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Dearest Friends/Family/Loved Ones/Coaldigger Class of '58
With a heavy heart, I wanted to let you all know that my mom, Janice,
passed away yesterday Friday, April 17th at 6:02 in the
morning. She is now resting peacefully and comfortably with
the Lord after 7 months of courageously battling pancreatic
cancer. The spunky Janice we all know & love managed
to surprise & amaze all of her physicians and healthcare
providers right up until the very end. Mom was very brave and
in true Janice fashion, she was far more concerned about everyone
else's wellfare and needs rather than focusing on her own
during this difficult journey....bless her
heart. Since October, not a day went by that she
didn't recieve multiple loving and encouraging cards, emails, and care
packages from her beloved friends & classmates.
You'll never truly know how special this made her feel. When
she was having a rough day, you all helped put a smile on her
face. It means the world to us that you all cared so much
about her. I feel certain that lots & lots of people
must be praying for us because I'm feeling an amazing amount of
strength in handling this loss. Please continue to
uplift our family in your prayers.
Memorial Service: Thursday April 23rd 11:00am First United Methodist
Church, Arlington, TX
Wade Family Funeral Home Arlington, TX
Donations In her memory may be made to:
Cancer Care Services
623 S. Henderson St.
Fort Worth, TX 76104
Vitas Innovative Hospice
Fort Worth, TX
FUMC-Arlington, TX
313 N. Center St.
Arlington, TX 76011
Warmest Regards,
Wendy Snedden Stewart
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Janice Lorraine Sexton Snedden, 68, passed away
Friday, April 17, 2009, in Fort Worth.
Memorial service: 11 a.m. Thursday in the Vandergriff Chapel at First
United Methodist Church, 313 N. Center St., Arlington, the Rev.
Francine Copeland officiating.
Memorials: Memorial gifts may be made to Cancer Care Services, 623 S.
Henderson St., Fort Worth, Texas 76104; Vitas Hospice in Fort Worth; or
First United Methodist in Arlington.
Janice was born Dec. 21, 1940, in Anawalt, W.Va., to William and
Lillian David Sexton. She was a 14-year resident of Bridgeton, N.J.,
where she attended Berean Baptist Church and retired from Durand Glass
Manufacturing in Millville, N.J.
Janice was a former resident of Arlington, from 1980-1992, and recently
returned to her beloved Texas where she attended First United Methodist
Church. She enjoyed arts and crafts, cross-stitching, collecting
pineapples, crystal and china dishes and Longaberger baskets.
Janice was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas Howard Snedden,
Feb. 3, 2006.
Survivors: Daughters, Deborah Gant and husband, Ken, of Parkville, Mo.,
and Wendy Stewart and husband, Brian, of Arlington; and grandchildren,
Colton Kelican and Claire Stewart.
Published in
Star-Telegram on 4/19/2009
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A Special Memorial for Janice, with picture of her and friends.We wil all miss Janice.
KIM GREEN, Phylis Lambert Cates daughter has prepared this especially in memory of Janice Sexton Sneddon
Janice Sexton Snedden & Kimberly
Green - Charleston, WV (7-9 Aug 08)
What a BEAUTIFUL LADY she was and always will be in
our hearts
Willie Spichek
and
Jan
Kimberly
Green (ME) and my Angel on Earth Phyllis
Now you tell me -- How "PROUD"
am I of Gary, WV and being an honorary COALDIGGER?
<~~~~~ OUR COALDIGGER "HERO"
Mr
BUDDY FARMER
The LOVE BIRDS Dickie
& Linda
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As I reflect back on
my childhood days in the mountains of West Virginia, I realize that it
was a wonderful time in my life. I'm reminded of a slower pace and how
much happier people seemed to be. Yes, times were certainly different
then. Children could just be kids and do the things that bring joy to
childhood and leave happy memories. Of course we were taught values,
manners and what close family relationships and respect for our elders
meant. Learning responsibility started very early. And for that I am
truly thankful.
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Our playgrounds was
the coal dirt road that was in front of our house on coke row in
Pageton, the railroad tracks, the Coke Ovens and in the mountains at
the back of our house, I remember my Sister Nancy and I, and our
friends, we loved to play on the slate dump and pick blackberries all
over the mountains. Our mother would tell us to be careful of Miners
Cracks and snake holes, we used to swing on the grapevines in the
mountains, and never even thought of being afraid, and we always had
plenty of friends. And everyone knew everybody; we made up our own
games Tin can alley. Go Sheepy Go, Hot tail, Bunny Hop, Hop Scotch, Red
Rover, Paper dolls, Jacks, and many more.
