Lost Chord WV

June 25
Nitro High School People

Pearl Barnes

Pearl Barnes, 79, of Cross Lanes, passed away Friday, May 18, 2007, in Thomas Memorial Hospital.

Pearl was a chef who was employed by several different restaurants, including Berry Hills Country Club and most recently Kanawha Country Club, she was an Air Force veteran, and was the first lady at George Air Force Base in California to fly solo. Pearl was a loving and giving sister that will be greatly missed by all.

She is survived by brothers, Cecil D. Barnes and wife Dorothy of Cross Lanes, Arling and wife Delores of Midway; sisters, Elsie Litton of Cross Lanes, Chloe Mayes of Bristol, Ind., and Burndenia Speigelburg of Melbourne, Fla.; and several nieces and nephews.

The funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, May 21, 2007, at Tyler Mountain Funeral Home with the Rev. Ray Humphreys officiating. Burial will follow in Tyler Mountain Memory Gardens, Cross Lanes.

A gathering of family and friends will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.

Georgia A. Lanham

Georgia A. Lanham, 87, of Dunbar, passed away Thursday, May 17, 2007, at her home.

She was a retired office manager for Ferguson Enterprises with 30 years of service and was a member of Fairlawn Baptist Church. Mrs. Lanham had been a resident of Dunbar for 63 years.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Roy E. Lanham.

Surviving are her sons, Ronald Moss of Cross Lanes, Stephen Moss and his wife, Mary Jean, of South Charleston and Phillip Moss and his wife, Bonnie, of Louisville, Ky.; special friends, Libby, Renee, Evonne and Ray; and her caregivers, Joyce and Joy. Also surviving are her six grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, May 21, at Keller Funeral Home, Dunbar, with the Rev. Warren Kelly officiating. Burial will follow in Grandview Memorial Park.

Geraldine Isabel Burton

Mrs. Geraldine Isabel Rowley Burton, 79, of Cross Lanes, went home to be with the Lord, Friday, May 25, 2007, in Hubbard Hospice House.

Geraldine was retired from Blue Cross/Blue Shield. She was a well-loved lady of the Charleston area, a dear Christian lady who will be sadly missed by all who knew her.

She is survived by her loving husband of 42 years A. Hugh Burton Jr.; daughter, Sonja Hempstead and husband David of Raleigh, N.C.; son, Roger Lewis and wife Drema of Nitro; stepson, Stephen Burton and wife Christie of Cross Lanes; stepson, Michael Burton of Charleston; sisters, Beulah Lewis of Charleston, Audra Carrothers of Alum Creek, Coreen Hall of Winfield, and Ruth Ann Minner of Indiana; brothers, Anderson Rowley of Charleston, Eugene Rowley of Dunbar, and Pete Rowley of South Charleston. Geraldine is also survived by five grandchildren, Katie, Madison, Allyson, Rylie and Ryan; three step-grandchildren; and four step-great-grandchildren.

Blaine Cummings

Blaine Cummings, 88, of Nitro passed away Tuesday, May 29, 2007, at Hubbard Hospice House after a short illness.

He was born Feb. 1, 1919, and was a son of the late Hibbert and Eddy Cummings.

He was retired from True Temper and was a member of the Nitro Moose Lodge.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Alma Barnette Cummings; daughter, Shelia Ann Riffle; brothers, Joe, Roy, Oral and Cecil; and sisters, Nellie, Margaret and Isabelle.

He is survived by daughters, Brenda Jeffers of Nitro, Lizetta Withrow of Palm Bay, Fla., and Carolyn Taylor of Nitro; sons, Michael and his wife, Debbie, of Charleston and Billy of Nitro; brother, Hibbert and his wife, Erma, of Charleston; sister, Genevieve Berry of St. Albans; sisters-in-law, Jessie Cummings and Violet Cummings, both of Charleston; 12 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren; and beloved nieces and nephews.

Howard "Toney" Lanham

Howard “Toney” Lanham, 58, of Elkview passed away Friday, June 1, 2007, in CAMC Memorial Hospital.

