The Roanoke Times New River Obituaries Published on Thursday, December 14, 2000 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- AUSTIN, Raymond W., 74, of Blacksburg, died Monday, December 11, 2000 after a brief illness. He was born October 12, 1926 in St. Albans, W.Va. He was formerly from Huntington, W.Va., having retired from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers after 35 years. Ray was a U.S. Navy veteran, having served during World War II and the Korean Conflict; he continued in service to his country serving in the Naval Reserves for over 20 years until he retired. Ray was a member of the American Legion and a lifelong donor to the American Red Cross. Having lived in Blacksburg since 1987, he was an avid Virginia Tech fan, where he was known and loved by many special friends as the "Martini Guy." Ray is survived by his wife of 24 years, Frances McCue Austin; two daughters, Laura Runge of Stillwater, Minn. and Robin Austin of Pembroke, Va.; two stepdaughters, Mary Drown of Huntington, W.Va. and Laura Leautier of Reno, Nev. He had six grandchildren, Kara and Brett Runge, Thomas and Cassandra Drown, and Wyatt and Cooper Leautier. No services are planned. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Virginia Tech Hokies Athletic Club. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- BOWER, George J., 76, of Christiansburg, went to be with the Lord Wednesday, December 13, 2000. He was preceded in death by his sister, Ruby Richardson. He is survived by his wife, Annie Lester Bower of Christiansburg; brothers, Carnis Bower of Salem, Carl Bower of Shawsville, Lewis Bower of Christiansburg. Friends may call anytime after 12 noon on Thursday, December 14, 2000 at Horne Funeral Home, where the family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday evening. Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Friday, December 15, 2000 at the funeral home chapel, with the Rev. Don Peters officiating. Burial will follow in Sunset Cemetery. Arrangements are being handled by Horne Funeral Service. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- CREASY, Fred Lawrence, of Christiansburg, died Wednesday, December 13, 2000 at New River Valley Medical Center. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Lillian Woods Creasy and his second wife, Delphia T. Creasy. He is survived by his daughters and sons-in-law, Elizabeth C. and Bill Henderson, Nora Lee and Glenn Thompson, Ruby C. and Robert L. Graham. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Wanda and Rick Basham, Brenda J. and Mark Vaught, Dennis R. and Ann Thompson, Robert Graham, Jr., Michael D. and Robin Thompson, Richard N. Graham and Teresa, Pamela and Gary Myers and Carolyn and Marvin Lytton and eight great-grandchildren. Friends may call anytime after 12 noon Thursday, December 14, 2000 at Horne Funeral Home, where the family will receive friends from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday evening. Funeral services will be conducted 1 p.m. Friday in the funeral home chapel, with the Rev. Doug Kanney and the Rev. Chuck McHose officiating. Burial will follow in Sunset Cemetery. The family requests in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to Christiansburg Rescue Squad, Box 176, Christiansburg, Va. 24068. Arrangements are being handled by Horne Funeral Service. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- GRUBB, William Warren, 79, of Blacksburg, died Monday, December 11, 2000 at Montgomery Regional Hospital. Funeral services will be conducted on Thursday, December 14, 2000 at 1 p.m. in the McCoy Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Pete Bain, the Rev. Charles Taylor, and the Rev. Emory Hoke officiating. Interment will follow in Westview Cemetery, Blacksburg. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Blacksburg Rescue Squad, 200 Progress Street, Blacksburg, Va. 24060. Arrangements by McCoy Funeral Home, Blacksburg. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- HICKS, Charlie Quintoe, I, infant, of Blacksburg, died Monday, December 11, 2000 at Montgomery Regional Hospital. He was preceded in death by his grandfather, Charlie Quintoe Saunders; his great-grandfather, Herbert R. Dudley; and by a close family friend, Curtis Wayne Grandy. He is survived by his father, Anthony Q. Hicks; his mother, Crystal G. Fischbach; a sister, Marlayna S. Hicks; his maternal grandmother, Pam D. Fischbach; his maternal grandfather, Larry A. Fischbach; his paternal grandmother and stepgrandfather, Carolyn H. and James E. Tolliver; his maternal great-grandmother, Sylvia J. Dudley; his paternal great-grandparents, Harvey and Lilly Hicks; aunts, Ashley N. Tolliver and Dr. Elizabeth A. Bonawitz; uncle, Larry A. Fischbach, Jr.; godparents, Kelly E. Pugh and Tony E. Morrison. Graveside services will be conducted on Friday, December 15, 2000 at 1:00 p.m. in the Westview Cemetery, Blacksburg, with the Rev. Robin Henrickson officiating. There will be no public visitation. Arrangements by McCoy Funeral Home, Blacksburg. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- NEELY, Ray, 89, of Narrows, died Tuesday, December 12, 2000 in the Princeton Community Hospital, Princeton, W.Va. He was born at Pipestem, W.Va. on April 19, 1911 and was the son of the late Levi Allen and Eliza Farley Neely. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Edith Blankenship Neely, a grandson, Neal Dennis, and a great-granddaughter, Brittany Gibson, several brothers and sisters. He was raised on a farm near Pipestem and attended public schools in the area. He started on public works in 1928 at the age of 18 and has spent his entire adult life in construction and related work. He spent two years helping build the Radford Army Ammunition Plant. He was inducted into the Army in June of 1943 and was discharged in April 1945 after almost 35 months of service with two years of service overseas in the European Theater of operation. He served in England, France, Belgium, and Germany. Shortly after returning home, he came to Giles County, and started working for James J. Pandapas building homes in Narrows and various buildings in the area and as far away as New Jersey. He was superintendant at the Ammunition Box Plant at Narrows until it closed at the end of the Korean War. At this time, he started his own construction company, doing general building of homes, commercial and industrial type of construction until 1989 when he sold out to his son, Allen R. Neely who continues the business under his own name. He served for two terms as supervisor at large for Giles County. He served eight years as a member of the Carilion Giles Memorial Hospital Board and was vice president of the Executive Committee of the hospital. He also served eight years on the New River Valley Airport Commission at Dublin, Va. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Narrows having transferred his membership for the Browns Chapel Methodist Church at Lick Creek, W.Va. shortly after coming to Narrows. He was a member of the American Legion Post #68 and the V.F.W. Post #6000 of Narrows. He is survived by four sons, Allen R. Neely, Thomas E. Dennis, both of Narrows, Carl Lyle Neely, Chesterfield, Va., James W. Dennis, Vinton; two daughters, Carol Neely Ballard, Christiansburg, Patricia D. Walker, Phoenix, Ariz.; a sister, Leota Young, Hinton, W.Va.; eleven grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be held Friday, December 15, 2000 at 11 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Narrows with Kellis McClaugherty, Minister officiating. Burial will follow in Birchlawn Burial Park, Pearisburg with graveside rites conducted by the American Legion Post #68 of Narrows and Pembroke Post #311, V.F.W. Post #6000. The family will receive friends at Riffe's Funeral Service in Narrows, Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- SICKEY, Irene Julia, 83, of Pilot, beloved mother and grandmother, died Monday, December 11, 2000 at her home. Funeral services will be conducted on Thursday, December 14, 2000 at 2 p.m. in the Oak Grove Church, Craigs Mountain Road, Christiansburg, with the Rev. Dennis Hutchison and Rev. Pete Flinchum officiating. Interment will follow in Sunset Cemetery, Christiansburg. Arrangements by McCoy Funeral Home, Blacksburg. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- COX, Virginia Juanita Mabe, 78, of Galax, died Tuesday, December 12, 2000 at Lewis-Gale Hospital. Born in Carroll County, Va. on November 9, 1922, she was the daughter of the late Roby Mabe and Delois Pearl Howlett Mabe. Surviving are her husband, Horace M. Cox of Galax; son and daughter-in-law, Dr. Roderick and Carol Ann Cox of Galax; sisters, Ruby Lindamood of Galax and Nina Ramsey of Annapolis, Maryland; three grandsons, Roderick Alan Cox, II of Silver Spring, Maryland, Bradley Miller Cox of Galax and Anthony Louis Cox of Galax; several nieces and nephews. The funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the First United Methodist Church with Dr. Tom Conley officiating. Interment in Felts Memorial Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 7 until 9 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Arrangements by Vaughan-Guynn Funeral Home in Galax, Va. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- BURNS, Edna Elizabeth Cumbie, 84, of 112 Davenport Road, died at her home Tuesday, December 12, 2000. Born in Radford, Va., she was a daughter of the late Cephas Shelbourne and Martha Katherine Mills Cumbie, and the widow of Michael Christopher Burns, Jr. She was a homemaker and member of White Oak Baptist Church. Surviving are her daughters, Anne Elizabeth Ledford and Debora Burns Christiansen of Simpsonville, and Patricia Marie Miller of Mauldin; sons, Michael Christopher Burns, III of Mainville, Ohio, Lawrence Patrick Burns of Dublin, Va., and John Robert Burns of Simpsonville; and seven grandchildren. Memorials may be made to the Cancer Society of Greenville County, 113 Mills Ave., Greenville, S.C. 29605. Funeral service will be 11 a.m. Thursday at the Thomas McAfee Funeral Home chapel, Greenville, S.C.. Burial will be in Highland Memorial Gardens, Dublin, Va., at 3 p.m. Friday. Family members are at their respective homes. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Tami P. Ramsey [email protected] President, Pulaski County Genealogy Club Pulaski County VA GenWeb Coordinator & Listowner http://www.rootsweb.com/~vapulask/ Montgomery County VA GenWeb Coordinator & Listowner http://www.rootsweb.com/~vamontgo/montgomy.htm Washington County VA GenWeb Coordinator http://www.rootsweb.com/~vawashin/ Overton Co. TN GenWeb Coordinator & Listowner http://www.rootsweb.com/~tnoverto/overton.htm Fentress & Pickett Co. TN GenWeb Coordinator http://www.rootsweb.com/~tnfentre/fent.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~tnpicket/pick.htm Webmaster Wilderness Road Regional Museum http://www.rootsweb.com/~vapulask/wrrm/index.htm Webmaster for New River Historical Society Homepage http://www.rootsweb.com/~vanrhs/ RAMSEY Family Webpage http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~ramsey/ SULSER Family Webpage & Listowner http://sulser.rootsweb.com/