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How I wish that
children today could experience some of the simple joys we knew then.
Mothers stayed home and took care of the home and the kids, and Fathers
was the only one to work. Everyone had the same Mommy and Daddy, no
divorces, I never heard the word until I married and left home.
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I remember only Good
Times in the 50’s with my friends, There was June, Connie,
Betty, Gloria, Frances, Dickie Joe, Danny, Paul, Carl, Fred, I
can’t even begin to name them all, it would take more than
the pages here. But these were special friends. I remember my sister
Nancy and I going to June Lovelace’s and Betty Helmandollars
house and dancing, which wasn’t allowed at our house., our
Dad was really strict when it came to anything that he thought was a
sin. No dancing, playing cards were allowed. On the weekends there were
times when I’d go to Chilhowie, VA with June and Connie
Lovelace to their Grandmothers house, and we’d go Roller
skating, and to Hungry Mothers Park and being teenagers in the 50s was
a great time. I loved going with June and Connie to Chilhowie, which
was a special time. Of course we liked looking at the cute boys too,
one in particular was Ambers Haga, and he could roller skate, and
that’s what I liked to do.
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I remember the summer
of 1956, when it was so hot, when a bunch of us wanted to go swimming,
and there was a special swimming hole that we used to go to on Elkhorn
Mountain, It was where the Pageton Methodist Church used to baptize
their members and that’s where we were suppose to go, it was
called the Baptizing hole, however one of the boys, Fred Boggs or Danny
Dillon mentioned, lets go to the Dam, so we walked to the Crozier Dam,
and the walk from Pageton may have been 3-4 miles. When we got there I
had noticed not too far from the area we were at, was a Man and boy
fishing, and I thought at the time, we were going to make too much
noise for him to catch any fish. But as kids, we jumped in the water,
and was playing around, and Danny said lets go to the other side, we
all started to the other side. I realized that I couldn’t
move my legs, and the rest of them were already there. I panicked, and
called out HELP, but they thought I was playing and started laughing
and telling me to come on, I remember Danny started to come out there,
but Fred said she’s going to dunk you when you get there and
he turned and went back it seemed to me I had gone down and up more
than 3 times, I kept hollering HELP, and the next thing I knew, Someone
grabbed me, and I was fighting him, and he slapped me to calm me down.
I remember seeing his face, and it looked like my Grandpa, who was
blind. And my Grandpa was already dead. He carried me out of the water
onto the side, and He told me “Don’t you go back
into the water”, I realized then that the Man who pulled me
out of Crozier Dam, a Dam that had no bottom to it, that’s
what we had always heard. Was Tom Lovelace, He was the man fishing
there with his son Tommy and June and Connie’s Dad. He said
to me you’re Steve Sims’ girl
aren’t’ you? I shook my head yes, He said you kids
have no business being up here without an Adult, this is a dangerous
place to swim, and I’ll bet your Mom and Dad don’t
know that you’re here.. I remember telling him “Mr.
Lovelace, please don’t tell Daddy”. He said you
kids should go home.
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My friends started
playing in the water again, and I wanted to go back in,however, my
sister Nancy, was almost in tears telling me not to go back in, so I
didn’t go back in, and probably if I had gone in, I could
swim today, but I can’t, and of course Mr. Lovelace and Tommy
stopped by the Pump House on their way home, where my Daddy worked, and
told Daddy he had to pull his daughter out of Crosier Dam,. When Daddy
come home from work, I wasn’t home, and Mr. Lovelace
didn’t say which kid it was so I don’t know why
Daddy thought it was my sister Patty., but he bawled Patty out and
Patty told him it wasn’t her it was me, He didn’t
say anything else until I got home, and he said, I don’t want
to catch you in any water over a cup full. He said if Tom Lovelace
hadn’t taken his son Tommy fishing, you would have drowned.
Everyone in the family from that day forward never let me forget that.
I always thought of Mr. Lovelace as MY HERO. And that’s a
memory that will always be with me
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I can see and remember
all the good times back home in West Virginia. Walking the country
roads, riding up the hollers, sitting on the front porch in the swing,
breaking green beans with our Mother, watching trees fall when
lightning struck them, hearing the tipple running all day and listening
to the whistle blow in the morning, lunch and time to get off work,
waiting for the mail truck to pass the house so we could walk to the
Post Office.
