Person Page - 7469

     Hulda Maude Smith Hulda M. Vest, 87, of Shady Spring, passed away at home on July 1, 2019, after a lengthy illness. Born February 22, 1932 at Blue Jay, Hulda was daughter of the late Herbert and Clarice McKinney Smith. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Josh Vest, son-in-law Chris Meadows, siblings Gladys Olsen, Betty Osborne, Orville "Sonny" Smith and Tommy Smith. Hulda was a 1959 graduate of the Raleigh County Vocational School of Practical Nursing. She retired from Raleigh General Hospital in 1994, after spending most of her career in the emergency room and the final few years in outpatient surgery. Her calling of caring is her greatest legacy; she was always trying to help others. Some called her Granny, a few called her Huldie - she was fine with either as long as you didn't call her by her middle name. Which, coincidently, will be omitted from this since she never liked it anyway! Known as the "Pie Lady", she was famous for the fried pies she made and sold at Fridays in the Park and many other Uptown events. She loved the color red, yard sales, Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, Mary Kay and Dennis the Menace! Her virtue was not patience, as she was always in a hurry and expected the same of others! Hulda was a member of Perry Memorial United Methodist Church, where she enjoyed helping in the Easter egg factory, rummage sales and many other ministries. Survivors include son, Howard Vest and wife Karen, of Beckley; daughter and caregiver, Ruth Vest Meadows of Shady Spring; grandchildren, Christy Meadows, Amanda Ashley and husband Marty, JJ Meadows and wife Aimee; great-grandchildren, Sarah and Daniel Harvey, Jaxon and Addison Meadows all of Shady Spring; step-grandchildren, Lisa Withrow and husband Keith, Brittany Doss and husband James; step-great-grandchildren, Elly Withrow, Bryson and Layton Doss, all of Beckley; siblings, Tim Smith, Joe Smith, Vivian Skaggs, Francis Hart and Marilyn Waterbeck; special neighbors, Paul and Linda Prince and Ron and Mel Farley; special friend, Susie Ferrabee and her very faithful and loving companion, Buddy. A host of cousins, nieces, nephews and dear friends also survive. Burial will follow at Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens at Prosperity. Pallbearers will be Marty Ashley, Daniel Harvey, JJ and Jaxon Meadows, CH Mitchell, Jerry Skaggs and Ron Farley. The family would like to extend sincere gratitude to caregivers Carrie Cole and Jamie Wills and to Hospice of Southern West Virginia, especially Nurse Kassi Fix. Your care and compassion made a difficult time easier for all of us.² She was buried at Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, 5250 Robert Centre Byrd Drive, Prosperity, Raleigh Co., West Virginia.^3,2 Her married name was Vest.¹ She married James Josh Vest, son of Joseph Thomas "Joe" Vest and Izola Furrow.^1,2 Hulda Maude Smith was born on February 22, 1932 at Blue Jay, Raleigh Co., West Virginia.² She died on July 1, 2019 at Shady Spring, Raleigh Co., West Virginia, at age 87.²

     Howard Kesler Vest Howard Kesler Vest, age 72, of Beckley, WV went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, January 8, 2023. Born in Beckley, WV on December 14, 1950, he was the son of the late Josh and Hulda Smith Vest. Howard, as he was known by family and friends, was a graduate of Shady Spring High School, and Bluefield State College with a BS Degree in Criminal Justice. He also was a graduate of the WV State Police Academy and the F.B.I. Academy. Howard was a member of Memorial Baptist Church in Beckley and the Fraternal Order of Police, Black Diamond Lodge #81. Howard was a retired Captain for the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, as a deputy sheriff with 29 years of dedicated service. He also retired from the Raleigh County Animal Control with 10 years of service. Howard served his country in the US Air Force for 4 years, as a Security Policeman and the K-9 Unit. Howard enjoyed spending time with his family, and watching his children and grandchildren play sports. Those survivors left to cherish his memory include his wife of 34 years, Karen Glover Vest; his step daughters, Lisa Withrow and husband Keith of Beckley, and Brittany Doss and husband James of Beckley; grandchildren Elly Withrow, Bryson and Layton Doss. A sister Ruth Meadows of Pluto, along with several nieces and nephews also survive. Burial will follow at Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens at Prosperity.¹ He was buried at Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, 5250 Robert Centre Byrd Drive, Prosperity, Raleigh Co., West Virginia.¹ He was born on December 14, 1950 at Beckley, Raleigh Co., West Virginia.^1,2 He married Sharon Lee Sikorski on July 21, 1973 at Columbiana Co., Ohio.^5,6 Howard Kesler Vest and Sharon Lee Sikorski were divorced in 1986.⁶ Howard Kesler Vest married Wanda Karen Glover on September 28, 1988 at Giles Co., Virginia.^1,2 Howard Kesler Vest died on January 8, 2023 at Beckley, Raleigh Co., West Virginia, at age 72.¹