Howard was a 22-year resident of Elkview. He was a 1967 graduate of Nitro High School and was a disabled sprinkler fitter, having worked out of Local 669 of the Sprinkler Fitters Union and especially for Brewer and Company.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Howard and Kathryn Lanham; one brother, Danny Lanham; and one nephew, Justin Wygal.

Howard is survived by his wife, Pamela Stover Lanham; daughter, Emily Lanham of Elkview; and sister, Patti Wygal of Poca.

A celebration of Howard's life will be 2 p.m. Sunday, June 3, at Tyler Mountain Funeral Home, 5233 Rocky Fork Road, Cross Lanes. Burial will follow in Tyler Mountain Memory Gardens.

Randy Lee Spencer

Randy Lee Spencer, 50, of Nitro passed away suddenly on Sunday, June 3, 2007, at his residence.

Born July 2, 1956, in Charleston, he was a son of the late Hiram Dale and Mary Virginia Stone Spencer. He was also preceded in death by his grandmother, Elizabeth Stone, and his nephew, JR Spencer.

Randy was a former truck driver and was currently employed by Belcan, South Charleston. He was a 1974 graduate of Nitro High School and attended West Virginia University Institute of Technology, Montgomery, as well as West Virginia State University, Institute. As a lifelong dog lover, Randy was also very attached to his faithful canine companion, Danté.

He is survived by his son, Jason Spencer of Cross Lanes; his sister, Sally Carroll and her husband, Keith, of Hurricane; his brother, Greg Spencer and his wife, Cherrie, of Hurricane; Jason's mother, Terri Casdorph and her husband, David, of Cross Lanes; former sisters-in-law, Libby Steele and Judith Harris, both of Elkins; his girlfriend, Tonya Lovejoy; his nieces, Misty Mallett and Marah Carroll; and his nephews, Dusty and Dylan Carroll.

Funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, June 7, at Bartlett-Chapman Funeral Home, 409 Sixth Ave., St. Albans, with the Rev. David Thaxton officiating. Burial will follow in Cunningham Memorial Park, St. Albans.

Friends may call from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.

Online condolences may be made at www.bartlettchapmanfuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorial contributions be made to either the Putnam Animal Shelter, 1 Sable Drive, Winfield, WV 25213, or to the Kanawha-Charleston Animal Shelter, 1248 Greenbrier Street, Charleston, WV 25311.

Dr. Charles J. Davis Jr.

Charles J. Davis Jr., M.D., of Rockville, Md., passed away at his home on June 19, 2007.

He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Mary Elizabeth Davis; and son, Thomas W. Davis.

Survivors include four sons, Charles J. Davis III of Milwaukee, Wis., Paul R. Davis of Rockville, Md., George C. Davis of Towson, Md., and John F. Davis of Ashburn, Va.; and grandchildren, Charles J. Davis IV and Raymond W. Davis of Milwaukee, Wis.; Parker J. Davis of Rockville, Md.; and Thomas, Mary Elizabeth, and Joseph Davis of Ashburn, Va.

Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, June 29, at Cooke Funeral Home, 2002 20th St., Nitro. The funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 30, at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 20th St., Nitro. Interment will be at Tyler Mountain Memory Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Montgomery Hospice, 1355 Piccard Drive, Suite 100, Rockville, MD 20850.

A native of West Virginia, Dr. Davis was born in South Charleston on February 23, 1927. Later moving to Nitro, he graduated from Nitro High School in 1945. He entered the US Army at that time and served a tour of duty in Japan.

After leaving the service, he earned his undergraduate degree from West Virginia University and received his medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia in 1953. After a period in general medical practice in West Virginia, he re-entered the Army and completed his residency in clinical and anatomic pathology at William Beaumont General Hospital, El Paso, Texas, in 1967. He served as Chief, Laboratory Service, Womack Army Hospital at Fort Bragg, NC, 1967-1970, and the following year, he was Commanding Officer, 9th Medical Laboratory, Long Binh, Vietnam.

