SHIRLEY D. DODSON
Shirley Mae Draper Dodson, 82, Quartz Street, Bassett, died Tuesday, April 4, 2017, at Blue Ridge Rehab Center.
She was born in Martinsville on March 22, 1935, and was a daughter of the late David and Ollie Tatum Hairston. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Joe Louis Dodson.
She was retired from VF Knitwear and was a member of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church where she served on the Senior Choir and the Kitchen Ministry.
Those left to cherish her memory include one daughter, Teresa Redd of Bassett; four sons, Samuel Draper, of Martinsville, Donald and Davis Draper, both of Fieldale, and Timothy Dodson of Stuart; one sister-in-law, Vialena Penn, of Towson, Md.; one brother-in-law, Edward Dodson, of Columbus, Ohio; 10 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held Monday at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Fieldale with the Rev. Benjamin Redd officiating. Burial was in Carver Memorial Gardens.
Arrangements were by Hines Funeral Services.
KATHY Y. FULCHER
Kathy Ann Young Fulcher, 53, of Stuart, died April 3, 2017.
She was born on July 31, 1963, in McDowell County, W.Va., to Carolyn Simons Woody of Spencer and the late Roger Young.
She was of the Christian faith. She worked as registered nurse at Piedmont Community Services.
She is survived by her husband, Jerry Wayne Fulcher of the home; daughter, Ashley Morgan Fulcher of Lancaster, Pa.; son, Dirk Smart Jr. of Spencer; sister, Ashley Rae of Florida; brother, Roger David Young Jr. of Texas; stepdaughter, Aimee Fulcher of Bassett; stepson, Joshua Fulcher of Newport News; and three grandchildren.
A funeral service was held Saturday at Norris Funeral Services Martinsville Chapel with Minister Milford Hudson officiating. Burial was in Mayo Christian Church cemetery.
Online condolences may be made at www.norrisfuneral.com.
DOROTHY R. GRIFFITH
Dorothy R. (Dotty) Griffith of Woolwine passed away Wednesday, April 4, 2017, at Roanoke Memorial Hospital after an extended illness.
Born in Rocky Mount, Va., on February 21, 1938, daughter of the late Otto and Ida Hylton Ridinger, she was a life-long resident of Patrick County. She was also predeceased by sisters Lucille, Linnie; and brothers Otto Jr., Everett, Joe and Lilburn.
Dotty loved her family and friends, enjoyed gardening, quilting, music, her pets and loved sharing those joys with others. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend to many, and she attended Sycamore Baptist Church.
She is survived by the love of her life, her husband of 62 years, William Paul (Bill) Griffith Sr. of the home, whom she wed on July 9, 1954, in Chesterfield, S.C.; two daughters, Jackie and husband, Harless Belcher, of Stuart, Jessica and husband Dean Belcher and son, William Paul (Bud) Jr. and wife Theresa Griffith, all of Woolwine; six grandchildren, Mike (Carmen) Hall of Bassett, Alison (Eddie) Harris of Floyd, Wesley Belcher of Stuart, IT-2 Bradley Hopkins, USN of Pensacola, Fla., Beth (Jesse) Bocock of Woolwine and Tiffany (Brandon) Kitchen of Bassett; three great-grandchildren, Danielle Harris of Floyd, Corporal Austin Carlyle, USMC of Cherry Point, N.C., and Hannah Hopkins of Pensacola; two sisters, Betty (Lee Roy) Willard of Bassett and Annie (Horace) Martin of Martinsville; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were held Friday, April 7, at Moody Funeral Home in Stuart with Pastor Gerald Melton officiating. Burial was in Woolwine Cemetery.
If desired, memorial contributions may be made to the Smith River Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 122, Woolwine, Va., 24185 or to PAWS (Patrick Animal Welfare Society) P.O. Box 743, Stuart, Va., 24171.
Online condolences may be sent by visiting www.moodyfuneralservices.com.
ANNIE F. NOWLIN
Annie Fulcher Nowlin of Patrick Springs passed away Thursday, April 6, 2017, at Blue Ridge Therapy Connection.
Born in Patrick Springs on December 13, 1924, she was the daughter of the late Tom and Kate Fulcher. She was also predeceased by her husband, Bennie Crite Nowlin, sisters Jean and Lula, and brothers Taylor, Melvin, Calvert, Rush, Sam, and Carter.
She was a life member of Providence United Methodist Church in Patrick Springs, and had retired from DuPont in Martinsville with 34 years of service.
Annie is survived by one daughter, Carol Jean, and husband Thomas DeBusk of Stuart; two sons, Keith Nowlin of Knoxville, Tenn., and Kenny Nowlin and special friend Tammy Haynes of Stuart; three grandchildren, Deborah L. Kawamura (Ed) of Roanoke, Scott (Julie) Light of Columbus, Ohio, and Chris (Erica) Nowlin of Summerfield, N.C.; four great-grandchildren, Caroline Liles, Spencer Light, Grayson Light and Emmett Nowlin, and several Fulcher nieces and nephews.
