Ethel Mae Boggs

ETHEL MAE BOGGS, beloved wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend, went home to be with the Lord at the age of 94 on Tuesday, August 19, 2025.
Ethel Mae was one of four children and the only daughter of Joseph Burr Westfall and Mattie (Shaver) Westfall. She was raised on the family farm in Bonnie, WV. A 1949 graduate of Gassaway High School, she married the love of her life, Charles Doyle Boggs, on November 7, 1950. The dedication and love between Doyle and Ethel Mae were evident to all those who knew them throughout their seventy-two years of marriage. Ethel Mae worked at Gassaway Hospital before raising her two sons and caring for her father-in-law. She also worked as a supervisor for the U.S. Census Bureau in 1970.
Ethel Mae began her career outside the home with the former West Virginia Department of Welfare in 1974, eventually working in Adult Protective Services until her retirement at age 80 in 2011. During her thirty-seven years at DHHR, while working full-time, she earned her social work degree from Glenville State University.
Ethel Mae was a woman of tremendous faith in God, love of family, and service to others through her beloved church family, neighbors, and community. She was one of the oldest members of Gassaway Baptist Church, serving through the years as a deaconess, BYF leader, Missions Board member, and Sunday school teacher. She was also a member of the Gassaway Chapter of the Order of Eastern Star.
Besides faith and family, some of her greatest joys were in helping those in need, especially children and older adults. She volunteered to host an annual Christmas party for the adult family care families for many years, which was a labor of love.
Ethel Mae is survived by her two sons, Brent Boggs (Jean) and Bruce Boggs (Teresa); grandchildren, Jessica Boggs Cote (Greg), Jacob Boggs (Erika), Justin Boggs (Jennifer), Joshua Boggs (Clarissa), Miranda Boggs (Jesse), Noah Porter (Riches), and Courtney Martin (Ryan); great grandchildren, Collin Singleton, Tyler Boggs, Katelynn Boggs, Gavin Singleton, Sawyer Boggs, Kenzie Boggs, Carson Boggs, Joseph Murphy, Riley Boggs, Darren Boggs, Melvyn Lehman; and many nieces, nephews and extended family members.
In addition to her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by her three brothers: C. Dale Westfall, Denver Joseph Westfall, Ralph Westfall, and a great-grandson, Tristan Nathaniel Boggs.
Our family appreciates the outpouring of love and support over the years during Ethel Mae's struggle with Alzheimer's and Doyle's passing in 2023. Our sincere appreciation to Marka (Mickey) and Sewell Priest, who provided a loving home setting and outstanding care for Ethel Mae, along with devoted caregiver and friend, Sue Barker; Roberta Kuhl; WV Caring Hospice; WVU Medicine and Braxton Memorial Hospital; Dr. Stephanie Frame and Dr. Zane Dennison; Braxton Senior Citizens Center; and Evelyn Post and her staff at Central WV Aging Services for their loving assistance for Doyle and Ethel Mae while they were in their home; and the countless visits and acts of kindness by those who knew and loved her. Her family, neighbors, church family, and former co-workers at DHHR were always in Ethel Mae's heart and prayers.
Ethel Mae was a gentle, loving, and soft-spoken lady to all who knew and loved her. She was a powerful and determined woman who worked hard and lived her life as an example of her unwavering faith in God, who gifted her with a kind, humble heart and the hands of a servant.
Visitation will be from Noon to 2 p.m., on Saturday, August 23, 2025, with the funeral service following at 2 p.m., at Gassaway Baptist Church, 56 Beall Drive, Gassaway, WV, with Pastor Mark Stump officiating. A graveside service and interment will follow at Beall's Mill Cemetery, Gassaway.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests making a memorial donation in her honor to the Gassaway Baptist Church Pregnancy Support Center, PO Box 128, Gassaway, WV 26624.
Arrangements by Roach Funeral Home, Gassaway, WV.
Words of comfort and fond memories may be extended to the family at www.roachfuneralhome.com.