Willie Lee Dow Battle

Willie Lee Dow Battle, oldest resident of Elliston, Va., passed away on Monday, February 2, 2009, at 99 years of age. Willie was born on December 2, 1909, to Andrew Lee Dow and Mary Helen Sherman and raised in Elliston, Va. She left school after fourth grade to help raise her brothers and sisters. Besides working in the fields, her first job was working for Miss Lucy Helm for $3.00 a week. In 1927, she spent a year in Connellsville, Pa., working for $18.00 a week in a resort.
She next went to Hempsville, W.Va., where she married John H. Allison Battle. They returned to Ellison, Va., with their five children. As a young widow, she held various jobs to support her family. Willie took care of the "Moomaw" household; cleaned for Blue Jay Motel and Holiday Inn and worked at Radford Arsenal where she received two awards for perfect attendance. Her hard work enabled her daughters to attend Knoxville College. Her two sons joined the United States Army. She attributed her longevity to "Hard Work" and her trust in Jesus.
Mrs. Battle was preceded in death by her husband, John H. Battle; parents, Andrew L. Dow Sr. and Mary H. Sherman Dow; brothers, Weldon H. Dow, Samuel S. Dow, and Carl L. Dow; sisters, Clifford D. Harris and Molieta D. Hairston.
She is survived by her son, Benjamin L. Battle, of Elliston, Va.; daughters, Ophelia Battle, of Elliston, Va., Everline Wright, of Knoxville, Tenn.; sons-in-law, Leonard S. Wright Sr., of Louisville, Tenn., and Oscar L. Taylor, of Teaneck, N.J.; daughter-in-law, Mary C. Robinson Battle (Cliff) Knox, of Hampton, Va.; sisters, Doris Norrell, of Salem, Va., Marie Hicks, of Salem, Va., and Laura Toms, of Columbus, Ohio; sister-in-law, Elsie Trent Dow, of Elliston, Va.; brother, Andrew L. Dow Jr., of Clarksville, Tenn.; granddaughters, Jacqualine (Gordon) Johnson, of Englewood, N.J., Marva Taylor Wilson Coleman, of Teaneck, N.J., Lynne Denise Wright, of Knoxville, Tenn., Darnietta Townsend, of Pittsburgh, Pa., Lita King, of Shawsville, Va., and Halena Brisco, of Atlantic City, N.J.; grandsons, Ahmad "Rickie" (Cynthia) Kahalil, of Whippany, N.J., Jerry Battle, of Newark, N.J., Gregory (Pauline) Hankins, of New York City, N.Y., Leonard S. (Jamaya) Wright Jr., of Chicago, Ill., Benjamin L. (Alice) Battle Jr., of Oxen Hill, Md., Gary Battle, of Goldsboro, N.C., Michael Battle, of Englewood, N.J., Adrian (Melody) Townsend, of Chesapeake, Va.; and Thomas Battle, of Columbus, Ohio; great-grandsons, Gregory Hankins Jr., of Hackensack, N.J., Damian (Maria) Hankins, of Atlantic City, N.J., Justin Hankins, of Atlantic City, N.J., and an unborn Hankins baby, Daryl Khalil, of Whippany, N.J., Laquin Khalil, of Shawsville, Va., and Michael Pusha; greatgranddaughters, Taylor Dickerson, of Atlantic City, N.J., Chyanne Khalil, of Atlantic City, N.J., SPC Diamond Nicole Yvette Wilson, of Hawaii, Najelah Ayanna Ashley Perry, of Teaneck, N.J., TeDaisha and KeDaisha Monee' Coleman, of Elliston, Va., and Jenee AnnMarie Coleman, of Elliston, Va.; great-greatgranddaughter, Claudia Hankins; great-greatgrandson, Damian Hankins Jr., of Atlantic City, N.J.; devoted and long time friends, Lorraine and Carl Brisco, of Atlantic City, N.J., Lillian Fields, of Johnson City, N.J., Sandra Smith, of Leonard Town, Md.; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and loved ones. She also leaves those she depended on and called her children, Gladys Dow, JoAnn Dow, Kathy Ford, the Rev. and Mrs. Bernard Wright, Toby (Rev. Vivian) Simmons, and Carlton Dow, all of Elliston, Va., Willie Wyatt, of Knoxville, Tenn., Leta King, of Shawsville, Va., Sarah (Clinton) Branner, of Knoxville, Tenn., Lucy M. Hairston, of Bergenfield, N.J., and Catherine Haynes Dow, of Roanoke, Va.
Visitation will be held on Saturday, February 7, 2009, from 7 to 8 p.m. at First Baptist Church, Elliston, Va. Funeral services will be held 3 p.m. on Sunday, February 8, 2009, at First Baptist Church, Elliston, Va., with the Rev. Kenneth B. Wright officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery, Elliston, Va. Arrangements by Valley Funeral Home and Cremation Service, 1609 Peters Creek Road, Roanoke, Va., 540-562-1182.