June 5 , 2008

Russell Strange, 73
Russell Strange, 73, 3538 Snow Creek Road, Clay City, husband of Reece Strange, died Friday at his home. He was born July 17, 1934 in Powell County to the late Clay and Ila Hall Strange. He was a retired Bundy Tubing and C.M.S. employee. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Mary Lou Walters.
Survivors include his wife, Reece Strange of Clay City; a daughter, Connie Jo Johnson, Clay City; two brothers, Charles Clay Strange of Stanton and Jimmy Strange of Lexington; three sisters, Sylvia Atkinson of Stanton, Sarah Lee Goosey of Lexington, and Shirley Ann Carter of Nicholasville; a grandson, Franklin B. Johnson of Clay City.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, June 7, 6 p.m. at the Family Cemetery, Clay City with burial in Family Cemetery, Snow Creek, Clay City.

Henry Welch, 80
Henry Clay Welch, 80, 3259 North Bend Road, Stanton, husband of Velina Welch, died Friday at VA Medical Center, Lexington. He was born April 8, 1928 in Powell County to the late George and Otta Benningfield Welch. He was an Army veteran, a retired contractor, a member of the Clay City Baptist Church, and a Kentucky Colonel. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, Carolyn Faye Welch, son, Jeffrey Lynn Welch; brothers, Virgil and Elbert Welch; sisters, Lorene Reed and Imogene Epperson.
Survivors include his wife, Velina Welch of Stanton; two sons, Byron Keith (Charlotte) Welch of Stanton and Wendell (Aneda) Welch of Jeffersonville; three step-sons, Billy, Ricky, and Bobby Mize; grandchildren, Byron Keith (Erin) Welch Jr., Hillsboro, Allen (Celesta) Welch, Owingsville, Whitney (Amanda) Welch, Sharpsburg, and J.D. Dunaway, Jeffersonville; great-grandchildren, Brooklyn and Tessia Welch and Hunter and Kaydee Dunaway; several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were held Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Wells Funeral Home, Stanton by Rev. David Bowden and Rev. Grider Denny with burial at Stanton Cemetery.
Pallbearers were Herbert Childers, Dale Anderson, Carl Wells Sr., Megan and David Davis, Talmadge Smallwood, Jr Ashley, Herbert Randell, Dale Hall, Stanley Slemp, Jerry Hall, Herb Trent, Jeff Trent, Cecil and Bo Tipton, Jimmy Dennis, Cherie Berryman, Hayden and Teddy Johnson, CB Martin, Danny Martin, and Danny and Loretta Stevenson.

Linda Kelly, 57
Linda Jean Kelly, 57, 9848 Winchester Rd., wife of Harold Kelly died Tuesday at her home. She was born Sept. 27, 1950 to the late Alvin and Pauline Morton Smallwood. She was a factory worker and a member of the Christian Fellowship Church of God, Clay City.
Survivors include her husband Harold Kelly of Clay City; sons, Harold Kelly II of Newark, Ohio and Mark Landon Kelly of Clay City; a daughter, Stacy Jo Muncie of Clay City; a brother, Alvin Smallwood of Stanton; sisters, Alice Welch and Terry McDaniel, both of Stanton, and Kathy Smallwood of Stillwell, Okla.; grandchildren, McKayla Rucker, Kelly Bloom, Jackson Muncie and Zachary Kelly.
She was preceded in death by her parents and a sister, Peggy Bowen.
Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 31 at Wells Funeral Home Stanton by Rev. Tony Bartlette.
Pallbearers were Harold Kelly, Mark Kelly, Alvin Smallwood, Kent Kelly, Anthony Kelly and Bobby Mason.

