Gerald K. Meadows
June 15, 1926 - February 19, 2009

Gerald K. Meadows, 82, of Brenton, WV, went to be with the Lord on Thursday, February 19, 2009, at Cabell Huntington Hospital, following a long battle with cancer. Born June 15, 1926, in Lowrey, Oklahoma, Gerald was the son of the late Henry Everett Meadows and Myrtle L. Walker. He came to live with his father and stepmother, Effie Day, at the age of three. Gerald worked as a rigger in the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia, where he helped to build the U.S.S. Lake Champlain. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II in Central Europe with the 329th Combat Engineers 104th (Timberwolf) Infantry Division, where he received an Army of Occupation Medal (Germany), an American Theater Service Medal, a European-African-Middle Eastern Services Medal, a Victory Medal, several Good Conduct Medals, and an Honorable Discharge. He was a Lifetime member of VFW Post 8364 in Oceana, WV. He received a certificate for Peace Officer Training from Marshall College and served as a Deputy Sheriff under Leland Phillips for four years beginning in 1961. He retired from the West Virginia Department of Highways in 1987 where he worked for more than twenty years as a Certified Compaction Inspector for the District 10 Division. Gerald attended Lewis Memorial Baptist Church in Barboursville. He enjoyed deer hunting, fishing, and camping. He donated numerous pints of "O" Negative blood during his lifetime. In addition to his parents and stepmother, he was preceded in death by five brothers, Welby Carlos Meadows, Darvis Meadows, Eldridge Meadows, Henry Everett Meadows, Jr., and John Meadows; two sisters, Annice Odell Meadows and Bernice Meadows; and a brother-in-law, Raymond Miller. Survivors include his wife of 61 years, Violet Lea Miller Meadows; two sisters, Wanda Gary of Fredericksburg, Virginia, Dallas (Al) Shumate of Columbus, Ohio; a step sister, Jane Wheatley of Reminderville, Ohio; a sister-in-law, Dorothy Miller of Stephenson, Virginia; three children, Carolyn Meadows of Huntington, Loretta (Steve) Rose of Brenton, and Kevin Keith (Mary) Meadows of Huntington; five grandchildren; and four great grandchildren. Funeral services will be conducted 2:00 PM Saturday, February 21, 2009, at Lewis Memorial Baptist Church with Rev. Richard Sexton officiating. Friends may call from 1:00 to 2:00 PM Saturday, February 21, 2009, at Lewis Memorial Baptist Church. Burial, with Military Graveside Rites conducted by the Wyoming County Veterans Honor Guard, will be 2:30 PM Sunday, February 22, 2009, at Palm Memorial Gardens, Matheny, WV, with Rev. Lee Fischer officiating. Thanks are extended to Cabell Huntington Hospital and Hospice of Huntington. Chapman's Mortuary, Huntington, is serving the Meadows family.