Mr. William Earl "Mr. Lance" Silbert Sr.

1929 - 2008

William Earl Sibert, Sr., 78 of Woodstock, died January 26, 2008.

A graveside service will be held on Tuesday, January 29, 2008, 1:00 PM at Cedarwood Cemetery, by Rev. J. Robert Berghuis.

Mr. Sibert was born February 20, 1929 at Edinburg, Virginia. He was the youngest sibling of a family of eleven. He was the son of Jacob Noah and Annie Eliza Strickler Sibert.

He was a veteran of the United States Army, serving in Germany from 1950 to 1953. Earl was employed by Northern Virginia Vending for twenty-seven years and Lance Inc. for 12 years, where he retired in 1992. Earl continued to work for Bowman Apple Products. He loved his job and his friends, working for the Town of Edinburg, where he returned to work a year later after his chemotheophy. Earl loved children, life, and his work. He was known to people as "Mr. Lance". Earl was one of the most giving, kind, and gentle person you could meet. If he had any spare time, he loved to fish.

After he married Retha, they were fortunate to travel to many places, which Earl had never had a chance to do before.

He was a member of Union Forge United Methodist Church, a life member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Shenandoah Lodge #82 I.O.O.F. He was also a life member of the American Legion Post 199, Woodstock, Virginia, a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Edinburg, Virginia.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Helen Marie Wetzel Sibert; seven brothers, Clarence, Amos, George, James B., Charles, Carl Milton, and Dave; a sister, Hazel Virginia Strickler.

Mr. Sibert is survived by his wife Retha Barr Ryan Sibert, whom he married, July 27, 2002; a stepdaughter, Michelle Lee Ryan of Roanoke, VA; five children, David Dwight Wetzel of Orlando, FL, Betty Ann Sibert of Winchester, William E. Sibert, Jr. of Woodstock, Noah J. Sibert of Mount Jackson, and Penny Ellen Yost of Winchester; two sisters, Martha Poe and Nina Rinker, both of Edinburg; nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

The family will receive friends at the Dellinger Funeral Home, Woodstock tonight from 7 to 9 PM.

Pallbearers will be Noah Jay Sibert, Jr., Christopher Sibert, James Earl Wetzel, David D. Wetzel, Jr., Joseph Lambert, and Fred Evans.

The family request that memorial contributions be made to the Shenandoah County Humane Society or a charity of your choice.