Person Page - 5098

     Lela J. Lilly was buried at Sunset Memorial Park, Beckley, Raleigh Co., West Virginia.^3,2 Her Social Security Number was 236-90-1796.⁴ She was born on February 19, 1914 at Winding Gulf, Raleigh Co., West Virginia; The SSDI has a birth date of Feb 20, 1914.^4,1 As of September 1, 1932,her married name was Bower.¹ She married James Clyde "Jimmie" Bower, son of Luther Bower and Lessie Mae Parker, on September 1, 1932 at Coal City, Raleigh Co., West Virginia.^1,2 Lela J. Lilly died on March 21, 1999 at Beckley, Raleigh Co., West Virginia, at age 85.^3,4,2 She Lela J. Lilly Bower, 85, of Coal City, died Sunday, March 21, 1999, in a Beckley hospital following a short illness. Born Feb. 19, 1914, at Winding Gulf, she was the daughter of the late Douglas and Maude Lunsford Lilly. Mrs. Bower was a homemaker and a member of the Coal City Missionary Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her husband, James “Jimmy” Bower; a son, Clyde Vernon Bower; three brothers, Don Lilly, Arnold Lilly and Orville Lilly; and two sisters, Aldina Bolen and Ruth Hudson. Survivors include a son, Von Bower and wife, Carol, of Coal City; three daughters, Rosemary Thomas and her husband, Jack, of Coal City, Barbara Helvey and her husband, Vernon, of Covington, Va., and Nora Keen and her husband, Eddie, of Christiansburg, Va; three brothers, Ray Lilly of Georgia, Sherman Lilly of Blountville, Tenn., and Lawrence Lilly of Beckley; two sisters, Venora Kerwood of Florida and Elva Barker of Spotsylvania, Va; 12 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. Services will be 11 a.m. today at Coal City Community Church, with the Revs. Jack Tankersley and Grayson Lilly officiating. Burial will follow in Sunset Memorial Park, Beckley. Friends called 7 to 8:30 p.m. Monday at Williams-Blue Ridge Funeral Home, Sophia, and may call one hour before the services today at the church. Grandsons will serve as pallbearers. on March 23, 1999.²

     His Social Security Number was 235-52-3531.⁶ Von Bower was born on August 11, 1934 at Coal City, Raleigh Co., West Virginia.^6,2,3,4 He married Carol Ann Mays on May 23, 1956 at Coal City, Raleigh Co., West Virginia.^7,3 Von Bower died on May 9, 2003 at Beckley, Raleigh Co., West Virginia, at age 68.^6,2 He Von Bower, 68, of Coal City, died Friday, May 9, 2003, in a Beckley area hospital following a long illness. Born Aug. 11, 1934, at Coal City, he was the son of the late James C. Bower and Lela Lilly Bower. Mr. Bower served faithfully in the U.S. Navy until being honorably discharged. Mr. Bower was the owner and operator of Bower's Auto Repair in Coal City. He was a member of the Princewick Missionary Baptist Church. He was founder and former Fire Chief of Coal City Volunteer Fire Department. He will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 46 years, Carol Bower; a son, Von Edward Bower of Coal City; a daughter, Tammy Sprouse and husband, Chuck, of Princewick; three sisters, Rosemary Thomas and husband, Jack, of Coal City, Barbara Helvey and husband, Vernon, of Covington, Va., and Nora Faye Keen and husband, Eddie, of Christiansburg, Va; four grandchildren, Angela Short and husband, Sean, of Gainesville, Ga., Charlie Sprouse and wife, Beckley, of Coal City, Gregory Sprouse, and Tosha Scott; and a great granddaughter, Kayla Sprouse. Services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at Williams-Blue Ridge Funeral Home Chapel, Sophia with the Rev. Herb Blevins officiating. Burial will follow in Sunset Memorial Park, Beckley. Friends may call from 6 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home. Pallbearers will be Lane Thompson, Johnny Thompson, Golden Cunningham and Denny Stump. on May 13, 2003.²

     Clyde Vernon Bower was buried at Sunset Memorial Park, Beckley, Raleigh Co., West Virginia.³ His Social Security Number was 234-56-6934.⁵ He was born on August 29, 1938 at Coal City, Raleigh Co., West Virginia.^5,3,4,6 He died on October 17, 1982 at West Virginia at age 44.^5,3,6

     Her Social Security Number was 236-58-9946.³ Carol Ann Mays was buried at Sunset Memorial Park, Beckley, Raleigh Co., West Virginia.¹ She was born on July 14, 1938 at Lillybrook, Raleigh Co., West Virginia.^1,2,3 As of May 23, 1956,her married name was Bower.² She married Von Bower, son of James Clyde "Jimmie" Bower and Lela J. Lilly, on May 23, 1956 at Coal City, Raleigh Co., West Virginia.^1,2 Carol Ann Mays died on February 25, 2014 at Raleigh Co., West Virginia, at age 75.^1,3 She Carol Ann Bower, 75, of Coal City, passed away on Tuesday, February 25, 2014, after a courageous battle with lung cancer in the arms of her loving family. Born on July 14, 1938, in Lillybrook, she was the daughter of the late William Mays and Virgie Pearl Basham Mays. Carol was a retired teacher's aide of 29 years for the Raleigh Co. Board of Education, and a member of Princewick Missionary Baptist Church. In addition to her parents, Carol is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Von Bower; sister, Hilda Wilson; brothers-in-law, Emmette Wilson and Eugene Grim. Those left to cherish her memory include her children, Tamela Ann Sprouse (Chuck) of Princewick, W.Va., and son, Von Edward Bower at home; four grandchildren, Angela Hudnall (Michael) of Princewick, W.Va., Charlie Sprouse (Ashton) of Coal City, W.Va., Gregory Sprouse (Jessica) of Madison, N.C., Tosha Rice (Kevin) of Fredricksburg, Va; eight great-grandchildren, Logan Patrick, Kayla Michelle, Casey Ruth, Zachary Charles, Elizabeth Gail, Edward Harrison, Jeremiah Lee and Benjamin James; sisters, Aline Ellis (Jim) of Dunnellon, Fla., Shirley Grim of Hudson, Fla; sisters-in-law, Rosemary Thomas (Jack) of Coal City, Bobbie Helvey (Vernon) of Covington, Va., and Nora Faye Keen (Eddie) of Christiansburg, Va; and a host of nieces, nephews and beloved friends. Services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 1, 2014, at Williams Blue Ridge Funeral Home, Sophia, with Pastor Shane Roark officiating. Burial will follow at Sunset Memorial Park. Family and friends will serve as pallbearers. The family would also like to thank the Hospice Staff of Beckley, and the staff at the Carl Larson Cancer Center, Beckley. on March 1, 2014.¹