Freda Gray Parsons

FREDA GERTRUDE GRAY PARSONS, age 98 years, a resident of St. George, WV, departed this life Friday afternoon, January 23, 2009 at the Cortland Acres Nursing Home, with her children by her side. She was born Tuesday, August 9, 1910 in a log home at the John Felton Farm 1 mile north of Parsons, a daughter of the late Herman E. and Ida Evans Gray. During 1931, at Parsons, WV, she was married to Maurice V.�Twitty� Parsons, who preceded her in death August of 1979. Surviving are one son, Marvin E. �Bud� Parsons and wife Jane of Parsons; three daughters, Alice E. Phillips and husband James of Blackman Flats, Lois A. Gilfillan and husband John of Arlington, VA, Laura J. Clark and husband Robert of Winchester, VA; two brothers, Odford �Buck� Gray of Parsons and Harold Gray of Philippi; two sisters, Virginia Gray Bohon and Wanda Gray Carr and husband Leon; thirteen grandchildren; twenty three great grandchildren and one great great grandson and numerous nieces and nephews. She had a special cousin, Sibby Rummel Poling and many special friends, Shirley Cassidy, Juanita Nestor, Joyce Ziesemer, David Hudnall and the late Lena Jones children. Preceding her in death are one son, Vernon D. �Buckwheat� Parsons; one daughter, Sharon Rosemay Vance; three brothers, James Gray, Johnny Gray and Herman E. Gray, Jr.; one sister, Evelyn Utt; two grandsons, Gregory Phillips and Vernon �Skip� Parsons. Freda was a homemaker and loved gardening, flowers, canning and entertaining her family and friends with her home cooked meals. She was a member of the St. George United Methodist Church, the Methodist Women�s Society for fifty four years. She was a long time leader of the St. George Senior Citizens Outpost and treasurer of the St. George Academy Preservation Association, in which she donated the property for the moving and preservations of the Academy. She attended the Horseshoe Bend School of Holly Meadows and the Blackfork District School in Parsons and Parsons High School with the class of 1931. She loved local history and voted in every election from 1932 until 2008, including for President Barrack Obama. The family will receive friends at the Lohr & Barb Funeral Home of Parsons on Monday from 5 to 8 PM. Final rites will be conducted at the funeral home parlor on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 at 11 AM. Pastor Robert Leard and Pastor Carolyn Shreve will officiate and interment will follow at the Bethel Cemetery at Holly Meadows. The family suggest that expressions of sympathy be in the form of contributions to the Saint George United Methodist Church or the Saint George Academy Preservation Society.