New River Valley Obituary Collection
The obituaries listed in this section are from various sources including those listed below. Most of these were published in newspapers in the southwest Virginia and northwest North Carolina area during the 1999 to 2001 time period. Some appear to be old obituaries but the specific sources for these older obituaries are not known.
- 1895 Fisher’s River Primitive Baptist Association
- 1898-1901 Minutes of the Little River Regular Baptist Association
- 1904 Minutes of the Little River Regular Baptist Association
- 1905 Fisher’s River Primitive Baptist Association
- 1910 Ashe Baptist Association Minutes Obituaries
- 1920-1934 Minutes of the Blue Ridge Baptist Association
- 1930 Minutes of the Mountain Union Baptist Association
- 1946-1963 Minutes of the Senter District Primitive Baptist Association
- 1947-1951 Minutes of the Reorganized Little River Regular Baptist Association
- 1958 Smyth County News, Marion, VA
- 1976-1981 Christian Unity Separate Baptist Association Obituaries
- 1999-2001 Newspapers, including other sources and various dates
In some cases the dates of births or deaths were not included in the obituaries. When full dates are not known they are not included in the table.
In the 1958 obituaries the Smyth County News rarely gave date of death, but stated that the individual died “last Tuesday,” “Friday,” etc. Unless otherwise annotated, these dates herein represent the transcriber’s best estimate of death date, and should be used as a guideline only.
| Surname | Given Name | Birth | Death | Obit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abel | Harvey James | 26 Jun 1997 | Harvey James Abel, age 59, died Thursday, June 26, 1997 in Smyth County Community Hospital. Survivors include his wife, Myrtle Sue Abel, Marion; two sons and daughters-in-law, Ronnie and Carrie Abel, and William Harvey and Bobbie Jean Abel, all of Marion; one daughter and son-in- law, Amanda and James Hagee, Chilhowie; one brother, Reece Abel, Chilhowie; one special nephew, Wayne Abel; several nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be conducted today, June 28, at 2 p.m. in Barnett’s Funeral Home Chapel with Pastor Adam Love officiating. Burial will follow in the Osborne & Hatfield Cemetery in Tannersville. Barnett’s. Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. | |
| Abel | Reece Warren | 7 Mar 1999 | Reece Warren Abel, age 71, died Sunday, March 7, 1999 at his home in Chilhowie. Survivors include his wife, Wanda Carol Abel; one daughter, Mrs. Jerry (Wanda Rebecca) Lethcoe of Abingdon; one step-granddaughter, Tosha Lethcoe; a special brother-in-law, Burton Perkins; several nieces and nephews. Graveside services were conducted Tuesday, March 9, at 11 a.m. in Roselawn Cemetery with the Rev. Paul Price officiating. D.R. Henderson Funeral Home in Saltville was in charge of arrangements. | |
| Absher | Jessie Ellis | 25 May 1943 | 2 Jun 2001 | Mrs. Jessie Ellis Absher, age 58, of 1298 Air Bellows Gap Road, Sparta, died Saturday, June 2, in the Alleghany Memorial Hospital in Sparta. She was the widow of Charles David Absher. She is survived by one daughter: Debbie Salmon of Sparta; one son: Ricky Absher of Sparta; three grandchildren: Jessica Price, Anna Mae Absher and Curtis Mullis; one great-grandchild: Johnny Ray Price; four brothers: Vance Ellis, Larry Ellis and Marvin Ellis all of McGrady and Howard Ellis of Hays; three sisters: Mary Tedder of Crickett, Jean Wood of Traphill and Joyce Fortner of Moravian Falls; and several nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be conducted Monday, June 4, at 11 am at the Grandview Memorial Funeral Home Chapel with burial to follow in the Taylor Cemetery in Wilkes County. The family will receive friends Sunday evening, June 3, from 7-9 pm at the Grandview Memorial Funeral Home in Sparta. In lieu of flowers, Memorial Contributions may be made to the family to help with burial expenses |
| Absher | Kenneth | 7 Jan 1928 | 19 May 2000 | Kenneth Absher, 72, was remembered at funeral services held May 21 at Badger Funeral Home Chapel. Rev. Lonnie Pruitt and Rev. David Grinnell officiated. Burial followed in the Senter Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery. Mr. Absher was born in Ashe County to Mack and Eugenia Bledsoe Absher. He is survived by his wife, Beth Sheets Absher; one daughter, Becky Perry; one step-son, David Coldiron, Jefferson; one step-daughter, Becky Absher, Jefferson; one brother, Robert Absher, Winston-Salem; and five grandchildren and three step-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, c/o Max Yates, PO Box 223, Jefferson, NC 28640. Badger Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements |
| Absher | Mazie Halsey | 20 Jan 2001 | Mrs. Mazie Halsey Absher, age 57, of 582 Wolfe Road, Sparta, NC, died Saturday, January 20, 2001, in the Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital in Elkin, NC. She is survived by one son and daughter-in-law: Michael and Nita Absher of Lansing, NC; two daughters and sons-in-law: Debbie and Ronnie Simmons of Mt. Airy, NC and Kathy and Randy Sexton of Sparta, NC; three grandchildren; one step-grandson; three brothers: Glenn Halsey of Street, Maryland, Bobby Joe Halsey of High Point, NC and Billy Rector of Sparta, NC; one sister: Lois Crouse of Sparta, NC; and several nieces and nephews. Funeral Services will be conducted Tuesday, January 23, 2001, at 2:00 P.M. at the West Side Independent Baptist Church with Rev. Jerry Smith and Rev. Russell Sheets officiating. Burial will follow in the New Salem Cemetery. The body will be placed in the church 30 minutes prior to the services to lie in state. The family will receive friends Monday evening from 7-9 PM at the Grandview Memorial Funeral Home in Sparta and at other times at the home at 582 Wolfe Road, Sparta, NC. Flowers will be appreciated or Memorial Contributions may be made to the West Side Independent Baptist Church, C/O Karin Nichols, P.O. Box 395, Sparta, NC 28675. | |
