Connie Lee Johnson, 84, of South Charleston passed away Friday, November 11, 2022, at Stonerise in Charleston. Connie will be laid to rest at Grandview Memorial Park, Dunbar.
Barry Todd “Bear” Shirley, 62, of Griffithsville, passed away Thursday, November 10, 2022, at home.
Bear was a 1978 graduate of Duval High School and was a 42-year member of Sprinkler Fitter Local 669. He had a great love for hunting, fishing, & shooting his guns on the Dorsey farm. He was a member of the Sons of the American Legion.
He was preceded in death by his father, Quentin Shirley; sister-in-law, Sharon Shirley.
Barry is survived by his precious mother, Betty Shirley. He was a proud father and loved all of his children; Michael (Carissa) Shirley, Heather Shirley, Brandon Shirley, Sabrina Hill, & Skyler Rizer. He is also survived by brothers, Keith Shirley, Bret (Robin) Shirley, Brian (Beverly) Shirley; 9 grandchildren, Jacob, Evan, Matalee, Jenna, Mason, Maxim, Avery, Mellanie, & Waverley; and several nieces and nephews.
Service will be 6:00 p.m., Sunday, November 13, 2022, at Curry Funeral Home, Alum Creek with Pastor Craig Gillenwater officiating. Friends and family will gather one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. It was Bear’s wish to be cremated and his cremains will be placed at Miller Cemetery, Sweetland at a later date.
Roger Lee Wheeler, age 89, born on May 19, 1933, went home to be with the Lord on November 7, 2022. He fought heart complications and lived through multiple heart attacks before God finally asked him to rest. God gave him to Ira Wheeler and Ettus Banks Wheeler, and a brother Larry Wheeler, who are now deceased.
Roger was born in Logan and moved to Beechie Fork in Alum Creek about five years later. He graduated from Duval High School in 1951 then went into the army, which paid for his way through college at Morris Harvey. He married Patsy Kidd on November 21, 1956. He started a career at Frankenbergers on Capitol St., became a buyer for Stone and Thomas, then a salesman for H.I.S. He won “Salesman of the Year” award. This was the first time it had been given. Patsy worked as his secretary and they traveled together.
He helped build the Independent Missionary Baptist Church of Alum Creek. He was a charter member and taught the Youth Sunday School class. He was a great member of the community and the first president of the Alum Creek Lions Club. He will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved him.
He is survived by his wife, Patsy, of 65 years and his “little girl”, Nancy Matthews (John). He loved his nieces and nephews: Robbie Wheeler, Connie Wheeler, Jon Matthews (Anna), Michelle Means (Derrick), Larry Wheeler Jr, Dawn Miller, Denita Kayyali (Ammar), Danielle Wheeler (Rod), Ja Kidd, Jill Kidd, and Janai Kidd. And a special friend, Larry Pauley.
Funeral will be 1:00 p.m., Saturday, November 12, at Independent Missionary Baptist Church of Alum Creek with Pastor Daniel Dent. Visitation will be from 11:00 – 1:00 at the church. Burial will follow at Forks of Coal Memorial Park, Alum Creek.
Homer Harwood Cash, 75, of Danville passed away Tuesday, November 8, 2022, at Hillcrest Health Care Center, Danville.
Homer was a former employee of Black Rock Construction. He was a member of Nitro Moose Lodge and loved the outdoors, hunting, fishing, dirt track, & Nascar.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia Nancy Parsons Cash; parents, Homer E. Cash, Jr. & Elizabeth Hissom Cash; sons, Gregory Allen Cash, Matthew Homer Cash; brothers, Charles E. Cash, John Wesley Cash, & James Franklin Cash.
Homer is survived by son, Robert (Samantha) Cash; granddaughters, Bethany Lynn (Ryan) Dawson, Haley Elizabeth Cash; grandsons, Brandon Matthew Cash, Landon Franchini, & Liam Franchini; great granddaughter, Emelia Dawson.
Private services are scheduled for Saturday, November 12, 2022, and Homer will be laid to rest at Forest Lawn Cemetery, Milton.
In lieu of flowers, donations toward funeral expenses would be appreciated to
Curry Funeral Home, PO Box 9, Alum Creek, WV 25003.
Deloris Sue “Dee” Messer, 78, of Julian passed away Monday, November 7, 2022, at home.
Dee was a homemaker and loved taking care of her family and friends. She enjoyed gardening and baking.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Edmund & Maggie Hager; brothers, William, Lowell Gene, Sike, & Roger Hager; sisters, Alberta Smith, Geraldine Miller, Lucille Tully, Hazel Reynolds, & Cat Bird Bays.
Dee is survived by her husband of 53 years, Zeke; daughters, Rhonda (Shorty) Sutphin & Sandy Messer (Randy Blethen); son, Joe Messer; sister, Joy Sadler; grandson, Charles Sutphin, II; and was Nana to Kendal Maynard.
Service will be 11:00 a.m., Thursday, November 10, 2022, at Curry Funeral Home, Alum Creek with Pastor Chuck Gillispie officiating. Burial will follow at Hill Cemetery, Julian. Friends and family will gather one hour before the service at the funeral home.
Special thanks to Vivian Daniels and Adrian Gillispie for their love and care of Dee.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hill Cemetery, C/O Olive Baptist Church, PO Box 152, Julian, WV 25529.
