Obituaries

Herman Lee "Buster" Burks, 80, of 1104 W. Jackson Street, died, Friday, January 30, 2015. He was born September 5, 1934 in Covington, a son of the late Herbert L. and Della Gumm Burks. Mr. Burks retired from the Maintenance Dept. from US Forestry Service. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Ruby Humphries Burks in 2012. Surviving are two daughters, Kathy Stump and her husband Rodney of Midlothian and Pamela Paige Bowden and her husband Larry of Grande, NC; one step daughter, Kimber Simmons and her husband Randy of Vinton; one step son, Curtis Spath and his wife Christine of Vinton; 7 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. The funeral service will be held Saturday, February 7, 2015 at 11:00 AM in the Arritt Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Buck Caldwell officiating. Following the service, the family will receive their friends at the funeral home on Saturday. Service Saturday, February 7, 2015 11:00 AM Arritt Funeral Home Chapel 1102 S. Highland A...

R. J. "Bunk" Whitehead, 88, of Covington died Friday, January 30, 2015. Mr. Whitehead was born April 21, 1926, in Covington a son of the late William F. and Louise Parrish Whitehead. He was a veteran of World War II with the US Navy serving in the Pacific Theatre aboard the USS Intrepid. He retired in 1991 from the Plant Protection Department of MeadWestvaco Corp after 45 years of service to the company. Following his retirement, he was a devoted part-time employee of Arritt Funeral Home until his death. Bunk was a longtime member and Deacon of McAllister Memorial Presbyterian Church where he had also served as a Scoutmaster for Troop 31. He was a member of Curtis A. Smith Post #1033, Veterans of Foreign Wars. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by eight brothers, William Whitehead, Ralph Whitehead, Jay Whitehead, Ray Lee Whitehead, Donald Whitehead, James Whitehead, Maynard Whitehead and Glenn Whitehead and two sisters, Ruth Tucker and Betty Perkins. Surviving are hi...

Benjamin Willard "Bill" Rapp, Jr., 87, of 1533 South Howard Avenue, died Wednesday, January 28, 2015, at his residence. He was born September 2, 1927, in Covington, a son of the late Benjamin Willard Rapp, Sr. and Bessie Plymale Rapp. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a Son, Rick Rapp, in 2007. From 1956 until his retirement in 1988, Bill was the Owner/Operator of Rapp's Shell Service Station on Monroe Street. Following his retirement he was employed by Advance Auto for several years. He was a charter member of Parrish Court United Methodist Church where he was a member of the Adult Sunday School Class and the Men's Club. He was sixty year member of Covington Lodge 171 AF & AM. Bill was a veteran of the Korean War with the United States Army and was a longtime member of the Curtis A. Smith Post 1033, Veterans of Foreign Wars. Surviving are his Wife of 60 years, Reba Troxell Rapp of Covington; one Son, Michael Rapp, and his Wife, Cheryl, of Chesterfield; a Daughte...

William "Junie" Boxley III, 61, of Louisville, KY died, Thursday, January 22, 2015. He was born September 7, 1953 in Queens, NY a son of the late William "June" Boxley, Jr. and Gloria Waddy Grier. In addition to his parents he was preceded in by a Sister, Deborah Boxley Johnson. Mr. Boxley was employed for 34 years with Philip Morris Company in Louisville, KY. Surviving are one son, Bill Boxley of Louisville, KY; two daughters, Brittany Boxley of Louisville, KY and Anglea Boxley of Baltimore, MD; two grandchildren; four brothers, Eric Boxley of Indianapolis, IN; David Grier of Louisville, KY, Kevin Boxley of Winchester, VA, and Merrill Irving of Charleston, WV; two sisters, Annette Hall of Gaithersburg, MD and Melinda Law-Fields of Gardenia, CA. The funeral service will be held Monday, February 2, 2015 at 3:30 PM in the Arritt Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Matthew T. Barnette officiating. The interment will follow in Alleghany Memorial Park. Visitation will be held one hour prior ...

Abigail Virginia Baker, 15, of 2037 S. Carpenter Drive died Thursday, January 8, 2015. She was born December 6, 1999, in Alleghany County a daughter of Virginia Harless Nalley of Covington and Benjamin Baker of Covington. She was a member of the Freshman class at Covington High School. Surviving, in addition to her parents, are her Step-father, Dameon Nalley of Covington; her Brother, Jonathan Baker of Covington; her niece, Sariyah Grace Jones-Baker, of Covington; her Maternal Grandparents, Jake and Billie Jean Harless, of Covington; her Maternal Great Grandmother, Eleanor Harless, of Covington; her Paternal Grandparents, Melvin Baker of Greensboro, NC, and Vickie Hurt of Covington; her Paternal Great Grandmother, Arvella Kelley, of Covington, and several aunts, uncles and cousins. The funeral service will be held Monday evening at 6:00 PM in the Chapel of Arritt Funeral Home with Pastor Steve Noel officiating. The family will receive their friends following the service at Arritt Fune...

Joy R. Remeszewski, 68, of Covington, died, Wednesday, January 7, 2015 in the Springs Nursing Center at Hot Springs. She was born December 1, 1946, a Daughter of the late Peter Remeszewski and Beatrice Campbell Remeszeski McCray. The funeral service will be held Monday at 12:00 PM at the graveside in the Campbell Family Cemetery in Bath County. Arritt Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements....

