Obituaries – 3/25/15

Published 10:09 am Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Earl Hilgenberg

Oct. 27, 1927 — March 18, 1951

Sergeant First Class Earl Edward Hilgenberg died on March 18, 1951, while being held a prisoner of war near Unsan, North Korea, where he was taken captive while fighting the enemy on Nov. 2, 1950. His remains were unaccountable for until identification was made from family DNA in September, 2014.

Sfc. Hilgenberg was a member of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He received a Purple Heart, Prisoner of War Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, United Nations Service Medal and Republic of Korea War Service Medal.

Sfc. Hilgenberg was born Oct. 27, 1927, in Lawrence County, near Ironton, and was the son of the late Louis and Bethel Rowe Hilgenberg. He grew up in Coal Grove and attended school there.

He is survived by one sister, Phyllis (Wayne) Dornon of Arkansas; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

He had four brothers, Albert, Carl, Harry and Donald Hilgenberg; six sisters, Hilda Adams, Gladys Wilson, Ruth Rowe, Eva Taylor, Wilma Ferris and Betty Thornton, all deceased.

Service will be held on Friday at 1 p.m. at Phillips Funeral Home with minister Ron Musser officiating. There will be a visitation from noon until service time.

Burial to follow at Hilgenberg Family Cemetery on State Route 378 near Aid.

Those we love don’t go away. They walk beside us everyday. Unseen, unheard, but always near. Still loved, still missed. Thanks for being our hero and keeping us safe.

James Reynolds

July 24, 1951 — March 20, 2015

James Boyd “Peewee” Reynolds, 63, of Willow Wood, passed away Friday, March 20, 2015, at the home of his loving daughter. Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Friday at Chapman’s Mortuary, Huntington, with pastor Trent Carpenter officiating. Burial will be in Woodmere Memorial Park, Huntington.

He was born July 24, 1951, in Huntington, a son of James E. Reynolds, of Proctorville, and the late Olive Louise Lyons Reynolds. He was a steelworker with Local Union 37 and had worked at Steel of West Virginia, formerly known as H.K. Porter and Connor Steel.

In addition to his father, survivors include his daughter, Amy Jackson, and two grandchildren, Madison Jackson and Aaron Jackson, all of Ironton; two sisters, Kathy A. Reynolds (Gary Fife), of Bidwell, and Sue Houck, of Proctorville; a brother, Robert L. Reynolds, of Proctorville; nieces and nephews, Johnetta Brandon of Humble, Texas, Jamey Houck, of Ona, West Virginia, Christina Colley, of Bidwell, and Michael Montgomery, of Gallipolis; and several uncles, aunts, great-nieces, great-nephews and cousins.

Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Thursday at Chapman’s Mortuary. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.chapmans-mortuary.com

Michael Russell

Michael L. Russell, 65, formerly of Ironton, died on Tuesday, March 24, 2015, at his home in Radcliff. Arrangements are incomplete at O’Keefe Baker Funeral Home.

Shirley Fetty

Shirley Dean Fetty, 68, of Huntington, West Virginia, died Monday, March 23, 2015, at home. Private family services will be held. Hall Funeral Home and Crematory, Proctorville, is in charge of arrangements. Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.timeformemory.com/hall.

Kristi Ward

Kristi Michelle Ward, 42, of Huntington, West Virginia, died Wednesday, March 18, 2015, in Chicago, Illinois. Funeral service will be conducted 11 a.m. Friday at New Beginnings Apostolic Church, Huntington, West Virginia. Burial will follow in Miller Memorial Gardens, Miller. Visitation will be held 6-8 p.m. Thursday at the church. Arrangements are under direction of Hall Funeral Home. Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.timeformemory.com/hall.

Jean Jenkins

Jean Ann Jenkins, 79, of Kitts Hill, passed away at home March 23, 2015, after 19 years of suffering with Alzheimer’s. Jean is survived by her husband of 45 years, Donald R. Jenkins, whom she married Sept. 6, 1969.

She was a member of Freedom Baptist Church where she served her Lord faithfully until the dementia took her ability to serve.

Jean was a 1953 graduate of Ironton High School and was a former office clerk with Ohio Power Company retiring in 1994 after 37 years of service.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by a son, Dr. Jeffrey Jenkins; two stepdaughters, Lu-Ann Jenkins and Tamara Smurr; two stepgranddaughters, Abby and Hannah Smurr; and a very close friend, Joyce Schweickart

Mrs. Jenkins was preceded in death by parents, Ernest and Irene (Jones) Johnson; three sisters, Virginia Sites, Fern Lynd and Ruth Noble; and three brothers: Ralph, Clifford and Glenn Johnson.

Funeral services will be Friday at noon at the Tracy Brammer-Monroe Funeral Home, with pastor Scott Jenkins and pastor Matthew Dillon officiating. Burial will follow in Mamre Cemetery. Visitation will be Friday at 10:30 a.m. until the time of the service. The family requests donations be made to Community Hospices, 2330 Pollard Road, Ashland, KY 41101. To offer the family online condolences, please visit www.tracybrammerfh.com.

Carus Steorts

Carus James “Jim” Steorts, 84, of Ironton, died Tuesday, March 24, 2015, at King’s Daughters Medical Center in Ashland, Kentucky. He is survived by his wife, Marilyn Steorts. Arrangements are pending at the Tracy Brammer-Monroe Funeral Home.