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Thank God for all
those memories, because no one can ever take those from me and whenever
I am lonely and homesick for the Mountains,. I can go back, if only for
a little while on the West Virginia Websites and the memories come
back.
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"I've come to realize,
after many years, If you're born in McDowell County it seems as if it
becomes part of you and you're never the same living anywhere else. You
can take the girl out of the Country, but you can’t take the
Country out of the girl. It’s always there with you.
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I have lived in
several States and different Countries, and I still think the country
roads of West Virginia are the most beautiful.
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I realized how
fortunate I am. Truly blessed by God growing up where you could hear
the sound of whippoorwills and crickets. And catching Lightning bugs
and taking the light out and putting on our fingers for rings. And to
tie a string on a June Bug and let it fly around making a buzzing
noise. The Coal camp children knew how to have fun the W.VA. Way..
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In my senior yearbook,
beside my picture says “This little Kitty plans to move to a
big city” Well that I have done, and my heart still belongs
to the hills of West Virginia. I have a lot of wonderful memories of
Southern West Virginia, and especially of Pageton and McDowell County.
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WEST VIRGINIA, Maybe
it was the original GARDEN OF EDEN, after all, it's ALMOST HEAVEN
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Janice
Sexton Snedden & Fred Richardson
MARIE KISH (TALK ABOUT PROUD)!!!!!
Here's my entry on Barbara Sims website
(her GUESTBOOK)
Posted: November
21st 2008 06:08:25 PM
What
is your name? Kimberly
Ann Green (Phyllis Lamberts 'Class of 58') FAV daughter
How
did you find this website? From
Mom "Phyllis" and Barbara Simms
Where
are you from? Stafford,
Virginia
Please
enter your comments?
I LOVE THEM COAL-DIGGERS - ALL OF
YOU!! Thems some GOOD PEOPLE and I
am thrilled to pieces to be a part of you all. I thoroughly enjoy going
to Whites Truck Stop several times a year with my mom (Phyllis Lambert
- Class of '58). We have a ball on the drive down and back home. Eat,
talk, sing, joke, LAUGH!! I love my mom MORE THEN LIFE itself, is that
possible? Sure is. We had THE BEST TIME in Charleston, WV 7-10 Aug 08
at moms 50th High School Reunion. Wished we could go back to those
days. They were a highlight in my life and I can't remember having a
better time with such remarkable people. I am so touched at the
closeness, heck "FAMILY" of Gary High. I would have LOVED to be one of
yals classmates back in the 50's & 60's. Yal had such good
clean fun and I missed it :( but watch out cause I'm in yals lives
FOREVER now and I ain't leavin!
Question?
Can we have a Reunion once a month? My life is so boring and yal are so
fun (hehe) kidding. For those of you who know my mom - you can probably
tell me about her school years but let me tell you what kind of mom
she's been to me and my baby brother Jimmy. Mom is the most loving,
giving, strong, understanding, and CARING "rock" in everyone's life
that has known her. She the funniest and most intelligent person I've
ever met. She's never met a stranger. She talks to EVERYBODY unlike her
shy self that you all knew in school. She the best COOK I've ever known
and can make THE BEST HOMEMADE ROLLS you'll ever eat! She makes
Hungarian Nut Rolls around the holidays (I can't wait). And my Aunt
Charlotte makes the best Fried Chicken when she's not burning herself
cooking. The Smoke Detector is actually Ant Skars kitchen timer -
honestly! I'd like to say I'm kidding Ant Skar - but you know it's
true! haha
I've
met some of the most wonderful people I'll ever meet since Oct-06 when
I went to my first Gary Reunion in Princeton, WV with my mom. Got all
my hair cut off (it was long) - that weekend and it's remained short
since then. I danced the night away while mom was busy being "herself"
(to those who know her - you know what I'm talking about.... haha). I
keep telling her we were born at the wrong time. I should have been
born in 1940 and she should have been born in 1960. Somehow the man
upstairs got our birthyears wrong? Don't know how he managed that one?
I LOVE THE 50's, 60's (Happy Days) (LaVerne & Shirley) and
everything about those years & times. All you people make me
smile ALL the time.
