Dale Carmel Barker, 81, of Alum Creek, WV, passed away on Monday, February 28, 2022 at 
Hubbard Hospice House.  

He was a retired coal miner from Hobet Mining and a member of the UMWA.  He also was employed at R.C. Bottling Company with 20 years service and was a member of the Teamsters Local #175.

Dale was a kind and giving man that loved to joke with everyone he met.  He seldom met a stranger but if he did they parted as new friends.  He loved his wife and family endlessly and was so proud of his kids and grandkids.

He was preceded in death by his parents Leonard & Kathleen Adkins Barker, and brothers, Karen and Rick Barker. 

Dale is survived by his wife, Sue of 60 years, children, Sonia Barker, Kim Cesaretti, and Samantha (Brian) Painter, brother, Blane (Belinda) Barker, sisters, Brenda (Gene) Flowers and Martha (Steve) Hargis.  He is also survived by three grandchildren, Nicholas Dale Cesaretti, Pierce Scott Cesaretti, and Emily Grace Painter and one great-granddaughter, Layla Rae Cesaretti.

Service will be 1:00pm Wednesday, March 2, 2022, at Curry Funeral Home, with Pastor Jack Kinder officiating.  Burial will follow at Graceland Memorial Park, South Charleston.

Family and friends will gather one hour prior to the service

Jackie Eugene Dunlap, 59, of Sod, passed away Tuesday, February 22, 2022, at St. Mary’s Medical Center.

Jackie retired as a warehouse supervisor from the State of WV ABCA with 31 years of service. Jackie said he “cut his teeth” at The Longhorn in Sissonville, where he was a bartender and musician. He played with many bands over the years, most recently, Jack Dunlap & The 2 Dollars Short Band. He was a trout fisherman, enjoyed hunting, and loved the mountains of WV and WV history.

He was preceded in death by his father, Burtchel Eugene Dunlap; brother, Kelly Jean Dunlap; and sister, Dawn Rita Dunlap.

Jackie is survived by his mother, Evelyn Tyler Dunlap and stepfather Bo; fiancé, Cathy Moran; granddaughter, Lilly Moran; sister, Candice Workman; brother Cecil Rhodes; niece, Courtney Dunlap; and special friend, Karen Holestin.

Funeral service will be 2:00 p.m., Saturday, February 26, 2022, at Curry Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Pine Grove Cemetery, Sumerco. The family will receive friends 2 hours prior to the service at the funeral home.

Jane Janette Tyler Hitchcock of Hamlin was born August 7th,1937 and passed away February 21st, 2022, at Cabell Huntington Hospital from a short illness.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Elmer & Hattie Clark Tyler, stepmother, Louise Tyler, children: Danny Hitchcock, Janie Smith, Ralph “Willie” Hitchcock, grandchildren: Dustin & Khloe Hitchcock, siblings: Mary, Norene, Elmer Jr., Kelly, Margie Mae & Jackie Joe.

Jane was “Mom” to Mark of Fl, Rick Eskins of OH, Dennis and John of WV, she adopted and raised two grandchildren Dennis Elliot and Candy Jeffries both of Hamlin, WV. She was “MawMaw Jane” to 20 grandchildren along with numerous great and great, great grandchildren.

She is survived by siblings: Evelyn Dunlap of McCorkle, Opal Collins of FL, Reba Gibson, Wilma Tyler, and brother Hassel Tyler all of Alum Creek. Aunt Jane had too many nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and neighbors to count. She loved them all.

MawMaw Jane was a resident of the Stone Trailer Court in Hamlin, WV for nearly 30 years. She never met a stranger and always had a story to tell. She was loved and will greatly be missed.

Funeral service will be 1:00 p.m., Monday, February 28, 2022, at Curry Funeral Home, Alum Creek with Pastor Craig Gillenwater officiating. Burial will follow at Holstein Cemetery, Dartmont. The family will receive friends 1 hour prior to the service at the funeral home.

Cephas J. Nicholas, 82, of Tornado, went home to be with the Lord, Monday, February 14, 2022, at his nephew’s home.

Cephas retired from WV Steel, where he was affectionately known as “Tater Bug”. He was also a former shoe salesman, truck driver, and schoolteacher. He created a gospel group called Harbor Lights, which became his beloved Christian Echoes in the early 1970’s. Cephas was a deacon at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church and drove the church bus. He would literally drive anywhere to pick someone up to attend church. It didn’t matter how far away they lived. He never had children of his own, but many of those bus kids called him popaw. He was there for them whether they needed a ride to church, work, or summer trips to the pool.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Lillian Nicholas; wife, Irene Miller Nicholas; and brother, Dennis Ray Nicholas.

