Betty Jane Gasser
(Grundy)

  Betty Jane Osborne Gasser, 73, of Grundy, died Saturday, April 8, 2006 at Buchanan General Hospital, Grundy.
  Born in Buchanan County, she was the daughter of the late Bryant Osborne and Rose Smith Osborne. She was the former owner/operator of Osborne Grocery, and a member of Lester Fork Church of God.
  In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by one sister, Annita Cordle.
  She is survived by her husband, Nelson O. Gasser; three sisters, Beulah Merricks, Shirley Rife and Mary Sue Smith, all of Grundy; one brother, James E. Osborne of Grundy; several nieces and nephews.
  Services were held Tuesday, April 11 at Shortridge-Ramey Funeral Home Chapel, Grundy, with Evangelist Mike Rife officiating. Burial followed in Mountain Valley Memorial Park, Big Rock.
  Active pallbearers were Roger Osborne, Jamie Osborne, Donald Stacy, Josh Elswick, Buford (Ford) Smith and Rex Rife.
  Shortridge-Ramey Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
 

  Jimmy Justin Cox, 18, of Vansant, died Thursday, April 6, 2006 at Bristol Regional Medical Center, Bristol, TN.
  Born in Tazewell County, he was the son of Jimmy Douglas Cox and Susan Charles Cox of Vansant. He was a lifelong resident of Buchanan County, a 2006 graduate of Grundy High School, where he was active in various sports, was of the Primitive Baptist faith and was an employee of Noah Horn Well Drilling
  He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Omar and Marie Cox; and maternal grandparents, Tom and Lonnie Charles.
  In addition to his parents, he is survived by his twin sister, Monica Susan Cox of Vansant; several aunts and uncles.
  Services were held Sunday, April 9 at Shortridge-Ramey Funeral Home Chapel in Grundy with Elders Earl Stacy, Danny Smith, Darrell Davis, Lawrence Jackson and Ronald Lester officiating. Burial followed in Mountain Valley Memorial Park, Big Rock.
  Active pallbearers were Darrell Ball, Greg Bowman, Chris Ellis, Terry (T.P.) Price, Leon Boyd, Dave Willis, Lindsey Deel and Scottie Cox.
  Honorary pallbearers were Leon Stollings, Dennis Stollings, Donald Thomas, Shane Looney, Johnny Stiltner, Brandon Stiltner, Ryan Baker, Rusty Owens, Breck Stiltner, Justin McClanahan, Anthony Mullins, Bobby Ratliff, Gearld Shortt, Chad Miller, Gene Cole, Noah Horn and employees of Noah Horn Well Drilling.
  Shortridge-Ramey Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
 

Ernest Mullins
(Slate Creek)

  Ernest Mullins, 69, of the Slate Creek section of Buchanan County, died Friday, April 7, 2006 at Buchanan General Hospital, Grundy, following an extended illness.
  Born in Buchanan County, he was a son of the late Jeff and Minnie Osborne Mullins. He was a life-long resident of Buchanan County, a member of Patterson Deliverance Tabernacle Church and was a disabled coal miner.
  In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by five sisters.
  He is survived by his wife, Katherlene Keene Mullins; one daughter, Renee and husband, Ricky Compton, of Davenport; two sons, Alvin and wife, Tammy Mullins of Grundy and Doyle and wife, Kay Mullins, of Vansant; one brother, Burton Mullins of Pilgrim Knob; nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
  Services were held Tuesday, April 11 at Patterson Deliverance Tabernacle Church with the Revs. Jerry Matney and Jeffrey Mullins officiating. Burial followed in the Noah Stewart Cemetery on Keen Ridge near Paynesville, WV.
  Active pallbearers were Anthony Mullins, Justin Keene Mullins, Alex Mullins, Derick Mullins, Ernie Mullins, Tyler Compton and Ira Rowe.
  Honorary pallbearers were Paul Bledsoe, Shannon Keene, Jason Keene, Dillard Mullins and Jeffery Mullins.
  Grundy Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
 