     Her Social Security Number was 236-66-9041.³ Dovey Mae Whittington was born on February 13, 1941 at Hanover, Wyoming Co., West Virginia.^1,3,4 As of August 18, 1978,her married name was Vest.¹ She married Joe Cephus Vest, son of Claude Raymond Vest and Georgia Lee Vest, on August 18, 1978 at Wythe Co., Virginia.^1,2 Dovey Mae Whittington died on August 16, 2003 at Winston-Salem, Forsyth Co., North Carolina, at age 62.^3,4,5

     Christie Harding Meadows was buried at Sunset Memorial Park, Beckley, Raleigh Co., West Virginia.⁵ He was born on June 8, 1948 at West Virginia.^3,5 He married Ruth Ann Vest, daughter of James Josh Vest and Hulda Maude Smith, on July 16, 1973 at Pearisburg, Giles Co., Virginia.^1,2,3,5,4 Christie Harding Meadows died on July 6, 2004 at Shady Spring, Raleigh Co., West Virginia, at age 56.^5,4 He Christie Harding “C.H.” Meadows, 56, of Pluto Road, Shady Spring, died Tuesday, July 6, 2004, from a massive heart attack while doing a job he loved — mowing hay on his beloved farm, where he had lived most of his life. He was the son of Ruby E. Meadows of Pluto and the late James H. Meadows. Other survivors include his loving wife, Ruth Vest Meadows. Chris and Ruth would have celebrated their 31st wedding anniversary on July 16. Their children are two daughters, Christy at home and Amanda of Shady Spring, and a son, James J. “J.J.,” also at home. Survivors also include a brother, Darren J. Meadows of Pluto Road; a sister, Janet Peck of Beckley; and father and mother-in-law, Josh and Hulda Vest of Shady Spring. Chris was a devoted husband and father. He loved and was so proud of his family. He always worked hard and strived to provide the best he could for them. His second love was his farm, which he had taken over after the death of his father. Chris raised Shorthorn cattle, hogs and chickens. For the past 22 years, the Meadows family showed their cattle at the State Fair of West Virginia and had produced a respectable herd within the breed. He had a hobby of collecting International toy tractors along with a few real ones. Although he didn’t allow himself the pleasure often, he also loved to hunt and fish, especially with his son. Chris was an FFA member at Richmond High School, where he was awarded the Star Farmer for his Chapter. Later he was inducted as an honorary member at SSHS, where his brother and son followed in his footsteps as members. In 1968 Chris began as a laborer and worked his way to being known as one of the best brick masons in the county while working for Hoover Meadows, Radford and Radford, Keith Radford, and Roger Johnson. Later, he started his own crew of 12 men. Chris bricked many of the homes and churches in the greater Beckley community, especially in the Maxwell Hill area, as well as businesses and schools, including Family Dollar in Beaver, Daniels Elementary and the SSJH band room. He continued to work as a brick mason until the early 1980s. At that time, he devoted his talents to building a home for his family. Chris spent the past 32 years as a Raleigh County school bus driver and worked summers as a mechanic for the bus garage. He truly enjoyed his “kids on the bus.” He said he never felt old or considered retiring until he started driving the children and grandchildren of his first students back in the 1970s. Chris will be so sadly missed by his immediate family, extended family and many, many friends. Burial will follow in Sunset Memorial Park, Beckley. Pallbearers will be Roger Warden, Calvin Daniel, Dave Hess, Shane Lilly, Charles Arbaugh, Stevie Meadows, Steve Adkins and Oral Plumley. Honorary pallbearers will be Jimmie Meadows, Ray Meadows, George Six, Tommy Harvey, Tom Hess, Lantz Hess, Robert Fry, Hoover Meadows, Shannon McNeely, Eric and Scott Lilly, Keith Radford and Roger Johnson. on July 9, 2004.⁴

