Lester Hogshead

1919 - 2021

Lester Hogshead

September 2, 1919 - October 25, 2021

Lester Phillips Hogshead, of Harrisonburg, Virginia, passed away peacefully on October 25, 2021, at Sentara Rockingham Memorial Hospital of complications of COVID.

He was born, a ninth-generation Virginian, at Mossy Creek, Virginia, on September 2, 1919, to the late Jessie Belle Phillips Hogshead and Charles Arthur Hogshead.

Lester enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps 1408th AAF Base Unit in 1942 and was assigned to duty in Miami, Florida, as a rifle instructor, followed by deployment to Prestwick, Scotland. There he met his future bride, Brenda Maloy Miller of Detroit, Michigan, a Women's Army Air Corps enlistee. Following the liberation of Paris, Lester was transferred to Orly Air Force Base. Within weeks Brenda was also transferred to Paris in the Army Air Corps Intelligence Division. They were married at the American Church in Paris on December 21, 1945. Lester reached the rank of Technical Sergeant and was honorably discharged from the AAC, along with his wife, in 1946.

Lester and Brenda made their home in Waynesboro, Virginia, before moving to Harrisonburg in 2005. Brenda passed away on their 62nd wedding anniversary in 2007.

Lester worked for DuPont as a Section Supervisor, retiring in 1982 after 42 years of service. As a member of West Waynesboro Church of Christ, he taught Sunday school and served as Elder, as well as having numerous other congregational responsibilities. Lester's interests included gardening, hunting, fishing, and spending time with family and friends at his mountain cabin. Lester was always interested in and received great pleasure from helping others.

After moving to Harrisonburg, Lester became interested in genealogy and began in-depth research on his parents' families. He discovered that his ancestors, John and Nancy Wallace Hogshead, emigrated from Scotland via Ireland to the Colonies in 1720. Their son James, Lester's ancestor, was closely involved in the establishment of the Mossy Creek Presbyterian Church, Augusta County, Virginia, in 1768. Lester leaves to his children a large collection of family and Mossy Creek area history, as well as his depression-era farm boy memoirs.

Lester was also preceded in death by his daughter, Bonnie Henning and his siblings, George, Ollie, Hinkle, Carl, Lucy, Massie, Richard and Ray. Lester's interest in his family led him to discover, on September 17, 2010, a previously unknown ninth sibling, "Infant Son of C.A and J.B. Hogshead, Born and died on December 7, 1904", buried at Sangersville.

Lester is survived by a son, L. Bruce (Mary Ann) of Scottsville; three daughters, Phyllis Derr (John) of Charlottesville, Sue Landes of Richmond, and Nancy Reed (Chuck) of Spottswood; seven grandchildren, Margaret "Peggy" Phillips Derr and Sarah Kathleen Derr, Amanda Susan Landes and Ashley Elizabeth Landes, Jennifer Little (Paul), Ashley Nicole Reed Barnwell (Harold) and Amanda Lian Reed; one great-granddaughter, Bethany Little; son-in-law, Michael Henning of Disputanta, Va.; sister-in-law, Jean of Bridgewater; a nephew and numerous nieces, cousins and friends.

A private graveside service, for descendants and spouses only, will be conducted at Mossy Creek Presbyterian Church Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to Bridgewater Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 268, Bridgewater, VA 22812.

Johnson Funeral Service

208 S Main St., Bridgewater, VA 22812