Cephas is survived by his nephew & caregiver, Wayne & Rebecca Nicholas of Tornado; great nephew & caregiver, Steven & Alysia Nicholas of Logan; nephew, Brian & Kim Nicholas and their children Carson, Carter & Cara of Michigan; niece, Paula Fleck and her children Ashley Adkins and Allyson Fleck of Florida; special cousin/sister Linda Maines of Tennessee.

Funeral service organized by Chevrah Lomdei Mishnah yizkor services will be 1:00 p.m., Saturday, February 19, 2022, at Curry Funeral Home, Alum Creek with Pastor Craig Gillenwater officiating. Burial will follow at Orchard Hills, Yawkey. The family will receive friends 1 hour prior to the service at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to Pleasant Hill Baptist Church Bus Ministry or Youth Ministry, PO Box 315, Tornado, WV 25202.

Special thanks to his Hospice workers, Stacey Jarrett, Andrea Adkins, & Pete Thompson.

Joye Inez Ratcliff, 87, of Charleston, went to be with the Lord, Monday, February 14, 2022, at home.

Joye was a member of First Baptist Church, South Charleston. She was a homemaker and caregiver. She enjoyed taking care of and raising many children for years and she was a business owner and beautician by trade. One of her most cherished times were attending family and high school reunions in Braxton County. In her younger years, she was active in Jaycees, Charleston Women’s Club, and other civic groups. She loved George Strait, remembering the words to every one of his songs even in advanced stages of Alzheimer’s.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Charlie and Loura Cutlip; siblings, Charles Fredrick, Samuel Kenneth, Dale Dean, Robert James, Mary Katherine, William Lester, and Darrell Eugene.

Joye is survived by her three children, Jim (Andrea) Ratcliff of Charleston, Mike (Patty) Ratcliff of South Charleston, and Linda (Doug) Moran of Fishersville, VA; 9 grandchildren, Chris, Blake, Brittany, Emily, Ashton, Heather, Laura, Bethany, and Grace; 12 great grandchildren, Ta’Kiyah, Branson, Isabelle, Wyatt, Miles, Alex, Sawyer, Finley, Brody, Kayden, Will, and Ella.

Funeral service will be 7:00 p.m., Friday, February 18, 2022, at Curry Funeral Home, Alum Creek with Chaplain Pete Thompson officiating. The family will receive friends 1 hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Burial will be 2:00 p.m., Saturday, February 19, 2022, at Newville Cemetery, Newville, WV.

The family would like to extend a special thanks to all of Joye’s wonderful caregivers, especially Dorene, Roshannah, Benessa, Willette, Samantha, Shirley, and to the entire Hospice staff.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to HospiceCare, 1606 Kanawha Blvd W, Charleston, WV 25387.

On Friday afternoon, February 11, 2022, Zane Alexander Halstead gained his angel wings.

Zane is survived by his loving wife, Teresa; son, Anthony Whitlock; and daughter, Laikynn Halstead; his mother, Jill Dye and stepfather, Ricky Dye; his father, Rick Halstead and stepmother, Kristi; his sisters, Morgan Fallen (Shawn), Mandy Carpenter (Randy), Angela Liljander (Josh), and Taylor Alton (Jake); brother, Chayton Rader; his loving grandparents, Robert and Shirley Halstead, and Dana and Sharon Higginbotham.

Zane earned his trade as a barber, following in his PawPaw Robert’s footsteps. Zane was a loving father, son, grandson, and uncle. He was adored by many and had a heart of gold. In his short time on earth, Zane touched many lives and did the best that he could for his family. His memory will live on forever in our hearts and minds, and we will keep those memories alive for his sweet daughter as she is just a baby. May his sweet soul be at peace, and rest eternally with Jesus.

Funeral service will be 1:00 p.m., Friday, February 18, 2022, at Living Faith Church, Marmet with Pastor Mark Thomas officiating. The family will receive friends 1 hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will follow at Graceland Memorial Park, South Charleston.

William Wray Smith, 81, of South Charleston, went to be with the Lord, Sunday, February 13, 2022, at home after a massive heart attack.