I love
to hear your stories and watch your beautiful SMILES while telling
them. I can't wait to see you all again and again and AGAIN. Are yal
sick of me yet? Sorry Barbara, I must have taken up several pages of
your website -- so I'll close for now to let others get their 2-cents
in (haha). Bottom Line: I LOVE YOU MORE then any of yal can ever
imagine and can't wait to see you all again. Take Care, Be Healthy and
Love LOTS! Kimberly~Ann, Phyllis Lamberts "favorite daughter" : ) oh,
by the way - she only has one daughter ..... hehe See yal REAL soon, I
hope..... bye bye for now, Kim
-----------------------------------------------------
For Wendy (Jans
daughter):
What
do you say - when you don't know WHAT to say?
In
everyones life - you are blessed to meet someone that's cheerful,
bubbly, energetic and has such a huge ZEST FOR LIFE &
FRIENDS. From making her delicious pepperoni bread to making
you laugh about her special stories from her GARY HIGH
SCHOOL DAYS Class of '58, Jan was very full of life and
excitement - that was just Jan - naturally.
Jan
had such a great passion for her daughters and her newest edition - her
little grand daughter
in
Arlington, TX. The 50th High School Reunion held 7-9 Aug 08
in Charleston, WV ... was so very special to all of us that
attended. Jan acted like a High School teenager all over
again. It was truly a memorable 3-days that I wish would have
never ended - it was ALL BEAUTIFUL.
All
the girly talk and sentimental stories went on into the wee hours of
the night without a pause.
When
we all received our gorgeous homemade bracelets made by Marie Kish, Jan
leaned back on the bed like a movie star and modeled hers.
It was way too cute and witty and so Jan.
Jan
rode to the Whites Get Together with me and mom one time. We
stopped at a Yard $ale,
ate
breakfast at a little country dive and chatted nonstop all the way
there and back. It was such a fun FUN day for all of us.
From
her golden brown locks to her bright nail polish - Jan was truly one
polished Lady through and through. She was the kind of person who was
always upbeat, spunky, witty, intelligent, caring - a VERY CARING soul
who we were all so very blessed to have had her in our paths of life.
Jan
was REAL. That's the highest compliment I could ever give
anyone. If she thought it - she said it and meant
it. True honestly flowed from her everytime she
spoke. If she liked you - you knew it. She made no
bones about saying "HEY GIRLFRIEND" I love you (and it was REAL).
They
say you should never question GOD. That HE knows exactly what
he's doing. But it does make you wonder why he would take
such a beautiful person as Jan -- in such a short period of time -- in
such a short-lived and ugly illness (cancer). My grandmother
used to always tell me as a child that
"God takes the good and leaves the bad to do better". Well my
dear beloved Nannie --- truer words have never been spoken in Janice
Sexton Sneddens life. She was truly one of the GOOD people
that you'd be oh so honored to have known. She was truly a
good person inside and out.
I
guess GOD had to meet his quota for April 17, 2009, Friday morning, at
6:02am
for
accepting ANGELS into Heaven. That was the time HE
chose to transfer a beautiful Angel
to his
glorious Kingdom. He did not want Jan to suffer mentally or
physically another day.
HE
knew the time was right -- although we all may totally disagree with
his timing.
I've
enclosed as many pictures of our Beautiful Jan as I could.
Hopefully, you will all smile and remember what a loving soul she was
and always will be in our hearts.
Jan
(My Second Momma, as I would lovingly call her)
May
you rest in peace, free from pain, and definitely save me a seat right
next to your
bright
& bubbly soul when my time comes . . . .
HEY
GIRLFRIEND ~ I LOVE YOU!
Kimberly
Green, Phyllis Cates' daughter
April
18, 2009, our first day without our Angel
Wendy
- be proud, be VERY proud of your loving Mom - we all are
and Thank You so very much for being your moms ANGEL here on earth.
We
love you
Take Care, Kim
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ANAWALT — Eva Sue Rash, age 59, of PO Box 528, Anawalt,
W.Va., passed away peacefully with her family by her side on Monday,
May 18, 2009 at Bluefield Regional Medical center following a long
battle with cancer.Born on November 11, 1949 in Anawalt, she was a
daughter of the late Flay and Helen Day Rhodes.
She had been a lifelong resident of Anawalt and was of the
Baptist faith. She was a graduate of Gary High School and received a
degree in interior decorating. She formerly worked for Sears and Stone
and Thomas as an interior decorator.
God needed a mayor so she currently was serving her tenth year as mayor
of Anawalt and was also a municipal judge for War.
Eva has spent her life helping people.
