Conley B. Sayles

Conley B. Sayles Conley Benjamin "Ben" Sayles, 92, of Ivanhoe departed this life and joined that great cloud of witnesses on Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2010. Funeral service was held Tuesday, Dec. 28, at 1 p.m. at the Barnett Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Jackie Reeves officiating. Interment was at the Red Bluff A.M.E. Church Cemetery in the Piney community of Wythe County. He was born Sept. 5, 1918, in Ivanhoe, the eldest son of the late Conley Blaine and Annie Peoples Sayles. He was a follower of Christ from a very young age. He was a lifelong member of the Red Bluff A.M.E. Church where he served many years as trustee until the church closed in 2009. He then joined the fellowship of Mt. Carmel Baptist Church until moving to Blacksburg earlier this year where he worshipped at Tried Stone Christian Center. A 1980 retiree of Radford Army Ammunition Plant, he spent his retirement years as an active member of the Ivanhoe Civic League and Ivanhoe Senior Citizens. He was a man who loved all and was loved by all. He has now stepped through the gate onto the streets of gold and into the presence of our loving Lord Jesus where he heard, "Welcome home my good and faithful servant." He was preceded in death by his wife, Edna Robinson Sayles; two infant children; a sister, Phoebe Griffin; and six brothers, Allen Sayles, Warren Sayles, Curtis Sayles, Edward Sayles, Charles Sayles and Clarence Sayles. Survivors include two sisters, Mary Cox of Clermont, Fla., Adlyn Warren and husband, Clarence, of Buffalo, N.Y.; a brother and sister-in-law, Joseph Sayles and Yolanda of Buffalo, N.Y.; two sisters-in-law, Augusta Sayles of Wytheville and Harriet Sayles of Decatur, Ga.; two daughters and sons-in-law, Peggy and Haskell Shazier of Chilhowie, and Madye and Louie Price of Blacksburg; five grandchildren, Julius and Jackie Shazier of Sterling, Fred Shazier and Michelle Shazier, both of Chilhowie, Micah and Cathie Sayles of Pittsburgh, Pa., and Jared Price of Blacksburg; three great-grandchildren, Justin Shazier, Jason Shazier and Marcus Shazier; and many nieces, nephews and friends. Barnett Funeral Home in Wytheville was in charge of the arrangements.