  Ora Boyd Boyd, 94, of Grundy, died Wednesday, April 5, 2006 at Clinch Valley Medical Center, Richlands.
  Born in Buchanan County, she was the daughter of the late Plesant Elisha Boyd and Mary Frances Deel Boyd. She was the last surviving member of her immediate family, a member of the Russell Prater Old Regular Baptist Church, and was a homemaker.
  In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Lawrence Larkin Boyd, two brothers and five sisters.
  She is survived by three daughters, Nell Keen and husband, Marshall, of Oakwood, Jerleen Boyd of Grundy and Maye Hale of Keen Mountain; two sons, Walter Boyd and Cecil Boyd, both of Grundy; five grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson.
  Services were held Friday, April 7 at Shortridge-Ramey Funeral Home Chapel in Grundy with Elders Roger Coleman and Jackie Yates officiating. Burial followed in the Boyd Family Cemetery on Sunset Hollow at Prater.
  Active pallbearers were family and friends.
  Shortridge-Ramey Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
 

  Orville Lee (Hardrock) Stollings, 72, of Grundy, died Tuesday, April 4, 2006 at Holston Valley Medical Center in Kingsport, TN.
  Born in Logan, WV, he was the son of the late William Stollings and Rachel Richards Stollings. He was a lifelong resident of Buchanan County and a retired coal miner from Dominion Coal Corp.
  In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one daughter, Rose Maria Stollings; two sons, Curtis Lee Stollings and Leslie Keith Stollings; one great-grandson, Jacob Salah.
  He is survived by his wife, Carrie Miller Stollings; one daughter, Wanda Childress and husband, Alvin, of Grundy; five sons, Harlos Lee Stollings of the home, Dennis Stollings and Wayne Stollings, both of Grundy, Avery Stollings and wife, Rhonda, of Richlands, and Timothy Stollings of Greenville, TN; four sisters, Arzita Fowler, Lena Stollings, Molly Stollings and Heattie Adams, all of Champmanville, WV; two brothers, Danny Stollings and James Stollings, both of Logan, WV; eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
  Services were held Friday, April 7 at the Little Prater Church of Christ with Evgs. Michael Trent and Stanley Smith officiating. Burial followed in the McClanahan Cemetery at Stacy.
  Active pallbearers were Leon Stollings, Craig Stollings, Keith Stollings, Jr. Howard, Ray Foster and Danny Cox.
  Shortridge-Ramey Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
 

Oakie Thompson
(Abingdon, VA)

  Oakie Diamond Thompson, 82, of Abingdon, died Saturday, April 8, 2006 in Bristol Regional Medical Center.
  She was the daughter of the late Bert and Lina Phillips Diamond and was born in West Virginia. She was a member of Macedonia Church of Christ.
  She is survived by her husband, Ray Thompson; three sons, Dean and Patsy Thompson of Oakwood, Dale and wife, Wanda Thompson of Garner, NC, Randal and wife, and Glenna Thompson of Bristol, TN; two daughters, Sandra Thompson of Abingdon and Judy Lankford and husband, Alan, of Bristol, TN; nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
  Services were held Monday, April 10 in the Main Street Chapel of Farris Funeral Service. A private interment was held Tuesday, April 11 at Clinch Valley Memorial Cemetery in Richlands.
  Pallbearers were Chad Thompson, Chris Thompson, Trevor Lankford, Don Phillips, Aaron Smalling and Gene Kelly Greer, Jr.
  The Main Street Chapel of Farris Funeral Service, Abingdon, was in charge of arrangements.
 

Delpha Ball
(Davenport, VA)

  Delpha Ball, 100, of Davenport, died Friday, April 7, 2006 at the home of her daughter.
  Born in Cleveland, VA, she was a daughter of the late Sparker P. and Dora Kiser Musick. She was a lifelong resident of the Buchanan and Russell County areas and was of the Methodist faith.
  In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Teddy Edward Ball; one son, Nolan Ball; eight brothers; two sisters; one grandson, Donald Ball; two daughters-in-law, Delphia Ball and Annis Ball; and one great-granddaughter, Kimberly Lynn Ball.
  She is survived by one son, Billy Ball of Davenport; one daughter, Fern Breeding and husband, Brady, of Davenport; one brother, Elwood Musick of Culpeper; seven grandchildren, several great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
  Services were held Sunday in Honaker with the Revs. Cecil Musick and Roy Lee Wilson officiating. Interment followed in Ketron Memorial Gardens, Lebanon.
  Pallbearers were relatives and friends.
  Honorary pallbearers were Dr. Faisal Chaudhry, Gerald Sharp, Herman Bostic and the Rev. Kyle Ratliff.
 