.In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a brother,
James H. Woolridge. Survivors include her husband, Fred Rash of the
home; two sons, Robert Rash of Anawalt, and Scott Rash and special
friend Jennifer of Rock Hill, S.C.; five grandchildren; and five
brothers, Bob Woolridge and wife Shelby of Pageton, Bill Woolridge and
wife Agnes of Bassett, Va., JD Rhodes of Green Valley, Bobby Rhodes of
Michigan, and Paul Rhodes of Michigan; one sister, Virginia Rhodes of
Va.; and numerous nieces and nephews
.Funeral services will be conducted on Thursday, May 21, 2009 at 1:00
p.m. at the Long Point Missionary Baptist Church at Spencer's Curve in
Anawalt with the Rev. Donnie Farmer officiating. Burial will follow at
Grandview Memory Gardens in Bluefield, Va. where her past and present
employees will serve as pallbearers.Friends may call on Wednesday from
7-9 p.m. at the Long Point Missionary Baptist Church in Anawalt.Online
condolences may be left by visiting www.cravens-shires.comCravens-Shires
Funeral Home in Bluewell is serving the Rash family.
Published: May 19, 2009 07:31 pm
Friends, colleagues, community remember Anawalt Mayor Rash
By CHARLES OWENS
Bluefield
Daily Telegraph
ANAWALT — Eva Sue Rash, a
tireless leader who guided the small town of Anawalt on the long road
to recovery following the devastating 2001 flood, was remembered
Tuesday by friends and fellow mayors as a dedicated public servant who
spent her life helping others.
“She was always out front heading up everything that needed
to be done in Anawalt,” Judy Cortellesi, a member of the
McDowell County Commission, said. “She was the first on the
scene, and the last one to leave. She will be dearly missed by
everyone. The town of Anawalt will never have a mayor I’m
sure that will equal the force that Eva Sue was in the town.”
Cortellesi said Rash worked as hard for McDowell County as she did for
the town of Anawalt.
“Wherever Eva Sue was needed, Eva Sue was there,”
Cortellesi said. “Whether it was on the town level or county
level, or as a friend, she was there for you. It’s
devastating. She’s battled problems for a while, and she was
very brave. She never gave up. She always looked forward to tomorrow,
and always kept a smile on her face.”
Rash, 59, was serving her 10th year as mayor of Anawalt at the time of
her death Monday.
Bramwell Mayor Louise Stoker said she first met Rash following the
horrific July 8, 2001, flood, which ravaged the small McDowell County
town.
“That is my greatest memory of her is meeting her when that
flood occurred,” Stoker said. “We took some
supplies down. She was there overseeing all of the recovery of the
flood, and everything that was going on. It’s a great loss. A
great loss to the town and the county. It’s a great loss to
this area and a personal loss to many people.”
War Mayor Tom Hatcher said Rash also worked as a judge in the city of
War.
“She was just here on Wednesday of last week,”
Hatcher said. “She talked to us about her medical problem.
It’s really sad. I don’t really know how the town
of Anawalt will be the same.”
Hatcher said Rash was a special person who loved her town and wanted to
help it in all ways possible.
“Eva was such a wonderful and beautiful person and she was
loved by many,” Hatcher said. “And she in turn
loved us back. Above all, she loved her family. She adored Fred and her
sons and spoke of them often in her conversations. She would do
anything for them. She loved them tremendously and this love showed in
her actions. Eva was dedicated to the people of Anawalt. She was mayor
because she loved her town and wanted to help in any way possible.
Being the mayor of a small town is not an easy task, but Eva gave
‘her all’ in everything she did. She worried about
how to pay the town bills; she fretted over the water, garbage, roads,
and other needs and where the next dollar to pay for those needs might
be coming from. But this never seemed to get her down.”
Northfork Mayor Nick Mason said Rash also previously worked as a town
judge in Northfork.
“She was a nice lady and a good mayor,” Mason said.
“She tried to do a whole lot for the town over there. Of
course sometimes it is hard to get any financial help to do those
things, and it takes money. I’ve got that problem too. Her
husband used to be a deputy sheriff. I’ve known Fred for
years and years. Eva and I were good friends.”
Gary Mayor Henry Paul said Rash was a “hard worker”
for the town of Anawalt.
“She was always pushing for projects to try to get everything
better,” Paul said. “She was a nice person to be
around, and always had a positive attitude. She’s done a lot
for the town
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8/25/05
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