Carroll News Obits--November 8, 2001 FLORA C. AMBURN Flora Cockerham Amburn, 85, of Galax, died Oct. 31, 2001, in North Carolina Baptist Hospital. She is survived by her husband, Elwood Amburn; daughter, Betty A. Pilson of Stuart; sister, Pearl Whisenhunt of Winston-Salem, NC; brother, Junior Cockerham of Hillsville; three grandchildren, one great-grandchild, two step great-grandchildren, one step great-great-grandchild. Funeral was Nov. 2 at 11 a.m. in Blue Ridge Chapel with the Rev. Jimmie Marion officiating. Burial was in Blue Ridge Chapel Cemetery. CARRIE V. BYRD Carrie V. Byrd, 91, of Galax, died Nov. 1, 2001, in Blue Ridge Health & Rehab Center. She is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Louise and Clifton Phibbs of Fries; step children, Doris Bond of Galax, Sanford Byrd of Fries, Maxine Byrd of Cincinnati, OH; brother, Emmett Kane of King George; three grandchildren, six great-grandchildren; five great-great-grandchildren. Funeral was Nov. 3 at 11 a.m. in Fries United Methodist Church conducted by the Rev. Tim Worgan and the Rev. John Williams. KERMIT HAYNES Kermit Haynes, 75, of Fancy Gap, died Oct. 29, 2001. He is survived by his wife Betty Martin Haynes; two sons and daughters-in-law, Joseph and Judy Haynes of Greenville, SC and Donny and Rebecca Haynes of Fancy Gap; two grandchildren. Funeral was Nov. 1 at 11 a.m. in Vaughan-Guynn-McGrady Chapel conducted by the Rev. Duane Steele. Burial was in the Gladesboro Cemetery. LILA H. REYNOLDS Lila Hill Reynolds, 91, of Hillsville, passed away Nov. 2, 2001, in Twin County Regional Hospital. She is survived by two daughters and son-in-law, Betty R. Padgett of Hillsville, Mary Ann and Alton Williams of Mulberry, FL; two sons and daughter-in-law, Billy M. and Daisie Reynolds of Roanoke, Ted Ray Reynolds of Hillsville; two granddaughters and spouse, Debbie and Jim Bishop and Linda Murry; one grandson and spouse, Joey and Sherry Padgett; three great-granddaughters, Christina Murry, Sara Murry and Leah Parker; adopted niece, Polly Horton; several nieces and nephews. Funeral was Monday, Nov. 5 at 11 a.m. in Hillsville First Baptist Church with the Rev. Steve Stephenson officiating. Burial was in Monta Vista Memory Gardens. The family received friends Sunday, Nov. 4 from 6-8 p.m. at the Vaughan-Guynn-McGrady Funeral Home in Hillsville. ELIZABETH ROBINSON Elizabeth Melton Robinson, 75, of Galax, died Nov. 3, 2001, in Beverly Health Care/Blue Ridge. She is survived by her husband, Dean Edward Robinson; daughters and sons-in-law, Linda and Bill Meador of Roanoke, Darlene and Robert Weatherman of Galax and Charlotte Melton of Ennice, NC; step daughters, Linda Caudell, Carol Ippolito, Sharon Knisely, Patricia Lowe; step son, Grayson Robinson; sisters, Iris Cole, Imogene Frye and Sharon Plichta all of Galax; brothers, Worth Higgins, Robert Dean Higgins and Kenneth Higgins all of Galax; six grandchildren. Funeral was Nov. 5 in Mt. Vale United Methodist Church with Rev. Hugh Kilgore and the Rev. Larry Rye officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery. DOROTHY S. TOBLER Dorothy Anne Sokat Tobler, 83, of Hillsville, VA, passed away early Monday morning, Oct. 29, 2001, at Twin County Hospital in Galax, VA after a brief illness. She was the beloved mother of Richard W. Tobler, Trudi T. Dunham and Werner R. Tobler. She was preceded in death by her parents, Bert and Anna Sokat, her husband, Werner W. Tobler, Jr., and her daughter, Verne A. Tobler. Dorothy was one of three children and her brother Fred Sokat and sister Marcella Ciriot also predeceased her. Dorothy was born at home March 14, 1918, in Paterson, Jew Jersey where she was a 1935 honors graduate of Paterson Central High School. She worked for Barbizon in New York City and was active in Charles Lindbergh's America First Committee, which is where she met her husband-to-be, Werner Tobler. In September 1943, she married then Master Sergeant Tobler of the U. S. Army Air Force. Following World War II, they lived first in Oakland, NJ for two years, then 16 years in Wyckoff, NJ before relocating their Woven Label Plant from Gl Rock, NJ to Hillsville, VA in 1965. In Hillsville it became known as Blue Ridge Woven Label Company. Before becoming a full time housewife, she also did secretarial work for Union Woven Label Company in both New York City and Paterson. She was very active in the Advent Lutheran Church Choir in Wyckoff and the Hillsville Woman's Club where she was past president and deeply involved with Woman's Club Art Program. She was also a long time friend of Gladesboro Lutheran Church and was a Pink Lady at the Twin County Hospital with over 2000 hours of volunteer service. Dorothy always put other people before herself and always had a kind word to say for others. She will be sadly missed by her family and a host of friends. Survivors include one daughter and son-in-law, Trudi and Dave Dunham of Roanoke, VA; one son and daughter-in-law, Richard and Sandy Tobler of Patrick Springs, VA; and a son, Werner Tobler of the home. She is survived by two granddaughters, Elizabeth V.K. Dunham of Radford and Sally K. Tobler of Pat ick Springs. She is also survived by a sister-in-law, Fran Sokat of Brownsville, TX and a host of relatives in Vermont, Arizona, California, New Hampshire and New Jersey. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Gladesboro Lutheran Church of Hillsville, VA, the Joy Ranch of Woodlawn, VA, the American Cancer Society, the Damon Runyan Cancer Fund or the Hillsville Woman's Club. The family would like to express its appreciation to the Galax Rescue Squad and the staff of Twin County Hospital in Galax, VA. Following cremation, there was a family visitation at Vaughan-Guynn-McGrady Funeral Home in Hillsville on Thursday night, Nov. 1 from 6-7:30 p.m. with a memorial service immediately thereafter with Pastor Duane Steele officiating. Vaughan-Guynn-McGrady Chapel, Hillsville, handled arrangements. REV. JAMES W. WARD Rev. James Wilson Ward, 75, of Ivanhoe, died Oct. 31, 2001, in Twin County Regional Hospital. He is survived by his wife, Evelyn Ward; daughters and sons-in-law, Brenda and Wes Denson of Eden, NC, Rita Blevins of the home, Barbara and Wade Lawson, Martha and Homer Norman all of Fries, Teresa and Richard Goodman of Dobson, NC, Donna and Jim Green of Paoli, IN; sons and daughters-in-law, Nathan and Dawn Ward of Fries, Mark and Lanor Ward of Max Meadows, Dan and Sally Ward of Ivanhoe, Ted Ward of Galax; 28 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren; sisters, Lucy Bowman of Greensboro, NC, Mamie Lea Zambon of Tampa, FL; brother, Ray Ward of Greensboro, NC. Funeral was Nov. 3 at 2 p.m. in Cold Springs United Methodist Church with the Rev. Rance Edwards, the Rev. Fred Jennings, the Rev. Matt Linkous and the Rev. Mark Linkous officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery with Military Rites by Hillsville VFW Post 1115.