Visitation was held Sunday, April 9, at Moody Funeral Home in Stuart, with services immediately following. Reverends Keith Vernon and David Westmoreland officiated. Burial was in the Carter/Fulcher family cemetery.
Memorials may be made to the Providence Methodist Church Building Fund, Patrick Springs, 1021 Providence Drive, Patrick Springs, Va., 24133. Online condolences may be sent by visiting www.moodyfuneralservices.com.
MARGARET H. SHOUGH
Margaret Delorise Hawks Shough, 83, of Bassett, died Wednesday, April 5, 2017, at the Carillion Franklin Memorial Hospital.
She was born in Carroll County on June 1, 1933, and was a daughter of the late Ira Olen Hawks and the late Martha Jane Baker Hawks. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Ledford Carter Shough; son, Jimmy Wayne Stanley; brothers, Aaron Hawks and Ira Hawks; and sisters, Annie May Cave, Vilena Wilmouth and Pauline Whalen.
She is survived by her son, David Stanley of Patrick Springs; daughters, Kaye Cassell and husband Chester of Bassett, Jackie Hiatt of Mount Airy, N.C., and Renee Sowers and husband Dewey Jr. of Bassett; nine grandchildren; several great-grandchildren; brother, Lester Hawks of Bassett; sisters, Dorothy Edwards of Mount Airy, and Peggy Reed of Floyd; and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were held Sunday at Bassett Funeral Service. Burial will be held today (Wednesday) in the Suzie Hawks Cemetery.
Online condolences may be made by visiting www.bassettfuneralservice.com.
MATTIE K. WILLIAMS
Mattie Ruth Keaton Williams, 83, formerly of Bassett, passed away Wednesday April 5, 2017, at Blue Ridge Therapy Connection in Stuart.
She was born November 14, 1933, in Patrick County and was a daughter of the late Ed and Maude Crews Keaton. She was also predeceased by her spouse, Ernest Leon Williams, two sons, Roger Leon and Donald Anthony Williams, and one brother, Junior Keaton.
She was a member of Outreach Ministries, and had worked at Bassett-Walker.
She is survived by two daughters, Linda Cole and husband Billy of Fieldale, and Mary Griffith of Bassett; one brother, David Keaton of Bassett; four sisters, Jo Dillon of Florida, Nancy Fulcher and Susan Jones of Bassett, and Jean Jones of Collinsville; five grandchildren, Cindy Cole, Amanda Cole, Angie Davis, Victoria Mendez, and Mike Williams; and eight great-grandchildren.
Her funeral service was held Friday in the Roselawn Chapel with Pastor Bud Sedwick officiating. Burial was in Roselawn Burial Park.
Online condolences may be entered at www.roselawnchapelfuneralhome.com.
COL. ROBERT S. WOOD
Retired Colonel Robert Sparrel Wood died peacefully at home on March 29, 2017, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.
He was born in Woolwine on November 9, 1923, first son of Robert Amos Wood and Myrtle Oney Turner Wood.
Woody was drafted into the Air Army Corps, trained as a pilot, and prepared to go overseas when World War II ended. In 1946, he studied at Virginia Polytechnic Institute on the GI Bill. There he met his future bride, Ella Mae Patton, who was attending nearby Radford State Teachers College.
Putting his education on hold in 1947, Woody reenlisted in the Air Army Corps, which officially became the United States Air Force later that year. In 1954, he earned his bachelor of science degree in meteorology from the University of Maryland.
Through his service in the USAF, Ella and Woody traveled the world together for nearly three decades. Retiring to Burnsville, N.C., in 1976, they created even more adventures, hiking the entire Appalachian Trail from 1987 to 1991.
Well loved, especially by children, he was known for his good-natured welcoming smile, his corny sense of humor, and his ever-ready willingness to offer a weather forecast. Highlights of Woody’s career include serving in occupied Japan, in post-war Korea, and as a Hurricane Hunter pilot in Bermuda. He was a weather commander in the Philippines during the Vietnam War and completed his career as commander of all USAF weather squadrons in Europe.
He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Ella Mae; his daughters Nancy Wood and Janet Wood Taylor; and son Sparrel Wood and wife Karen Frye. Predeceased by his oldest grandson, he is also survived by three granddaughters, two grandsons, and three great-grandchildren; his sister, Nancy Wood Droste and her family; and the families of his deceased sister Edith Wood Page and deceased brother David Lee Wood.
He will be buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. The date and time of this service will be released as soon as it is available. A celebration of his life will be held in Burnsville at a date, time, and location to be announced in the near future.
