Lena S. Watson

Lena S. Watson

Lena Smith Watson, 70, a longtime resident of Fredericksburg, passed on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2005, at Mary Washington Hospital.

Lena was the sixth of seven children, born to the late Luther and Ivery Smith. She attended Riley Hill Elementary School and Shephard High School in Wake County, N.C. She furthered her education with an undergraduate degree in elementary education in 1958 from Shaw University in Raleigh, N.C. She taught school in Buckingham County for a year and in the Fredericksburg school system for 29 years, retiring in 1991.

She was an active member of Shiloh Baptist Church (Old Site), where she taught Sunday school, Bible school and was a troop leader for Boy Scout Troop 175. Lena served as a deaconess and member of the deaconess board, and was a member of the Faith and Hope Club, and its president for 25 years.

Surviving is her husband, James Alvis; a daughter, Pamela DeJuanna, and son, Ronnie Darin and his wife, Mironda, all of Petersburg; two brothers, Prince Leon and his wife, Hattie, of Raleigh, N.C., and Chilean and his wife, Bessie, of Baltimore, Md.; a sister, Ermastine Alston of Raleigh; a sister-in-law, Gloria Smith of Raleigh; six grandchildren, Lauren, Jameka, Janae, Silbert, Chakka, Brandon Alvis; a host of nieces and nephews; and other relatives and friends. Two brothers, Luther and Quincy; and a sister, Verline, preceded her in death.

A funeral will be held at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 18, at Shiloh Baptist Church (Old Site), with the Rev. Lawrence A. Davies officiating. Burial will be in Quantico National Cemetery.

The body may be viewed from noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 17, at Bailey Funeral Service, Fredericksburg, and at the church one hour prior to the funeral time Thursday.