     Sharon Lee Sikorski Sharon Lee Vest, 71, passed suddenly away at 12:58 p.m. Tuesday, July 24, 2012 at her residence on Sunset Lake. Sharon was born in Chicago, Ill., on Oct. 12, 1940, a daughter to Emil and Blanche (Marose) Sikorski. She married John A. Magnetta in September 1957 and they divorced in 1971. She then married Howard. K. Vest in July 1973 and they divorced in 1986. She is survived by one daughter, Jeri Lee Magnetta, of Mission Viejo, Calif., and one grandson, Joseph A. Bernardi, of Springfield, Ill. Preceding Sharon in death are her parents. Sharon earned an A.S. Mathematics and Recreation Management from Triton College in River Forest, Ill. She also earned a B.S. double major of Mathematics and Computer Science from Concord College in Athens, W.Va. Her M.S. in Computer Engineering was earned at West Virginia Graduate Studies, which was absorbed into Marshall University, in Charleston, West Virginia. Her life dream was to become a math teacher and she successfully accomplished that goal as both a high school and college math teacher. She taught Calculus I, II, III and Differential Equations along with many computer subjects, such as Fortran, Assembler and Introduction to Automated Electronics for several colleges. Her areas of computer expertise also included BASIC, Cobol, MS-DOS, MS-Windows, Pascal, PL/I and VAX/MS. She was a computer technician for Illinois Public Aid and Public Health before becoming a trainer in MIS Training and Customer Service for the Illinois Department of Human Service. She retired from the State of Illinois in 2006. Among her life long activities, she enjoyed swimming and was an Olympic swim coach for one year. She was A NAUI Qualified Scuba Diver. She played racket ball and was a debate captain in college. She was a district winner for volleyball coach. She was also a bowler and had been a day manager of the Mages Bowlarerna in Melrose Park for over two years. Also, she was a bowling league president and officer for two years. Among her affiliations, she was a secretary/treasurer for the West Virginia state organization for Hospital Administrators and Supervising Mangers as she was an Supervisor of Admissions for three years at Raleigh General Hospital in Beckley. She was a member of the West Virginia Association of Computer Education, West Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Civitans of West Virginia Chapter, American Affiliation of Professional Women, and was Past President of BIS Investment Association. She was enjoyed a lifelong membership in the Society of Women Engineers.¹ Her Social Security Number was 348-32-4816.² She was born on October 12, 1940 at Chicago, Cook Co., Illinois.^1,2 As of July 21, 1973,her married name was Vest.³ She married Howard Kesler Vest, son of James Josh Vest and Hulda Maude Smith, on July 21, 1973 at Columbiana Co., Ohio.^3,1 Sharon Lee Sikorski and Howard Kesler Vest were divorced in 1986.¹ Sharon Lee Sikorski died on July 24, 2012 at Scottville, Macoupin Co., Illinois, at age 71.^1,2

