Obituaries – 4/1/2020
Published 8:12 am Wednesday, April 1, 2020
Leona Brown
June 8, 1941– March 24, 2020
Leona Jessie Brown, age 78, of Bronston, Kentucky passed from this life onTuesday, March 24, 2020, at the Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital.
Leona was born June 8, 1941 to the late Wilburn Cox and Letha Whisman Cox in Elliott County, Kentucky.
She was a member of Parkers Mill Road Baptist Church and enjoyed going to church and church socials. She owned her own florist shop, Leona’s Floral Business. She loved life, laughing and making others laugh, was very supportive of her children and grandchildren and enjoyed going to their events.
Leona was preceded in death by her parents and her husband of 52 years, Alvis Brown.
She leaves behind to cherish her memory sons, Johnny Mack Brown (Dana), of Flatwoods, Kentucky; Randy Brown (Lisa), of Ironton; daughter, Sandy Williams (Mike), of Somerset, Kentucky; sister, Thelma Ross-Ervin, of Ironton; sister-in-law, Muriel Salyers, of Ceredo, West Virginia; grandchildren, Sarah Carothers, Samuel Brown, Shyler Brown, Jacob Brown, Davis Brown, Allison Brown, Alan Williams, Kasey Williams, Chad Williams, Jessica Malone, Justin Hamm, Josh Hamm, and Alissa Browning; great-grandchildren, James Carothers, Nolan Malone and Atlas Malone; and a host of friends and family.
A private family service will be held in the Chapel of the Southern Oaks Funeral Home with a private burial in Woodland Cemetery in Ironton.
Southern Oaks Funeral Home is entrusted with the arrangements for Leona Jessie Brown.
Charlotte Pickering
May 20, 1954–March 19, 2020
Charlotte Ann (Colegrove) Pickering set off on her final adventure on Thursday, March 19, 2020, after a lifetime of them.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Carl and Nancy Colegrove. Charlotte was born and raised in Ironton, on May 20, 1954.
She graduated from Ironton High School in 1972 and moved shortly after graduation to take a job with the FBI in Washington D.C., causing havoc in the city fountains with her roommates.
In March of 1973, while taking a road trip home to Ohio, they stopped at 2:30 a.m. to pick up two hitchhiking Navy sailors on the side road crossing the Ohio River Bridge.
She married one of them, Jeffrey Scott Pickering a year later, on August 24th, 1974. How they met was one of the families favorite and most told stories all 45 years of their marriage.
In 1980, they welcomed their only child, Jennifer Ann, and moved to Newport News, Virginia in 1983. April of 2003 her grandson, Carl Joseph, was born, and the rest of the family became second fiddle.
Charlotte was a great wife and mother, but she was a fantastic grandmother.
There was nowhere they didn’t go in Nana and CJ’s Silver Bullet.
Charlotte worked as a 911 dispatcher and at the American Legion Post 368, where she also did extensive volunteer work, both in the post and outside at the Veterans Hospital in Hampton, Virginia.
Along with her husband, she passed on her love of helping and caring for others to both her daughter and grandson.
Working with veterans was a family activity for over 20 years and she made many dear life-long friends.
Her independent spirit and love of new adventures led to many travels over the years. She loved to see and experience new things, appreciated every experience as a chance to learn, and saw beauty in the unique and different.
She had infectious enthusiasm, a wanderer’s soul and a caregiver’s heart.
Whether it was taking a chance on a stranger on the side of the road, encouraging her daughter to feed homeless people while on vacation or asking her grandson to draw her a tattoo design, she did it with her own loving flair.
Charlotte gave her family a lifetime of adventures and we are blessed to have been included in them.
She is survived by her husband Jeff; her daughter and son-in law, Jennifer and Jacob Watts; her grandson, CJ; her two brothers Ralph and James Colegrove of Ironton; and many extended family and friends.
Considering the current situation, a memorial service will be held at a later date at O’Keefe-Baker Funeral Home and the family would like to request in lieu of any flowers, to do what she loved best, spend quality time with people you love, laughing and making happy memories, and remembering her fondly.
Arthur Reed Jr.
Arthur Eugene Reed Jr., 51, of Chesapeake, died Sunday, March 29, 2020 in St. Mary’s Medical Center, Huntington, West Virginia.
He is survived by his wife, Patty Reed.
Private family funeral service will be conducted Thursday at Hall Funeral Home and Crematory, Proctorville.
Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.ehallfuneralhome.com.