| Absher | Nicole | 12 Mar 2001 | Little Shye Nicole Absher, infant daughter of Jessica Absher of 411 Ballpark Road, Sparta, NC, died Monday, March 12, 2001, in the Forsyth Memorial Hospital in Sparta. She is survived by her mother of the home; Two brothers: Joshua Dowell and Ethan Dowell both of the home; Her Maternal Grandmother: Barbara Church of Sparta, NC and her Maternal Great-Grandmother: Ona Lee Andrews of Missouri. Graveside Services will be conducted Thursday, March 15, 2001, at 12 PM at the Antioch Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery. Grandview Memorial is in charge of the arrangements. | |
| Ackerman | James Franklin | 7 Jun 1934 | 13 Apr 2000 | James Franklin Ackerman, 65, was remembered at funeral services held April 16 at Ashelawn Memorial Chapel in Jefferson. Rev. Jack Pugh officiated. Burial followed with military honors in Ashelawn Memorial Gardens in Jefferson. Mr. Ackerman was born in Rochester, N.Y. to Clarence and Marjorie Waddell Ackerman. He was a retired first sergeant from the U.S. Army with over 23 years of service, serving both in Korea and Vietnam Campaigns. He was a member of the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans and Veterans of Foreign Wars. Mr. Ackerman was born in Rochester, N.Y. to Clarence and Marjorie Waddell Ackerman. He was a retired first sergeant from the U.S. Army with over 23 years of service, serving both in Korea and Vietnam Campaigns. He was a member of the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans and Veterans of Foreign Wars. He is survived by his wife, Virginia Taylor Ackerman; three sons, Mark Ackerman, Laurel Springs, Dale Pennington, West Jefferson, and James Ackerman Jr., Wilkesboro; two daughters, Barbara Sample, Jefferson, and Wanda Parsons, Crumpler; two brothers, Richard Ackerman, Denver, Colo., and John Ackerman, Newport News, Va.; three sisters, Betty Dean and Judy Rorrer, both of Charlottesville, Va., and Peggy Childres, Maryland; nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild; and several nieces and nephews. Ashelawn Memorial Chapel (www.funeral-plans.com/ashelawn) was in charge of the arrangements. |
| Adair | Mary Farris | 12 Mar 2000 | Mary Farris Adair, age 88, of Glade Spring, died Sunday, March 12, 2000 in Valley Health Care in Chilhowie. Mrs. Adair was the widow of R.W. Farris and Thomas Bryan Adair. She was a member of Glade Community First Church of God, and was an avid gardener and an award-winning quilter. She was preceded in death by two daughters, Sue Farris Honaker and Betty Farris Zavala. She was preceded in death by two daughters, Sue Farris Honaker and Betty Farris Zavala. Surviving are five sons, Elmer Farris and Joe Adair, both of Glade Spring, Moe Adair of Bristol, Curtis Adair of Kingsport, Tenn., Harold Ruetschi Farris of Emory; three daughters, Anne Farris of Glade Spring, Freida Adair Harrington of Abingdon, and Eleanor “Judy” Farris Velasco of Houston, Texas; 19 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be conducted today, March 15, at 11 a.m. in Farris Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Gene Little officiating. Burial will be in the Elizabeth Cemetery in Saltville. Farris Funeral Service in Abingdon is in charge of arrangements. | |
| Adams | Beulah Scott | 12 Nov 1997 | Beulah Scott Adams, 82, widow of Franklin W. Adams, died Thursday, Nov. 13, 1997 in Holston Valley Medical Center in Kingsport, Tenn. She was a lifelong member of the Mount Carmel United Methodist Church. She is survived by two daughters, Evelyn A. Sledge of Durham, N.C., and Doris Burnett of Manhattan, Kansas; one brother, Glen Scott of Pasadena, Md.; three sisters-in-law, Anna Adams, Vesta Friesland and Viola Adams, all of Marion; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be held today, Nov. 15, at 2 p.m. at the Mount Carmel United Methodist Church with the Rev. Calvin Tabor officiating. Burial will follow in Rose Lawn Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Mount Carmel United Methodist Church, Rt. 5 Box 25, Marion, VA 24354. The body will be taken to the church one hour before the service. Seaver-Brown Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements. | |
| Adams | Charles Preston | 26 Dec 2000 | Charles Preston Adams, Sr., age 62, of Wytheville, Virginia, died Tuesday, December 26, 2000, in the Wythe County Community Hospital. He was the son of the late Kelly Preston and Lelia Taylor Adams and was preceded in death by a son, John Preston Adams and a daughter, Lena Diane Adams. He had served in the U.S. Air Force. He is survived by: his wife – Mary Carolyn Adams of Wytheville, VA; three daughters and son- in-law – Brenda Gail and Dennie McDonald of Max Meadows, VA, Regina Kay and Rick Christian of Lexington, NC and Crystal Dawn Durrance of Wytheville, VA; a son and daughter-in-law – Charles Preston, Jr., and Nicole Adams of Tuscaloosa, AL; four grandchildren – Michael Seth Durrance, Jared Andrew Durrance, Justin Todd Adams and Faith Camille Adams; a sister – Janice Weaver of Waynesboro, VA. Funeral services will be held Thursday, December 28, 2000, at 2:00 p.m. at the Barnett Funeral Chapel in Wytheville with the Rev. Robert Layell officiating. Interment will follow in the West End Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the Barnett Funeral Home from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Wednesday or at the residence at any time. Barnett Funeral Home in Wytheville, Virginia is in charge of the arrangements. |