     Her married name was Kauff.³ Shelva Jean Duncan was buried at Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, 5250 Robert Centre Byrd Drive, Prosperity, Raleigh Co., West Virginia.² Her Social Security Number was 235-68-0809.⁴ She Shelva J. (Pennington) Bittinger, 70, of Beckley, WV, celebrated her birthday with her family, and was called up to celebrate with the Lord that evening on April 21, 2013. She is preceded in death by her father, John T. Duncan and her mother Mary Wallace. She is survived by three sisters, Betty Young, Shirley Moore, and Helen Goodson, She was the mother of three children, Barry Pennington, Prosperity, WV, Nick Pennington, Roxboro, NC, and Johnna Havens, Bland, VA. She was also a grandmother to 4 grandsons, Nick Pennington, and Joey Pennington, Kaegan Young, and Braxdyn Havens. Earning degrees from Concord College, and WVU, Shelva was a devoted English Teacher at Woodrow Wilson High School for 34 years. She was also an adjunct teacher for area colleges. Shelva was an active member of her community and contributed her talents to many organizations. She was a member of First United Methodist Church, GFWC (Woman's Club) of Beckley, Beckley Art Group, United Methodist Women, Sarah's Circle, Pathfinder's Sunday School Class, and Raleigh County Association of Retired School Employees. Burial will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Garden, Beckley. Pallbearers will be Barry Pennington, Nick Pennington, Brad Havens, Nick Pennington, Jr., Kaegan Young, and Joey Pennington.² She married Unknown Kauff.³ Shelva Jean Duncan was born on April 21, 1943 at Shady Spring, Raleigh Co., West Virginia.^1,4 As of September 6, 1962,her married name was Pennington.¹ She married Newton Arlin Pennington Jr. on September 6, 1962 at Pearisburg, Giles Co., Virginia.¹ As of July 7, 1995,her married name was Bittinger.³ Shelva Jean Duncan married Roy W. Bittinger on July 7, 1995 at King Co., Washington.³ Shelva Jean Duncan died on April 21, 2013 at Beckley, Raleigh Co., West Virginia, at age 70.^4,2

     Newton Arlin Pennington Jr. Newton Arlin Pennington Jr. “N.A.”, age 81, of Crow, WV passed away at Raleigh General Hospital in Beckley, WV on Sunday, November 17, 2024. Born on April 21, 1943 in Beaver, he was the son of the late Newton Arlin Pennington Sr. and Mabel Lilly Pennington. Mr. Pennington had worked as a coal miner, and as a custodian for the Raleigh County Board of Education. Most of all, he enjoyed farming on his farm. He was a jack-of-all-trades, and could repair anything. Mr. Pennington was a member of Crow Baptist Church. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a son, Barry Pennington, sister, Janet Bailey, brother, Gilbert Pennington, and a sister Sandra Pennington. Those survivors left to cherish his memory include his wife Phyllis Moore Davis- Pennington; his children, Nick Pennington and wife Penny of Roxboro, NC, and Johnna Haven and husband Brad of Bland, VA; step daughter Tara Lynn Davis of Richmond, VA; grandchildren, Kaegan Young, Nicholas Pennington, Joey Pennington, Braxdyn Haven, and Reazyn Haven; a sister Eleanora Elam of Beaver. Several nieces and nephews also survive. Burial will follow at Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens at Prosperity, WV.² He was buried at Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, 5250 Robert Centre Byrd Drive, Prosperity, Raleigh Co., West Virginia.² He was born on April 21, 1943 at Beaver, Raleigh Co., West Virginia.^1,2 He married Shelva Jean Duncan, daughter of John Thomas "Johnnie" Duncan and Mary Ellen Wallace, on September 6, 1962 at Pearisburg, Giles Co., Virginia.¹ Newton Arlin Pennington Jr. died on November 17, 2024 at Beckley, Raleigh Co., West Virginia, at age 81.²

     Barry Alan Pennington Barry Alan Pennington, 51, of Prosperity, passed away December 8, 2015. He is the son of Newton A. Pennington, Jr. and the late Shelva Bittinger (Duncan). He was born June 30, 1964 in Beckley, West Virginia. He was an independent contractor of Sky View Construction. He was also an accomplished auto painter, and detailer with many show cars to his credit. Barry loved riding his Harley. In addition to his mother, preceding him in death is his grandmother, Mary Smith. Those left to cherish his memory are brother, Nick Pennington of Roxboro, North Carolina; sister, Johnna Havens and husband Brad of Bland, Virginia; grandmother, Mabel Pennington; nephews, Nicholas, Kaegan, Joey, Braxdyn and Reazyn.³ He was born on June 30, 1964 at Beckley, Raleigh Co., West Virginia.³ He died on December 8, 2015 at West Virginia at age 51.³