Mary Bishop
Dec. 30, 1921–March 29, 2020
Mary (Blanton) Bishop, 98, of Ironton, passed away Sunday, March 29, 2020 at Sanctuary of Ohio Valley, in Ironton.
The Paintsville, Kentucky native was born Dec. 30, 1921 to the late Albert and Lou Ollie (Gullett) Blanton. Mary was also preceded in death in 1988 by her late husband, Charles Bishop, whom she married April 12, 1942.
Mary, along with her husband, Charles, owned and operated Bishop’s Little Giant. They later operated Bishop’s Barn. She was a member of First Baptist Church in Ironton, where she served as a deaconess, on the Board of Hostesses, and the Adventure Club for the church. Mary was a graduate of Green Township High School and went on to attend Portsmouth Business School.
In addition to her parents and husband, Mary was preceded in death by a brother and five sisters.
Mary is survived by two daughters, Linda (Steve) Mann, of South Point, and Debby (Tom Pat) Kelley, of Ironton; a son, Randy (Sue) Bishop of Cincinnati; brother-in-law, Frank Stelzer, of Los Cruces, New Mexico; grandchildren, Chris (Michelle) Mann, Rick (Holly) Mann, Todd Mann, Brent (Nancy) Keating, Tim Keating, Jack (Natasha) Bishop, Emily (Gabe) Molnar, Sam Bishop, and Pete Bishop; great-grandchildren, Celsea Mann, Caitlynn Mann, Addyson Mann, MaKaylee Mann, Kamryn Mann, Shelby (Tyler) Taylor, Garrett Keating, Sydney Keating, Hannah Keating-Price, Charlie Bishop, Rose Bishop, Lucy Molnar and Ellie Molnar; one great-great-grandchild, Kinley Taylor; as well as two step-grandchildren; eight step great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
There will be a graveside service 1 p.m. Thursday in Woodland Cemetery with Pastor Eric Barnes officiating. There will be no public visitation and Phillips Funeral Home is honored to be assisting the family with the arrangements.
The family wants to give a special thanks to the staff at Sanctuary of the Ohio Valley for the wonderful care they gave Mary and also special thanks to Community Hospice.
In lieu of flowers the family is requesting donations to be made to Harvest for the Hungry food pantry, First Methodist Church, 120 N. Fifth St., Ironton, Ohio 46538 and Community Hospice, 1480 Carter Ave., Ashland, Kentucky 41101.
To offer condolences to the family, please visit www.phillipsfuneralhome.net
Mary Robinson
Jan. 19, 1947–March 28, 2020
Mary E. Robinson, 73, of Pedro, passed away Saturday, March 28, 2020, at local health care facility. The Lawrence County native was born Jan. 19, 1947, the daughter of the late Gilbert and Mary (Butler) Whitt. She is survived by her husband, Ernest Robinson, whom she married on July 10, 1965.
Mary enjoyed sewing and spending time in her flower garden. She was of the Baptist faith and attended Sheridan Free Will Baptist Church.
In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by a daughter, Deana Kay McCoy.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by three children; seven grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
There will be a graveside service on Wednesday at 1 p.m. at Pine Grove Cemetery, County Road 26, Ironton, with the Pastor Randy Patrick officiating.
To offer your condolences to the family, please visit www.phillipsfuneralhome.com
Charles Banks
Charles Banks, 71, of Catlettsburg, Kentucky, died on Thursday March 26, 2020.
He is survived by his life partner, Victoria Lynn Blevins.
Keeping with his families wishes, he was cremated and a memorial service may be held at a later date.
His family has entrusted his care to Brown Funeral Chapel.
Richard Lowe
Richard Allen Lowe, 80, of Huntington, West Virginia died Sunday March 29, 2020 at the Emogene Dolin Hospice Care Center in Huntington, West Virginia. In keeping with his wishes, he will be cremated and a service may be held at a later date.
His family has entrusted his care to the Taylor-Brown Family of Brown Funeral Chapel.
Steven Stanley
Steven Stanley, 51, of Wheelersburg, died March 15, 2020 at the University of Cincinnati Hospital.
Keeping with his family’s wishes, he was cremated and memorial donations should be directed to his family.
His family has entrusted the Taylor-Brown Family of Brown Funeral Chapel.
Anthony Adkins
Anthony Dale “Tony” Adkins, 60, of Barboursville, West Virginia, died Sunday, March 29, 2020.
No services at this time.
Hall Funeral Home and Crematory, Proctorville, is assisting the family with arrangements.
Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.ehallfuneralhome.com.