Barbara Hubbard Peterson, 89, of Scott Hill in Clifton Forge died Monday, January 5, 2015, in Lewis Gale-Alleghany Hospital at Low Moor. Mrs. Peterson was born April 27, 1925, at Glace, WV, a daughter of the late Murray and Minnie Mentz Hubbard. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her first Husband, L.F. Messer, in 1974, and by her second Husband, Preston Peterson, in 2009. At the age of 15 she gave her heart and life to God and joined the Church of God of Prophecy at the age of 18. She became a fundraiser for the church's orphanages and missions and spent a big part of her young life in the western states raising funds to build portable tabernacles and sponsoring new field revivals. After retiring, she moved back to Virginia and became a member of the Iron Gate Community Church. Surviving are three Sisters, Una Kelley and her Husband, Ralph, of Covington, Violet Jones and her Husband, Ronald, of Clifton Forge, and Evelyn Grace Collier of Salem, Oregon; three Brot...

Virgil Dale Bratton, Sr., 79 of 5104 Dunlap Creek Rd, died, Monday January 5, 2015 at Lewis Gale Alleghany in Low Moor. He was born September 17, 1935 at Paint Bank, a son of the late Ulysses H. and Sally Irene Cochran Bratton. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death a brother, Jerry Bratton and also a son-in-law, Steve Nuckols. Mr. Bratton served with the United States Army. He retired after 36 years with AET in the maintenance department and he was also a former employee of Hercules, Inc. He was a member of Dunlap Christian Church and served as a greeter, Deacon and the Treasurer of the Church for 42 years. He as avid outdoorsman and loved NASCAR. He was loving husband and he was devoted to his family. Surviving are his wife of 53 years, Phyllis Clarkson Bratton of Covington ; one son and daughter- in-law, V. Dale and Evelyn Bratton of Covington; one daughter, Becky Bratton Nuckols of Covington; one granddaughter, Rachel Schliebe of Fuquar Varina NC ; one grandson Kevin...

TED MOORE Theodore Roosevelt "Ted" Moore, Jr., 76, of Powhatan was welcomed with open arms by his Lord and Savior on Saturday, January 3, 2015. Mr. Moore was born August 29, 1938, in Covington a son of the late Theodore R. and Edith Wilfong Moore. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by three Sisters, Helen Brinkley Brooks, Evelyn Huyck Harper and Faye Roberts Powell. Ted graduated from Covington High School in 1956 and attended Emmanuel College in Franklin Springs, Georgia. He began working for AT&T in 1960 at Richmond as craft and , after working in Moseley, VA, Lewis burg, WV, in the Bunker under the Greenbrier Hotel and Charleston, WV, he retired from AAT&T at Fairfax, VA. He did not like retirement at an early age after all, so he worked at VDOT in Richmond from 1995 until 2005 as an IT Technician. He was a member of the Pentecostal Holiness Church for his entire life and served in many locations. He willingly did janitorial work, maintenance, church board member ...

Craig Mathew Walker, 31, of Covington, died Saturday, December 27, 2014. He was born February 8, 1983, in Alleghany County, a son of the Thomas L. and Pat Lemons Walker of Covington. Craig was a conductor with Norfolk Southern Railroad. He was a former employee of AET, Inc. in Covington. He was a member of Emory United Methodist Church. In addition to his parents, he is survived by his daughter, Riley Grace Walker of Covington; his brother, Cy Walker and his wife, Jessica, of Goshen; his paternal grandmother, Edna Buffaloe of Covington; two nephews, Colton Walker and Brett Walker, both of Goshen , the mother of his child, Cory Harrison, of Covington; and several Aunts, Uncles and Cousins. In keeping with his wishes, his body has been cremated. The funeral service will be held Tuesday, December 30, 2014, at 6:00 PM in the Arritt Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Lynn Wright officiating. Following the service, the family will receive their friends at Arritt Funeral Home. The family sugg...

Jean Cormier Velma Jean Beavers Cormier, 72, of 4116 Upper Rich Patch Road died Saturday, December 20, 2014, at Lewis Gale Hospital in Salem. Mrs. Cormier was born June 17, 1942, in Cedar Bluff a daughter of the late Rufus and Lona Fullers Beavers. In addition to her parents, she was also preceded in death by two sisters and five brothers. She had retired in 2004 as an Administrative Assistant with the Prince William County Police Department. She was a member of the Cliffdale Christian Church. Surviving are her Husband of 51 years, Joe Cormier, of Covington; two daughters and Sons-in-law, Shannon and Scott Mitchell of Leesburg and Lisa and Dwayne O'Neal of Front Royal; four grandchildren, Bryan Barentine, Brandon Barentine, Amber Barentine and Ashley Mitchell; one Sister, Phyllis O'Quinn and her Husband, Oakie, of Tazewell; one Brother, Curtis Beavers and his Wife, Vivian, of Cedar Bluff; two Sisters-in-law, Paula Beavers and Virginia Beavers, both of Cedar Bluff and several nieces an...

Glendell Wallace Helton, 75, of 121 S. Alleghany Ave., died, Friday, December 19, 2014 at her residence. She was born January 2, 1939 in Covington, the daughter of the late Ruth Wallace Taylor. Mrs. Helton retired in 1991 from the former Hercules, Inc. in the Lab Dept. She was devoted member of Pine Street Baptist Church. She was member of the Combined Choir and the Willing Workers Choir and worked as officer of the choir from many years. Surviving are her husband of 50 years that they celebrated in August 2014, Alfred L. Helton, Sr. of Covington; one son, Alfred Helton, Jr. of Covington; one daughter Denise Helton of Covington; two grandchildren, Danielle Helton of Covington and Christian Helton of College Station, TX; her aunt, Dorothy Wallace of Covington and her uncle Jack Wallace and wife Rosemary of Fulton, DE, a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins, and her many friends. The funeral service will be held Saturday, December 27, 2014 in the Pine Street Baptist Church at 11:00 AM w...