Brian Atlee Griffith, 59, of South Charleston, born on August 17, 1963, passed away on November 6, 2022.
Brian lived his life with no regrets. He had a love for music from the 70’s and liked it loud (to the dismay of his neighbors). He never pretended to be something he wasn’t and loved his family to no end.
Brian was an extremely skilled carpenter and made some beautiful pieces of woodwork over the years. He also had an amazing talent for writing poetry. If you were lucky enough to receive one of his poems, you know he had the most eloquent handwriting and poured his heart into those words.
Brian was preceded in death by his mother, Nancy Lee Griffith, in 1999. He was truly a lost soul after she passed. He was also preceded by infant brother, Kevin Lee Griffith, maternal grand-parents, Burton and Bertye Hedrick and paternal grandparents, Charles and Clara Griffith.
Brian is survived by his father, Paul Griffith, and sisters, Kem Griffith, Paula Belcher and Hope Griffith. Nephew and nieces, Nathan, Morgan and Natalie; and one great-niece, Kynzie. Brian was also blessed with a half-sister, Michelle Carter, and 2 half-brothers, Troy and Lenny Taylor, and their children, as well as host of cousins and a few close friends.
Brian did not want a service as he wanted to the see the people he loved while he “was on this side of the dirt”, as he called it. He requested to be cremated and to have his ashes scattered at his childhood home on Griffith Lane, the family camp in Pocahontas County and his mother’s grave at Forks of Coal Cemetery.
A very special thank you to the staff at Meadowbrook Acres for the care they provided for Brian the last 6 months, as well as putting up with all of his shenanigans; the staff were not only his caretakers, but became his friends, which meant the world to him.
Elijah Morgan Priestley, 3-year old, sweetest kid, paw patrol loving boy got his wings on Friday, November 4, 2022, at Women & Children’s Hospital, Charleston, WV. He was preceded in death by his great-grandparents, Mary & David Morgan and Helen McClure, and grandmother, Angela McIntire.
Elijah is survived by his parents, Josh & Codie Priestley, brother, Preston, and sister, Phoenix. He is also survived by grandparents, Jill & Keith Craig, grandfather, Theodore Priestley, great-grandfather, Marvin McClure and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends that will greatly miss him.
Memorial service will be 7:00pm Thursday, November 10, 2022, at Curry Funeral Home, with Minister Charlie McKinney officiating. Burial will be at McClure Family Cemetery, Yawkey, WV. Family and friends will gather one hour prior to the service.
My beloved mother left this earth after a brief, but difficult battle. A fighter until the end, J. Beth Griffith passed away on November 2, 2022 at the age of 72. Beth requested a cremation and that we scatter her ashes in one of her favorite spots. Beth would not approve of a full obituary being written, but we would like to state that they are survived by many loving friends and family.
Camela Elaine Midkiff, 61, of South Charleston, born on September 15, 1961, went to her heavenly home on November 2, 2022, after nearly a five-year courageous battle with cancer.
Camela worked in Kanawha County Schools for 20+ years and retired in 2018. When school wasn’t in session, she loved to travel the country with her husband on their motorcycle. She was a devoted wife, mother and Nan and always put her family first.
She is preceded in death by her parents, James & Katherine Walker and sister Genie Walker.
She is survived by her husband of 32 years, BJ Midkiff of South Charleston; daughters, Kandice (Roger) Campbell of South Charleston, Lacey Midkiff of South Charleston, and Chelsea (Christopher) Grogg of Monroe, OH; sister, Kimberly (Bruce) Harris of Hannah IN; brothers, Mitch (Betsy) Walker of Valparaiso, IN and Tim (Maggie) Walker of Anthem, AZ. She also left behind the joy of her life, three grandchildren whom she absolutely adored, Cole, Asher, and Ellie.
Service will be 1:00pm Saturday, November 5, 2022, at the North Charleston Apostolic Church, 2400 6th Ave, Charleston WV 25387 with Pastor Anthony Moss officiating. Family and friends will gather from 11:00am – 1:00pm at the church. Burial will follow at Graceland Memorial Park, South Charleston.
A special Thank You to the staff and nurses at Thomas Memorial Oncology Dept whom she truly loved. Also thank you to her Hospice caretakers as well.
Barbara Jean Kirk, 84, of Ashford passed away on November 1, 2022, after a long illness. No words can express how missed she will be. We were blessed to have had her in our lives. She devoted her life to being a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and homemaker.
Jean was born on October 15, 1938, in Charleston. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Austin Kirk; her mother and father, Bill and Pearl Steve; mom, Goldie and stepdad, Clifford Critchfield; brother Curtis Thompson; daughters, Patty O’Brien and Debra Kay Kirk; sons, Gerald Kirk, Danny Hutchison, and Benny Critchfield; and her son-in-law, Eddie Mooney.
She leaves behind daughters, Linda Slack of Charleston, Brenda (Larry) Jordan of Costa, Sheila Mooney of Scott Depot, Debbie (Roger) Eplin of Braxton County; son, Michael Critchfield of Florida; grandchildren, Melissa, Larry, Rebecca, BJ, Jonathan, Misty, Eric, and Austin; and many great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild all of which she adored.
Service will be 1:00 p.m., Saturday, November 5, 2022, at Curry Funeral Home, Alum Creek with Pastor Randell Kinder officiating. Burial will follow at Holstein Cemetery, Dartmont. Friends may gather one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.