Ellis Ray Owens
(Breaks, VA)

  Ellis Ray Owens, 82, of Breaks, died Friday, April 7, 2006 in Buchanan General Hospital, Grundy.
  Born in Dickenson County, he was a son of the late Henry and Flora Owens. He served in the U.S. Army and Air Force during World War II, was a retired school bus driver, mine operator and mine mechanic. He was a member of UMWA Local #7170, was retired from Pittston Coal and was a lifetime member of the Haysi Kiwanis Club. He was of the Primitive Baptist faith.
  In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one brother, Earl Owens; two infant brothers and a great-grandson.
  He is survived by his wife, Gazel Mullins Owens; three daughters, Phyllis Jean (Darrell) O’quinn of Bee, Katie Joe (Charles) Wysor of Breaks and Rita Carol (Richard) Edwards of Birchleaf; three sisters, Gay O’quinn of Prater, Fay Anderson and Alice Arrington, both of Haysi; three grandsons, three granddaughters and six great-grandchildren.
  Services were held Sunday, April 9, 2006 at Haysi Funeral Home with Elders Joe Edwards and Victor Church officiating. Burial followed in the A.J. Edwards Cemetery in Birchleaf.
  Pallbearers were nephews.
  Honorary pallbearers were members of the Haysi Kiwanis Club.
  Haysi Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
 

  Maxie Nowlin Sluss, 89, of Haysi, died Tuesday, April 5, 2006.
  She was the daughter of the late Tom and Bitha Hill Nowlin. She was a lifelong resident of Haysi and a member of Splashdam Freewill Baptist Church.
  In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Garmon Sluss; one daughter, Madeline Shortridge; one grandchild, Marquitta Sluss; four brothers, Floyd, Bert, Dewey, and Jim Nowlin; and one sister, Nora Nowlin.
  She is survived by three sons, Carley Gene (Kay) Sluss of Clintwood, James Archie (Carolyn) Sluss and Danny Eugene (Sandy) Sluss, all of Haysi; two daughters, Patricia Ann (Scottie) Epling of Breaks and Sonja McCowan of Clintwood; one son-in-law, Hassell Shortridge of Vansant; one sister, Dorothy Owens of Palatka, FL; 14 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, one great-great-granddaughter, several nieces and nephews.
  Services were held Saturday, April 8 at Splashdam Freewill Baptist Church with Allen Viers officiating. Burial followed in the Musick Cemetery at Haysi.
  Pallbearers were grandsons and grandsons-in-law.
  Honorary pallbearers were deacons of Splashdam Freewill Baptist Church.
  Haysi Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
 

  James (Jay) Waldon Ward, 81, of Bristol, TN, formerly of Slate Creek, died April 8, 2006 at Bristol Regional Medical Center, Bristol, TN, following an extended illness.
  Born in Buchanan County, he was the son of the late Ernest Ward and Sally Gillispie Ward Rash. He was a World War II Army veteran, having served in the 77th Infantry in Okinawa, Japan and was a retired employee of VP #1, Island Creek Coal Corp.
  In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his first wife, Helen Smith Ward; his second wife, Avis Pauline Wade Ward; and two brothers, Leo Ward and Hubert Ward.
  He is survived by one daughter, Susan May and husband, Abraham May, of Hurley; two sons, Steven C. Ward of Bristol, TN and Larry Ward Smith of Huntington, WV; one brother, Clyde Ward and wife, Linda, of Bristol; five grandchildren.
  Services were held Wednesday, April 12 at Shortridge-Ramey Funeral Home Chapel in Grundy with Evgs. Jim Edd Belcher, Mike Rife and the Rev. Jerry Ward officiating. Burial followed in Clinch Valley Memorial Cemetery in Richlands. Full Military rites were conducted at the cemetery by John Ratliff Post #164 of the American Legion.
  Active pallbearers were employees of Consol Coal Corp.
  Honorary pallbearers were Cambridge House staff.
  Shortridge-Ramey Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.