Lana Scott, 45
Lana Sue Scott, 45, 234 8th Avenue, Clay City, died Tuesday, May 27, 2008 at her residence. She was born Oct. 11, 1962 in Maysville to the late Artie Spence and Janet McKee Spence Simpkins. She was a restaurant cook, a homemaker and a loving mother.
She is survived by her mother, Janet Simpkins of Virginia; step-mother, Judy Spence of West Union, Ohio; husband, Douglas Tipton Scott Sr.; one son, Douglas Tipton Scott Jr. of Winchester; one daughter, Ashlee and husband Steve haddix of Clay City; an honorary daughter, Leeanna and husband Chris Pergram of Clay City; one brother, Randy and wife Abby Spence of West Union, Ohio; three sisters, Judy and husband Chet Hinton, Rebecca and husband David Strange, both of West Union, Ohio, and Tiffany and husband Dale Light of Texas; mother-in-law, Shirley Scott of Stanton; one grandchild, Karlee Haddix; two honorary grandchildren, Kayleigh and Carson Pergram; and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were conducted by Bro. Wilford Dale Helton at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 31, 2008 at Hearne Funeral Home Chapel, Stanton with burial at the Patrick Cemetery, Clay City.
Pallbearers were Stephen Haddix, Joshua Banks, Tony W., Randy Spence, Ronald Allen Jr. and Jessie Rogers. Honorary pallbearers were Ricky Creed, Mike Brown, Jason Strange, David Strange Sr., David Strange Jr. and Jerry Lee Scott.

Ruth Hobbs, 95
Ruth Bellew Hobbs, 95, 56 Strode Street, Stanton, widow of Samuel Ernie Hobbs, died Thursday, May 29, 2008 at her residence. She was born in Carter County on Nov. 6, 1912 to the late Walter A. and Effie Walker Bellew. She was a former employee of Lycoming Shoe Factory, a homemaker and a member of Grace Fellowship Church of God of Prophecy. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by one daughter, Donna Marcukaitis.
Survivors include two sons, Bill and wife Alpha Hobbs of Jeffersonville, and Larry Hobbs of Leonard, Texas; two daughters, Shirley and husband John Estep of Stanton, and Janie and husband Gary Stacy of Irvine; one brother, Walter A. Bellew Jr. of Huntington, West Va.; nine grandchildren, Renee Hawkins, Byron Hobbs, Trina Tucker, Bryan White, Andrea Charles, Christie Caudill, John Estep Jr., Dustin Stacy and Kyle Stacy; and nine great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held by Pastor Willard Estep with eulogy by Dustin Stacy at 11 a.m. Monday, June 2, 2008 at Hearne Funeral Home Chapel with burial at Stanton Cemetery.
Pallbearers were Brian Charles, Bryan White, Gary Stacy, Dustin Stacy, Kyle Stacy and John Estep Jr. Honorary pallbearers were Mark and Ann Keith, Dr. Charles Noss, Lena Dotson, Jane Pelfrey, Viola Netherly, Irene Hollon, Joann Wilson and Dixie Everman.

Ronnie Rife, 60
Ronnie Rife, 60, 5726 Furnace Rd., Salyersville, died June 1, 2008 at his residence. He was born Oct. 16, 1947 in Magoffin County to the late Richard Rife and the late Susie Ingram Rife. He was a retired loader operator. He was a member of the Pentecostal church.
He is survived by his ex-wife, Shirley Rife, mother of the children; four sons, Richard J. Rife, Travis Rife and Ronnie Edward Rife, all of Magoffin County, and Billy Wayne Rife of Clay City; a daughter, Dorsey Salyer of Magoffin County; three brothers, Roy Rife, Raleigh Rife and Randy Rife, all of Magoffin County; four sisters, Ruby Litteral of Ashland, Ruth Conley of Florida, Rania Richmond of Clay City, and Barbara Mullins of Magoffin County; 10 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
He was preceded in death by a daughter, Judy Rife Davidson; and a brother, Adis Rife.
Funeral services were held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 4, 2008 at Magoffin County Funeral Home Chapel by Bro. William Paul Perkins with burial at the Rife Family Cemetery, Stanton.