In l971, Dr. Davis was recruited by the late Dr. F. K. Mostofi to join the staff of the Department of Genitourinary Pathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. He subsequently served as Deputy Chairman of the Department. His diagnostic skills and vast experience made him an internationally recognized authority in genitourinary pathology. His special interest was the pathology of renal tumors and he wrote definitive descriptions of poorly understood renal lesions, including previously unrecognized tumors. He co-authored Histological Typing of Tumors of the Kidney, Histological Typing of Tumors of the Prostate, and Histological Typing of Tumors of the Bladder, for the World Health Organization Classification of Tumors series. He also authored or collaborated on more than 50 scientific articles as well as a number of book chapters. In addition to serving as a consultant to countless civilian and military pathologists, both nationally and internationally, he also collaborated with uro-radiologists and veterinary pathologists. He lectured around the world and, during his distinguished career, taught hundreds of pathologists. He also taught genitourinary pathology to several thousand urologists. Last year, the 40th annual AFIP Urologic Pathology and Radiology Course was renamed the "Annual F.K. Mostofi and Col. C.J. Davis, Jr. Urologic Pathology and Radiology Course" in his honor.

Dr. Davis attained the rank of Colonel, US Army, and, in l994, was awarded the Legion of Merit. After retirement from the Army, Dr. Davis continued his work at the AFIP with the American Registry of Pathology.

Dr. Davis was soft spoken and had a gentle demeanor. He was a man of integrity and was admired and respected by all who knew him.

Cooke Funeral Home & Crematorium, Nitro, is in charge of arrangements.

Condolences to the family may be made at www.cookefuneralhome.com.

Johnny King

Mr. Johnny King, 75, of Nitro, departed this life on Friday, June 22, 2007, at CAMC Memorial Hospital following an extended illness.

He was the son of the late Leonard and Ola Summers King. Johnny was born Oct. 10, 1931, in Sissonville, and resided for 65 years in the Nitro area.

Johnny was of the Protestant faith and gave his life to the Lord in Dec. 2005. He was a 1952 graduate of Nitro High School and served his country until his discharge as Corporal on July 8, 1960. He was in the U.S. Army and attached to the Air Force.

He was a member of the Nitro Order of the Eastern Star, No. 170.

Johnny enjoyed fishing, hunting, and spending time at his camp in Pocahontas County. He loved to golf, travel and had a love for bluegrass music and playing his banjo and guitar.

Having never met a stranger, Johnny leaves many friends to cherish his memory.

Johnny began a long career in the floor covering business, starting with Andrew's Floor Covering and later opened his own business, King's Floor Covering, which he operated for more than 40 years. He also was the president and owner of KJC, Inc., and owned many rental properties in the Nitro area. He retired form the floor covering business and KJC, Inc., in 1994.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Verna Lane King.

He leaves behind his loving and devoted wife of 18 years, Kay. He is also survived by sons, Leonard “Eddie” King of Nitro, Carl David King and his wife Penny of Nitro, John J. King and his wife Alice of Summersville; daughters, Sharon Cantrell and her husband Eugene of Nitro and Nancy Ann Eckerl and her husband Frank of White Mills, Pa.; a stepson, Jeffrey S. Charr and his wife Rhonda of Wytheville, Va.; grandchildren, TJ, Alicia, Johnny Eugene, Joseph, and Amanda; great-grandchildren, Savannah and Alexis; and step-grandchildren, Megan, Ryan, Isaac and Jeffrey; sisters, Frances Higginbotham of Summersville and Paula King of Morgantown. He also leaves behind his faithful and loving companion, Sugar.

The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.

A celebration of Johnny's life will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Tyler Mountain Funeral Home with the Rev. Mayford Witt officiating. Interment will follow in Tyler Mountain Memory Gardens.

In addition to his three sons and grandson, Joseph, the pallbearers will be his friends, Eugene Young and Rick Farley.