After graduating from high school, Bill worked for several years in construction for various businesses. He started his own construction company in 1970, working on several commercial projects in the Kanawha Valley. He was a 50-year member of the Operating Engineers Local 132. Operating heavy equipment was his passion and he loved the outdoors. After retirement, he started wood working as a hobby and for several years attended various craft shows. He accepted Christ as his Savior when he was in his twenties and he lived a godly life. He was a devoted and loving husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather. He was a member of Spring Hill Baptist Church for over 40 years, where he served as trustee and choir member. For the past several years, he was a member of Mount Calvary Baptist Church where he also loved singing in the choir. He will be sadly missed by his family and friends.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Bill and Lillian Gillispie Smith.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Delores; three children, Billy (Michelle) Smith, Cheryl (Clint) Elswick, and Karen Smith; four grandchildren, Caleb (Jessica) Elswick, Courtney (Justin) Bailey, Cara and Cami Elswick; three great grandchildren, Lilly and Jacob Elswick and Declan Bailey.

Funeral service will be 1:00 p.m., Friday, February 18, 2022, at Curry Funeral Home with Pastor Jesse Waggoner officiating. Entombment will follow at Graceland Memorial Park Mausoleum, South Charleston.

Visitation will be 6:00-8:00 p.m., Thursday, February 17, 2022, and 1 hour prior to the funeral on Friday at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Union Mission, 700 S Park Rd Ste 1ST, Charleston, WV 25304.

Sandra Lee Ball, 56, of Costa, was reunited with her son at Heaven’s gate on Saturday, February 12, 2022, at Ruby Memorial Hospital, Morgantown.

She was a member of Ashford Church of God Holiness and a 1983 graduate of Sherman High School. She worked as a CNA at Boone Nursing Home & Heartland Nursing Home. She also worked as a security guard for Trust Jost for 15 years. She loved her kids and family, reading, and animals. She also loved the outdoors, camping, yard sales, and shopping. She was known by many for her generosity and willingness to always give. She never turned anyone away who was hurting or in need.

Sandra was preceded in death by her parents, Harold and Mary Louise Smith Barker; and son, Tyler Mann Ball.

She is survived by her husband, Tim; daughter, Tiffany Dawn (Chris) Manns; brothers, Harold Raymond (Linda) Barker, Douglas Gene Barker, and Ronnie Lin (Martha) Barker; sister, Lorrie Ann (Christopher) Barker-Campbell; many nieces and nephews that she loved dearly; and fur babies, Teddy, CoCo, and Bruiser.

Funeral service will be 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 16, 2022, at Ashford Church of God Holiness with Pastor Randell Kinder officiating. Burial will follow at Barker Cemetery, Ashford. The family will receive friends 1 hour prior to the service at the church.

The family would like to give special thanks to nurse Brittany McCallister.

Kathy Louise Temple, 66, of Charleston, passed away Wednesday, February 9, 2022, at home after a long illness.

Kathy loved to fish, sing country music, and help others.

She was preceded in death by her son, Jesse Jr.; parents, Cecil & Patricia Patton Bowman; sister, Judy; and brother, Danny.

Kathy is survived by her husband of 48 years, Jesse; son, Johnathan “Kong” Temple; grandchild, Jade Temple. She and Jesse were mommy and poppy to many youths throughout the years.

Visitation will be 6:00-8:00 p.m., Monday, February 14, 2022, at Curry Funeral Home, Alum Creek.

Gloria Jean Horn Bell, 76, went home to be with the Lord, Tuesday, February 8, 2022, at CAMC General Hospital from heart failure with her daughter, Sonja, at her side.

Gloria was born June 30, 1945, in Whitman, WV to the late Roy Harvey and Ruth Marie Williams Horn. She was a 1960 graduate of Waller High School in Chicago, IL. Gloria love to read, watch old television shows, cook, and do word searches. Her favorite color was turquoise and she loved hummingbirds and butterflies.

Along with her parents, Gloria was preceded in death by her husband, Rondal; brother, Kenny; and sister Nancy. She is survived by her sisters, Lula Belle and Sue.

She is also survived by her children, Sonja, Keith, and Lena; grandchildren, Cameron, Randy, Jessica, Michael, and Jasmine; great grandchildren, Shyanne, Makayla, Isaac, and Auzriel.

Funeral service will be 1:00 p.m., Monday, February 14, 2022, at Curry Funeral Home, Alum Creek with Randy Searls officiating. Burial will follow at Graceland Memorial Park, South Charleston. The family will receive friends 1 hour prior to the service at the funeral home.