michael David Woods; and several nieces and nephews.
Burial was in Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Route 11, Lee Highway, Groseclose.
To share memories of Robert Daniel Lindamood, please visit www.seaverbrown.com.
Lura “Mae” Powell
Lura “Mae” Powell, 74, died Thursday, March 16, 2023, at home.
Powell was a loving wife, mom, and mamaw – especially if your name was Phillip. She absolutely adored her grandbabies. She was a caring lady who loved spending time talking to her friends on the phone – everyday – catching up or checking in if they weren’t feeling well. When she wasn’t on the phone or hugging a grandbaby, she loved going to yard sales.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Joh and Lou Stump.
Powell is survived by her husband, Don Powell of Marion; daughter, Opal Mae Carrico and husband, Richard; sister, Joann Severt, all of Independence; brother, Kenneth Stump of Roanoke; grandson, Phillip Carrico and wife, Mikayla, of Independence; great-grandchildren, Addilyn and River; special phone friends, Carol Gross and Leon, Barbara Shelton, Pat Baldwin, Betty Story, Cathy Lowe and Barbara Harrington; and several nieces and nephews.
Services will be private.
To share memories of Lura Mae Powell, please visit www.seaverbrown.com.
Ernest Bolton “Buck” Schrader Jr.
Ernest Bolton “Buck” Schrade, Jr., 59, of Wytheville, died Saturday, March 18, 2023.
He was born Aug. 16, 1963, the son of the late Ernest Bolton Schrader Sr. and Phyllis Goodman Porter. Schrader was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents Irene Schrader and Geneva Poston. He is survived by two aunts Dixie Goodman and Vicki Chrisley, cousins Deb King, Jami Coe (Todd), Jason Hagy (Lucy), Christi Carpenter and Jeremy Hagy.
Schrader loved music and he was an accomplished guitar player and also an artist.
A visitation for family and friends will be held on Thursday, March 23, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Grubb Funeral Home Chapel. A graveside service will be held 11 a.m., Friday, March 24, at Mt. Pleasant Community Cemetery. Expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family at www.grubbfuneralhome.com. Grubb Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Daniel “Gabe”Lewis Shinault
Daniel “Gabe”Lewis Shinault, 71, of Max Meadows died Tuesday, March 14, 2023.
Born June 5, 1951, in Wythe County, he was the son of the late Wilbur Francis Shinault and Ellen Fenetta Peak Shinault.
He loved his children and grandchildren dearly. He enjoyed gardening and working with cows and playing his guitar and singing. He enjoyed working outside and working on old cars.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by eight brothers and sisters, Rose Hamblin, Jim Shinault, Marge Shinault, Jake Shinault, Minnie Shinault, Patricia “Che Che” Duncan, Steve Shinault and Le Jeanne “Suki” Cassell
Survivors include his wife of 53 years Linda Shinault of the home; one son Eric Shinault and fiancé Jennifer Matherly of Burlington, North Carolina; brothers and sisters Jack Shinault and wife, Susie, of Wytheville, Merle Shinault and wife, Kaye, of Columbus, Ohio, Sally Blevins of Wytheville and Preston Shinault of Wytheville; grandchildren, Steven, Maddie, Ella, Olivia, Xander, Bentley, Hattie and Isaac; and an abundance of nieces and nephews and adopted daughter and husband Jessica and Robert Ratliff.
Barnett Funeral Home is serving the Shinault Family.
John C. Sims
John C. Sims, 59, died at his home Monday, March 13, 2023.
Sims was born in Marion in 1963 to the late Jack and Betty Sims. He was a graduate of Marion Senior High School and a lifelong resident of Marion. He had a soft-heart for animals and often fed strays in the community. Sims enjoyed spending time with friends, but his favorite thing was fishing. Give him some bait, a fishing pole and a back-roads, well-hidden fishing hole and he was in heaven-on-earth. John’s big smile and the twinkle in his eye as he told about “the one that got away,” will be missed by his friends and family.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Gary Michael Sims; and grandparents, Rebecca Jane Sims, James O. and Elma Jean Goodman.
Sims is survived by two brothers, Joseph Simms and wife, April, of Rural Retreat, and James Sims of Marion; two nieces, Kenzie Simms and Kylie Simms; and special friend, Kevin “Ollie” Edgar.
Burial was at Round Hill Cemetery, Marion.
To share memories of John C. Sims, please visit www.seaverbrown.com.
Dan V. Vaught
Dan V. Vaught, 93, died Monday, March 20, 2023, at Bristol Regional Medical Center, Bristol, Tennessee.
Vaught retired after years as a carpenter, dairy farmer and horse trader. He loved Western riding horses and was a charter member and first vice president of The Glade Mountain Saddle Club. He was successful in competition reining, western pleasure halter and gymkhana. He especially loved wagon trains and annual fiddler’s conventions. Ashley and Lori loved his passion and enthusiasm for horses.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 60-plus years, Elouise Sasser Vaught; parents, Miner and Belisa Vaught; brothers, Robert Vaught, Lawrence Vaught, Johnny Vaught, Ted Vaught; and sisters, Mattie Wingate, Eileen Hash, Annie Carter, Catherine Haga, Lois Lynos, Peggy Eckel, Charline Dixon and Doris Day.
Vaught is survived by his brothers David Vaught (Francis) and Lester Vaught (Linda), all of Galax; nephews and nieces, Kenneth, David, Charles, Vickie, Sandra, Karen, Mike, Jeff, Jimmy, Margaret, Mitchell, Kathy, Gordon, Debra, Barbara, Myra, Mendy, Wanda, Ronda, Keith, Belisa, Gene, Rusty, Ronnie, Debbie, Ricky, Jeffery, Tracy, Cathy, Clifford, Robbie, Pam, Richard Jr., Betty, Barbara, Jimbo and Tina; and many special friends and caregivers.
The family will receive friends, Saturday, March 25, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Seaver-Brown Chapel. Funeral services will be held Saturday, March 25, at 2:30 p.m. at Jerusalem United Methodist Church, Grayson County with the Rev. Derek “Peanut” Cowan officiating. Burial will follow at the church cemetery with Military Rites conducted by the U.S. Navy Funeral Honors Guard and Independence VFW Post 7726.
Flowers are appreciated or donations can be made to Jerusalem United Methodist Church Cemetery or The Glade Mountain Saddle Club.
To share memories of Dan V. Vaught, please visit www.seaverbrown.com.
